Langham Oaks, Colchester
Langham Oaks is a special school for boys aged 10 to 16 in Colchester, part of Seax Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2021. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2021)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Langham Oaks in detail
Langham Oaks in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Langham Oaks is part of the SEAX Multi- Academy Trust and is located in the small village of Langham, situated just on the outskirts of Colchester, Essex. Langham Oaks caters for up to 80 boys between the ages of 10 and 16 years with a range of Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Langham Oaks are Kingswode Hoe School (4.7 miles, Good); Market Field School and College (5.2 miles, Good); The Willows (5.8 miles); and Lexden Springs School (6.1 miles).
Kingswode Hoe SchoolMarket Field School and CollegeThe WillowsLexden Springs School
The trust
Langham Oaks is one of 5 schools run by Seax Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
15 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Langham Oaks (as of September 2025): 67% would recommend the school, 73% say their child is happy there and 70% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school supports their child's wider development (73%); the weakest, that their child does well at the school (67%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 15 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 60% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 40% to a further education college.
Who goes there
58.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (10%).
Almost every pupil at Langham Oaks has an education, health and care plan (82 of 82 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Langham Oaks has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 80 places, 80 pupils on roll.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Langham Oaks.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (outside), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Langham Oaks issued 36 suspensions, 48 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Many pupils join the school after facing significant disruption to their education and lives. Some pupils have not attended school regularly prior to joining the school. Staff take time to understand pupils' often complex backgrounds and special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They help pupils settle well into a stable school life. Staff celebrate important small successes, so pupils build pride and confidence in their own abilities.
Clear behaviour routines provide high expectations and consistency for pupils. Pupils alter their behaviour and know what is acceptable in their community. Pupils learn from their mistakes. They have high regard for the staff that care for them. Pupils build important social skills and form firm friendships with others. When incidents such as racism happen, pupils know the serious consequences. These incidents are rarely repeated.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Since the previous inspection, the school and trust have improved the curriculum. All pupils access a range of curriculum subjects through three bespoke 'pathways'. Each subject is broken down into helpful building blocks that support pupils to grow their understanding. The curriculum is adapted well around the accurately identified needs of the pupils. The life skills curriculum, for instance, equips pupils with the tools to build effectively on their social and emotional knowledge.
Many pupils have gaps in their learning prior to starting the school. High-quality checks on what pupils already know support the school to know the help pupils need in class. Staff know the pupils well and so choose effective methods to engage pupils with their work. As pupils progress through the school, they achieve success and access important qualifications that help them access colleges and other destinations.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Requires Improvement at its November 2021 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Areas Ofsted flagged
Quality of education (Requires Improvement), Behaviour & attitudes (Requires Improvement), Personal development (Requires Improvement), Leadership & management (Requires Improvement).
At a Glance
58.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Resourced provision: SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
15 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Langham Oaks
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Langham Oaks from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Langham Oaks 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot.
2 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
82 pupils
80 places
2 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Colchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Colchester
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(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
82
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Langham Oaks has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 80 places, 80 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
82
Total Pupils
82
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
5.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,922
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
26.6%
Overall absence
66.7%
Persistent absence
54
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
Questions parents ask about Langham Oaks
What are GCSE results like at Langham Oaks?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Langham Oaks achieved an Attainment 8 score of 11.3. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Langham Oaks's Ofsted rating?
Langham Oaks's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2021, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Langham Oaks?
No fixed boundary. When Langham Oaks is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Langham Oaks?
Langham Oaks has around 82 pupils on roll. 59% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Langham Oaks have specialist SEN provision?
Langham Oaks has a resourced provision for social, emotional and mental health needs: 80 places, 80 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Langham Oaks?
26.6% of sessions were missed at Langham Oaks in 2024/25. 66.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Langham Oaks?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Langham Oaks 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 Langham Oaks?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot. 2 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 Langham Oaks?
Langham Oaks is at School Road, Langham, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5PA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)