Harlow Fields School and College is a council-run special school in Harlow, Essex, for children and young people aged 3 to 19. It supports autism, moderate learning, severe learning and 1 other need.
- Ages 3–19
- 213 pupils
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 3 to 19
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 213 (places for 214)
- Headteacher
- Ms Kathleen Faherty (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 April 1999
- Free school meals
- 30.5% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Essex
- School reference (URN)
- 131838
Needs it supports
4 needs: autism, moderate learning and 2 more
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Communication and interaction
Cognition and learning
- Moderate learning difficulty Other schools for this in Essex (9)
- Severe learning difficulty Other schools for this in Essex (12)
- Profound and multiple learning difficulties Other schools for this in Essex (7)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Essex council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Graded by area, January 2025; school remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (September 2023)
Inspected in January 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Personal developmentRequires improvement
- Leadership and managementRequires improvement
- Early yearsInsufficient evidence
- Sixth formRequires improvement
- SafeguardingEffective
Since then: School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, September 2023).
Contact and getting there
Tendring Road, Harlow, CM18 6RN
Loading the map…
Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Longwood Primary Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.6 miles
- Beckmead Moundwood Academy Alternative provision · Ages 4–16 0.7 miles
- The Greenwell Academy Special school · Ages 7–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 0.7 miles
By need in Essex: Autism (18) · Severe learning (13) · Moderate learning (10) · Hearing (10) · Speech and language (9) · PMLD (8) · SEMH (7) · Dyslexia and SpLD (3) · Vision (3) · Multi-sensory (2)
Questions about Harlow Fields School and College
How do I get a place at Harlow Fields School and College?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult Harlow Fields School and College. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What needs does Harlow Fields School and College support?
Autism, moderate learning difficulty, severe learning difficulty and profound and multiple learning difficulties. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Harlow Fields School and College take?
Aged 3 to 19, boys and girls.
What is Harlow Fields School and College’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Harlow Fields School and College?
Tendring Road, Harlow, CM18 6RN, in Essex.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.