The Edith Borthwick School, Braintree
The Edith Borthwick School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Braintree. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, ended in a report card: 7 expected standard. Before that it was rated Good at its last graded inspection, in September 2021.
- Ofsted report card
- 0 of 7 areas strong or better
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Edith Borthwick School in detail
What Ofsted's report card says
Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades The Edith Borthwick School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.
Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils' achievement is shaped by personalised targets that link to their education, health and care plans."
Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders take a supportive approach to attendance difficulties."
Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders review and refine the curriculum carefully so that it remains relevant to pupils' needs."
Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders gather detailed information about pupils during the admissions process."
Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders provide calm, steady leadership that helps the school run smoothly and creates a supportive working environment."
Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils enjoy rich experiences that help them feel proud of their school and community."
Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have refined the ‘moving on' pathway so that it provides a clearer structure for students preparing for adulthood."
Safeguarding standards were met.
Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teachers support pupils to build securely on their prior learning, checking this carefully so that teaching is consistently effective and maximises pupils' achievement"; "Leaders should manage part‑time timetables more effectively, setting clear goals that enable timely review and support pupils' prompt return to full‑time education"; "Leaders should refine strategic planning, including the pupil premium strategy, by using clear measures to judge whether actions are improving outcomes for pupils across the school"; "Governors should strengthen and formalise their approaches to checking and challenge so that identified priorities lead to clear actions, consistent follow‑up and sharper accountability".
Read the full report card on Ofsted's site (school website)
Source: Ofsted report card (Open Government Licence), quoted
The Edith Borthwick School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I introduce myself as the Headteacher of The Edith Borthwick School, leading a school community that is dedicated to supporting and celebrating children in a thoughtful, compassionate, and child-centred way."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The Edith Borthwick School are Southview School (6.3 miles, Outstanding); and Chatten Free School (6.4 miles, Outstanding).
What parents say
36 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Edith Borthwick School (as of April 2026): 75% would recommend the school and 89% say their child is happy there.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (89%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (64%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 21 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 100% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 10% to a further education college.
Who goes there
41.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 4.5% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Mixed (5%).
Almost every pupil at The Edith Borthwick School has an education, health and care plan (242 of 243 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
The Edith Borthwick School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Braintree Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Post Office (opposite), 310 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 154 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Edith Borthwick School issued 13 suspensions, 5.4 for every 100 pupils, and 1 permanent exclusion.
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
- AchievementExpected standard
- Attendance and behaviourExpected standard
- Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
- InclusionExpected standard
- Leadership and governanceExpected standard
- Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
- Post 16 provisionExpected standard
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted's report card, in its own words
What it's like to be a pupil at The Edith Borthwick School
A typical day starts with a warm, well‑organised arrival. It continues with calm, clear lessons that help pupils settle and succeed. The day ends just as it began. This predictable rhythm matters. It helps pupils feel safe and ready to learn, building a strong sense of belonging. Pupils are comfortable being themselves around staff who understand pupils' unique ways of learning, including pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties. Staff notice the smallest signs of discomfort and act quickly. Adjustments are thoughtful and often subtle, enabling pupils to focus on learning alongside their peers. This also supports improving attendance and respectful behaviour. If a pupil faces a setback, sensitive support typically helps them move forward again. Lunchtime reflects the same care. Some pupils eat in the hall, while others eat in classrooms. Staff know what works best for each pupil, and dietary and medical needs are met well. Pupils are free to chat with friends or simply enjoy being together. Beyond lessons, pupils enjoy a growing range of clubs and trips. These bring real joy, such as being creative through art and music or staying active through horse riding or swimming. This is reflected in how positively pupils communicate about these experiences. Students in the post‑16 classes take on increasing responsibility. They volunteer around school and support each other, setting a positive example for younger pupils. In the café, they take turns serving drinks and snacks, with ordering a hot chocolate being a firm favourite. These moments build confidence and communication skills. The curriculum is shaped carefully around each pupil. Education, health and care plans guide learning. Leaders also widen pupils' experiences and ambitions, and students work towards suitable qualifications where appropriate. Planning for next steps starts early, with families closely involved. Pupils make sound progress from their starting points and leave well prepared for what comes next.
