The Greenwell Academy

The Greenwell Academy is a small SEND school where all pupils have education, health and care plans and many arrive with significant gaps in learning and personal challenges. Inspectors found the school performs strongly in attendance and behaviour and in inclusion, with pupils benefiting from a calm, caring and highly supportive environment. Pupils attend well above the national average for similar schools, feel safe, build confidence, and most improve their attendance and attitudes to learning over time. Safeguarding standards are met, and staff know pupils extremely well, using therapeutic support and individualised provision to help them re-engage with education.

Strengths

• Attendance is above the national average for similar schools and most pupils improve their attendance significantly.
• The school environment is calm and caring, with clear routines that help pupils feel safe and settle quickly.
• Highly positive staff-pupil relationships underpin substantial improvements in behaviour.
• Staff know pupils extremely well and identify their individual needs promptly.
• Highly effective, individualised support, including in-school counselling and therapeutic support, helps pupils manage their feelings and re-engage in learning.
• The ambitious curriculum is well designed to meet pupils' needs and is adapted as those needs change.
• Primary-age pupils build knowledge effectively in reading, writing and mathematics, and older pupils gain qualifications to progress to post-16.
• The personal development programme threads wide-ranging opportunities through the curriculum, building understanding of British values and healthy relationships.
• Pupils benefit from enrichment opportunities such as residential visits and outdoor learning.
• Leaders and trust leaders have managed staffing changes, growth in pupil numbers and delays to new premises effectively.
• The trust provides relevant support and challenge, and staff value professional training and opportunities to share ideas with colleagues from other trust schools.
• Most parents are highly positive about the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Sometimes teaching is not consistently well focused on the detail of pupils' subject-specific knowledge, so some pupils do not learn as much or as deeply as they could.
• Staff do not always check systematically that all pupils secure the intended learning, meaning some pupils do not make as much progress as they could.
• Leaders need to ensure staff routinely support precise, well-informed checks on learning and set clear targets for pupils' progress so gaps are closed quickly.
• The careers education programme is still developing, and pupils' access to meaningful work experience and work-related learning is limited.
• There are significant delays in the move to a new school building, and a few parents understandably express concerns about this.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Harlow · Essex local authority: places and applications

The Greenwell Academy is part of The Beckmead Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Wells Park School Chigwell
• The Sir Geoff Hurst Academy Chelmsford
• Ian Mikardo High School London
• Beckmead College London
• Beckmead Park Academy Beckenham
• Chaffinch Brook School Croydon
• The Ropemakers' Academy Hailsham
• The Flagship School Hastings

What is The Greenwell Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Greenwell Academy is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was The Greenwell Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Greenwell Academy was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does The Greenwell Academy have?

The Greenwell Academy has 19 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Greenwell Academy cover?

The Greenwell Academy for pupils aged 7 to 16.

Where is The Greenwell Academy?

The Greenwell Academy is at Commonside Road, Harlow, Essex, CM18 7EZ.