Estuary High School is an independent special school in Leigh-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, for boys aged 13 to 18.
- Ages 13–18
- 5 pupils
- Boys only
- Ofsted: Inadequate
School details
- Type
- Independent special school
- Ages
- 13 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys only
- Pupils
- 5 (places for 10)
- Headteacher
- Mrs Doreen Ellis (Acting Head of Education)
- Opened
- 28 January 2005
- Council
- Southend-on-Sea
- School reference (URN)
- 134940
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 Southend-on-Sea council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- An offer, and the council’s agreement
As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it doesn’t have to accept a place: the school has to offer one, and the council has to agree to name it in the plan.
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
Rated Inadequate, April 2025; met all standards that were checked (March 2026)
Rated Inadequate at its last graded inspection, in April 2025.
- Quality of educationRequires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
- Personal developmentRequires improvement
- Leadership and managementInadequate
- Sixth formInsufficient evidence
- SafeguardingNot effective
Since then: Met all standards that were checked (monitoring visit, March 2026).
Independent school standards: did not meet all standards.
Contact and getting there
820 London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 3NH
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Blenheim Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.6 miles
- The St Christopher School Special school · Ages 3–19 · Ofsted: Good 0.9 miles
- Lancaster School Special school · Ages 14–19 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.0 mile
All SEND schools in Southend-on-Sea
By need in Southend-on-Sea: Autism (10) · Moderate learning (4) · SEMH (3) · Severe learning (2) · PMLD (2) · Physical (2)
Questions about Estuary High School
How do I get a place at Estuary High School?
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 Estuary High School. As an independent school not approved under Section 41, it has to offer a place and the council has to agree to name it.
What ages does Estuary High School take?
Aged 13 to 18, boys only.
What is Estuary High School’s Ofsted rating?
There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.
Where is Estuary High School?
820 London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 3NH, in Southend-on-Sea.
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.