The Belsteads School, Essex: SEND school, ages 10

The Belsteads School is an independent special school in Essex for children and young people aged 10 to 17.

Ages 10–17
52 pupils
Ofsted: Good

School details

Type: Independent special school
Ages: 10 to 17
Boys and girls: Boys and girls
Pupils: 52 (places for 55)
Headteacher: Mrs Erica Barnett
Opened: 24 April 2017
Council: Essex
School reference (URN): 144378

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.
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.

Essex SENDIASS Essex Local Offer Letter: ask for a school to be named 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

Rated Good, January 2025

Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in January 2025.

Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentOutstanding
Leadership and managementGood
SafeguardingEffective

Independent school standards: all standards met.

Read the Ofsted report

Contact and getting there

Back Lane, Little Waltham, Essex, CM3 3PP

01245 201652 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

The Bridge Columbus Special school · Ages 3–19 2.0 miles
The Sir Geoff Hurst Academy Special school · Ages 7–16 2.8 miles
The Hawthorns School Special school · Ages 7–16 · Ofsted report card (2026) 2.8 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 The Belsteads School

How do I get a place at The Belsteads 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 The Belsteads 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 The Belsteads School take?

Aged 10 to 17, boys and girls.

What is The Belsteads School’s Ofsted rating?

There’s no overall grade to show. Read the school’s latest inspection report on the Ofsted website.

Where is The Belsteads School?

Back Lane, Little Waltham, Essex, CM3 3PP, 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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