The St Christopher School, Leigh-on-Sea
The St Christopher School is a special school for pupils aged 3 to 19 in Leigh-on-Sea, part of Sen Trust Southend. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2024.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The St Christopher School in detail
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to The St Christopher School are Kingsdown School (0.5 miles, Good); Estuary High School (0.8 miles, Inadequate, selective); Lancaster School (1.2 miles, Good); and Compass Community School Boleyn Park (2.2 miles, Good).
Kingsdown SchoolEstuary High SchoolLancaster SchoolCompass Community School Boleyn Park
The trust
The St Christopher School is one of 4 schools run by Sen Trust Southend, an academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 7 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 57% to a further education college.
Who goes there
43% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 7.4% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (70%), Asian (8%) and Mixed (8%).
Almost every pupil at The St Christopher School has an education, health and care plan (270 of 270 in 2026). The most common need among them is autism.
The St Christopher School provides for pupils with autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chalkwell Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sandhurst Crescent (adjacent), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 171 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Southend-on-Sea (318).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The St Christopher School issued 2 suspensions, 0.8 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years, Sixth form.
Rated Good for
Quality of education.
At a Glance
43.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
Autism, SEMH, MLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 0% to 5% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 5% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 4% to 9% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with The St Christopher School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The St Christopher School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The St Christopher 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
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 18 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
5 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
141%
Over capacity
270 pupils
191 places
79 pupils over capacity
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Leigh-on-Sea
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Leigh-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)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Outstanding, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
270
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
The St Christopher School provides for pupils with autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
270
Total Pupils
216
Boys
54
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
40
Teachers
6.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,994
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.9%
Overall absence
19.5%
Persistent absence
241
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 St Christopher School
Showing 10 of 13 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The St Christopher School
What are GCSE results like at The St Christopher School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The St Christopher School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 2.2. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The St Christopher School's Ofsted rating?
The St Christopher School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2014 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for The St Christopher School?
No fixed boundary. When The St Christopher School is oversubscribed, Southend-on-Sea allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to The St Christopher School?
The St Christopher School has around 270 pupils on roll. 43% are eligible for free school meals.
Does The St Christopher School have specialist SEN provision?
The St Christopher School provides for pupils with autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and moderate learning difficulties.
What is attendance like at The St Christopher School?
7.9% of sessions were missed at The St Christopher School in 2024/25. 19.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The St Christopher School?
Apply through Southend-on-Sea's coordinated admissions process, naming The St Christopher 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 St Christopher School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 18 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 5 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 The St Christopher School?
The St Christopher School is at Mountdale Gardens, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 4AW.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)