Grove House School, Brentwood
Grove House School is a special school for pupils aged 8 to 19 in Brentwood, part of Seax Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2023 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Grove House School in detail
Grove House School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Grove House School (part of the SEAX Multi Academy Trust), a specialist provision for pupils with speech, language and communication needs. Ours is a caring school where the young people are warmly received and encouraged to "aim high", fulfil their potential and engage with opportunities."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Grove House School are Endeavour Co-Operative Academy (1 mile, Good); Lime Academy Forest Approach (2.9 miles, Good); Lime Academy Ravensbourne (4.2 miles, Good); and Routes4Life Limited (5.5 miles, Good).
Endeavour Co-Operative AcademyLime Academy Forest ApproachLime Academy RavensbourneRoutes4Life Limited
The trust
Grove House School is one of 5 schools run by Seax Trust, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 22 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 96% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 32% to a further education college.
Who goes there
26.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 3.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Grove House School has an education, health and care plan (132 of 132 in 2026). The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Brentwood Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ongar Rd (n-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Grove House School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 227 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Grove House School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from June 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2018 inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
26.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Grove House School
Newsletter 2nd October 2026
2 Oct 2026
Newsletter 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Exam Results 2026
24 Aug 2026
Newsletter 17th July 2026
16 Jul 2026
Newsletter 10th July 2016
10 Jul 2026
Newsletter 26th June 2026
26 Jun 2026
From Grove House School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Grove House School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Grove House School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Grove House School is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
102%
Over capacity
132 pupils
130 places
2 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Brentwood
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Brentwood
Across Essex council
Places available
17,590
Applications
16,568
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
132
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
132
Total Pupils
96
Boys
36
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
6.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£61,383
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.0%
Overall absence
17.6%
Persistent absence
102
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Grove House School
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Grove House School
What are GCSE results like at Grove House School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Grove House School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 2.4. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Grove House School's Ofsted rating?
Grove House School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Grove House School?
No fixed boundary. When Grove House School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Grove House School?
Grove House School has around 132 pupils on roll. 27% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Grove House School?
7% of sessions were missed at Grove House School in 2024/25. 17.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Grove House School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Grove House School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Grove House School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 14 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Grove House School?
Grove House School is at Sawyers Hall Lane, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9DA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)