St Nicholas School, Southend-on-Sea
St Nicholas School is a special school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Southend-on-Sea, part of Sen Trust Southend. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, ended in a report card: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in March 2014.
- Ofsted report card
- 1 of 6 areas strong or better
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Nicholas School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 20 January 2026 inspection grades St Nicholas School on 6 areas: 1 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders' work to improve attendance has had a highly positive impact."
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils progress steadily from their various starting points."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The school has designed a well-matched and progressive curriculum that reflects the complexity of pupils' needs."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have created a highly inclusive culture where pupils are well known by staff and have their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) met effectively."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Pupils, parents and staff report high levels of satisfaction with the school."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have established ambitious and well-planned curriculums for personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) and relationships and sex education."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure the activities that pupils are given allow them to deepen and extend their learning across the entire curriculum"; "Leaders should ensure that strategies linked to pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities are precisely matched to pupils annual targets and consistently adapted in order to remove barriers to learning more swiftly".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to St Nicholas School are Sutton House Academy (1 mile, Good); 1Up Collective CIC (1.5 miles); Compass Community School Boleyn Park (2 miles, Good); and Lancaster School (2.2 miles, Good).
Sutton House Academy1Up Collective CICCompass Community School Boleyn ParkLancaster School
The trust
St Nicholas School is one of 4 schools run by Sen Trust Southend, an academy trust.
What parents say
21 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Nicholas School (as of April 2026): 95% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (67%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 16 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 75% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 63% to a further education college.
Who goes there
59.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 2.8% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (79%) and Mixed (7%).
Almost every pupil at St Nicholas School has an education, health and care plan (108 of 108 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
St Nicholas School provides for pupils with autism and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Southend East Rail Station, about 1110 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Whittingham Avenue (n-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Nicholas School stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
St Nicholas School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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 · 9 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards met
- Attendance and behaviourStrong standard
- AchievementExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at St Nicholas School
Pupils benefit from being well known and understood by the staff who work with them. Expert staff get to know pupils quickly and this creates a warm and purposeful environment which is felt through the school. Pupils feel valued. They clearly trust the staff here. Pupils know that staff want the best for them, will help to keep them safe and help them to learn. Pupils love to learn at this vibrant and inclusive school. They are positive about the curriculum and how much they enjoy it. Pupils understand that everyone has a right to learn. They behave well and actively support each other. Pupils have a range of needs. The school makes rapid adjustments and adaptations to help pupils take part in school events. Across school trips, residentials, on-site clubs and off-site competitions, all pupils are given the support to be fully included in all that the school offers. Pupils are given the opportunities to learn vital leadership skills. Through roles such as school councillors, friendship ambassadors or planning campaigns and events, pupils learn what it means to positively contribute to society. Pupils treat each other with compassion and kindness. They recognise that everyone is different. They respect and celebrate these differences. Consequently, unkind behaviour, including bullying, is very rare. When pupils do have concerns or problems, they are reassured that the staff will deal with them promptly and effectively. The school is a calm and happy place, where pupils can focus on learning and feel secure. This is reflected in how well pupils attend school and the highly positive way that they engage with their learning and development.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure the activities that pupils are given allow them to deepen and extend their learning across the entire curriculum.
- Leaders should ensure that strategies linked to pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities are precisely matched to pupils annual targets and consistently adapted in order to remove barriers to learning more swiftly.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 20 January 2026). Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Nicholas School excels at understanding each child's individual needs and creating a warm, inclusive environment where every pupil feels valued and supported. Staff are exceptionally skilled at helping pupils overcome barriers to learning and develop the confidence and social skills they need to succeed. Parents report transformative improvements in their children's personal and social development, with the school working closely with families to ensure no child is left behind.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and attendance, with near all pupils who previously had low attendance now engaging consistently well in school
- Warm, supportive relationships between staff and pupils that create a safe, caring learning environment
- Highly inclusive culture with effective transition processes that help pupils blossom personally and socially
- Well-designed progressive curriculum with clear knowledge sequencing through 'Quests' that meet diverse pupil needs
- Strong leadership and governance with high staff satisfaction and parental confidence
Areas for Improvement
- Some teaching activities could be deepened and extended further to allow pupils to deepen their learning more
- Leaders are ambitious to refine annual targets and strategies for even more precise support to pupils
- School aims to deepen pupils' knowledge further in English and mathematics
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - the school has created an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
School council roles, friendship ambassadors, on-site clubs, school trips, residential visits, off-site competitions, employer visits, work experience programme
St Nicholas School is a special educational needs school in Southend-on-Sea that has created a highly inclusive, nurturing environment where pupils with complex needs thrive academically and personally. The school has achieved strong outcomes in attendance, behaviour, and pupil wellbeing through personalised support and expert staff.
About
Saint Nicholas School is a co-educational independent day school in Old Harlow, Essex for children aged 2 1/2 to 16 years old. The current Headmaster is Mr Terence Ayres.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
59.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
Autism, MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
21 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with St Nicholas School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Nicholas School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Nicholas School is in Southend-on-Sea; for families living there:
Apply to Southend-on-Sea for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 28
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 7
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 28 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 23 slight.
7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 Southend-on-Sea is 29 (the median across 61 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
100%
Full
108 pupils
108 places
No spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Southend-on-Sea
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southend-on-Sea
Across Southend-on-Sea council
Places available
2,580
Applications
2,060
Got 1st preference
78.3%
Got preferred school
97.4%
All secondary applications across Southend-on-Sea council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
108
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
St Nicholas School provides for pupils with autism and moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
108
Total Pupils
75
Boys
33
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
6.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,772
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
11.3%
Overall absence
27.8%
Persistent absence
108
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
St Nicholas School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St Nicholas School
What are GCSE results like at St Nicholas School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Nicholas School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 2.1. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Nicholas School's Ofsted rating?
St Nicholas School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Nicholas School?
No fixed boundary. When St Nicholas School is oversubscribed, Southend-on-Sea allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to St Nicholas School?
St Nicholas School has around 108 pupils on roll. 59% are eligible for free school meals.
Does St Nicholas School have specialist SEN provision?
St Nicholas School provides for pupils with autism and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at St Nicholas School?
11.3% of sessions were missed at St Nicholas School in 2024/25. 27.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Nicholas School?
Apply through Southend-on-Sea's coordinated admissions process, naming St Nicholas 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 St Nicholas School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 28 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 23 slight. 7 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Southend-on-Sea is 29 (the median across 61 schools, same distance and years).
Where is St Nicholas School?
St Nicholas School is at Philpott Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 4RL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)