School Gets Go-ahead

PLANS for a new 200-pupil special school in Rayleigh has been approved.

The much-anticipated school will be built on the 500-home Wolsey Park development in Rayleigh, after Essex County Council gave the go-ahead to the plans.

Mark Francois, Conservative Candidate for Rayleigh and Wickford, who has been behind plans for the special needs school, had presented the proposals to a county council cabinet meeting, following an extensive campaign.

He said: “I warmly welcomed the formal approval to proceed with a new Special Educational Needs (SEN) school at Rayleigh.

“It is really excellent news.

“I launched the campaign for a new SEN school only last July and, within a year, we have a site, we have the money – and we now also have formal approval to proceed.”

The new school, to be built on the new Vistry development at Rawreth, on the Western edge of Rayleigh, will cater for 150 SEN pupils, with another 40 to be accommodated at a sixth form annex at the refurbished and repurposed Chetwood Primary School in South Woodham Ferrers, just a few miles up the road.

Mr Francois added: “It’s a victory for SEN pupils and their families, and I want to thank both Essex County Council and Vistry for backing this vital project so strongly.”

He also said: “The school will cater for pupils from the ages of three to eighteen and will be funded by a combination of section 106 contributions and a special Government grant, for which I lobbied Education Ministers, as part of the plan.”

During a consultation with residents in February this year, the new SEN school, received a 95% approval rating from 823 people.

Coun Tony Ball, cabinet member for education, excellence lifelong learning and employability, said: “We are committed to helping all children in Essex get the best possible start in life.

“This includes providing access to education in mainstream or special schools.

“The overwhelmingly positive response to the public consultation has demonstrated that this is a much-needed new provision with significant support from the local community.

“I’m very pleased that the council have set out its commitment to creating this desperately needed education facility for Families in South Essex and I look forward to seeing the projects progress as we look towards the schools opening in September 2026.”

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