What Ofsted says the school should do next
- Leaders should ensure that teachers support pupils to build securely on their prior learning, checking this carefully so that teaching is consistently effective and maximises pupils' achievement.
- Leaders should manage part‑time timetables more effectively, setting clear goals that enable timely review and support pupils' prompt return to full‑time education.
- Leaders should refine strategic planning, including the pupil premium strategy, by using clear measures to judge whether actions are improving outcomes for pupils across the school.
- Governors should strengthen and formalise their approaches to checking and challenge so that identified priorities lead to clear actions, consistent follow‑up and sharper accountability.
From Ofsted's report card (inspection 13 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
The school excels at creating a supportive environment where pupils with complex needs feel safe, cared for and ready to learn. Staff use skilled teaching approaches tailored to individual needs, with particular strength in developing communication skills and emotional regulation. The school successfully prepares older students for life after school through clear pathways, meaningful work experience, and strong partnerships with colleges and care providers.
Key Strengths
- Creates a calm, caring culture where pupils feel safe and supported to learn, with staff modelling kindness and respect daily
- Uses personalised targets linked to education, health and care plans to help pupils achieve well over time
- Provides excellent support for pupils' communication development and emotional regulation, particularly through therapy team involvement
- Organises a well-sequenced curriculum into clear pathways tailored to individual needs
- Prepares post-16 students effectively for adulthood with realistic next steps and purposeful career guidance
Areas for Improvement
- Some writing activities do not fully match pupils' communication or phonics knowledge, limiting their independent progress
- Attendance support approach lacks clear measures to objectively judge when pupils are ready to return to full-time education
- Improvement planning could be sharper with more clearly defined success criteria to evaluate impact precisely
- Monitoring of funding for disadvantaged pupils is not always rigorous enough to demonstrate effectiveness
- Some planned activities across phases do not link closely enough to curriculum aims or what pupils need to learn next
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met, with leaders and governors maintaining a strong culture of safeguarding in which concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed, helping pupils feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Eco council, school council, bushcraft, martial arts, swimming, community visits, cross-school destinations events
The Edith Borthwick School is a special school in Braintree, Essex that provides personalised education for pupils with complex needs, achieving expected standards across all areas with strengths in creating a calm, caring culture and preparing students well for adulthood.
About
The Edith Borthwick School is a mixed special school located in Braintree, Essex, England. It has 246 pupils from ages 3 to 19, with severe and complex learning difficulties including autism.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
41.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Vision, Hearing, Speech and language +5
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
36 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Social & online
Keep up with The Edith Borthwick School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Edith Borthwick School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Edith Borthwick 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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
99%
Near capacity
243 pupils
245 places
2 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Braintree
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Braintree
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
1
SEN Support
242
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The Edith Borthwick School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
243
Total Pupils
183
Boys
60
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
30
Teachers
8.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,298
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.5%
Overall absence
32.6%
Persistent absence
193
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
The Edith Borthwick School
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Edith Borthwick School
What are SATs results like at The Edith Borthwick School?
Of the pupils at The Edith Borthwick School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is The Edith Borthwick School's Ofsted rating?
The Edith Borthwick 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 September 2021, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Edith Borthwick School?
No fixed boundary. When The Edith Borthwick School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The Edith Borthwick School?
The Edith Borthwick School has around 243 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The Edith Borthwick School have specialist SEN provision?
The Edith Borthwick School provides for pupils with visual impairment, hearing impairment, speech, language and communication needs, autism, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, severe learning difficulties and profound and multiple learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at The Edith Borthwick School?
10.5% of sessions were missed at The Edith Borthwick School in 2024/25. 32.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Edith Borthwick School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming The Edith Borthwick 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 The Edith Borthwick School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 6 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 The Edith Borthwick School?
The Edith Borthwick School is at Enterprise Drive, Braintree, Essex, CM7 2YN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)