Poplar Adolescent Unit, Rochford: SEND school, ages 11

Poplar Adolescent Unit is a pupil referral unit in Rochford, Essex, for children and young people aged 11 to 18.

Ages 11–18

School details

Type: Pupil referral unit
Ages: 11 to 18
Boys and girls: Boys and girls
Headteacher: Miss Charlotte Baulch (Head of Education)
Opened: 23 February 2009
Free school meals: 0% of pupils eligible
Council: Essex
School reference (URN): 135778

How to get a place

3 steps

Talk to your child’s school or the council
Places in alternative provision are usually arranged by your child’s current school or Essex council, rather than applied for directly.
If your child has an EHC plan
The placement should be agreed through the plan, with you involved in the decision.
Get free, independent advice
Your local SENDIASS can explain your options and come to meetings with you.

Essex SENDIASS Essex Local Offer How EHC plans work

Questions to ask when you visit

8 questions to tick off as you go

How many children are in each class, and how many adults?
Which therapies happen in school (speech and language, occupational therapy, physiotherapy), and how often?
What training do staff have in my child’s needs?
How do you help children who are anxious, overwhelmed or in distress?
How will you keep in touch with me day to day?
How does home-to-school transport work?
What happens at the big changes: starting, moving up, and leaving at 16 or 19?
Can my child visit first, or have a settling-in period?

Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.

Ofsted

Graded by area, June 2025; school remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (July 2023)

Inspected in June 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.

Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
Personal developmentGood
Leadership and managementGood
Sixth formGood
SafeguardingEffective

Since then: School remains Good (Improving) - S5 Next (ungraded inspection, July 2023).

Read the Ofsted report

Contact and getting there

Rochford Community Hospital, Union Lane, Rochford, SS4 1RB

01702 538138 School website

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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

Kingsdown School Special school · Ages 3–14 2.0 miles
Southend High School for Boys Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Outstanding 2.1 miles
Lancaster School Special school · Ages 14–19 · Ofsted report card (2026) 2.2 miles

All SEND schools in Essex

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 Poplar Adolescent Unit

How do I get a place at Poplar Adolescent Unit?

Places at Poplar Adolescent Unit are usually arranged by your child’s current school or Essex council rather than applied for directly. If your child has an EHC plan, the placement should be agreed through it.

What ages does Poplar Adolescent Unit take?

Aged 11 to 18, boys and girls.

What is Poplar Adolescent Unit’s Ofsted rating?

Rated Good by Ofsted in June 2025 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.

Where is Poplar Adolescent Unit?

Rochford Community Hospital, Union Lane, Rochford, SS4 1RB, 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.

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