Westminster Report - Leigh-on-Sea

Share this story!

zzZ-Leigh On Sea News: Westminster Report – BY The Rt Hon Mark Francois Member of Parliament for Rayleigh and Wickford.MF-Westminster-report-02

Westminster Report - BY The Rt Hon Mark Francois Member of Parliament for Rayleigh and Wickford.

Leigh On Sea News: Westminster Report – BY The Rt Hon Mark Francois Member of Parliament for Rayleigh and Wickford.

BY The Rt Hon Mark Francois Member of Parliament for Rayleigh and Wickford.

A Major Step Forward for our New Special Needs School in Rayleigh.

As the MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, I’m very pleased to update constituents on the major progress we are making towards delivering a new Special Educational Needs (SEN) school for Rayleigh.

This new school, which is the first of its kind in the Rochford District, will be located at Wolsey Park, off Rawreth Lane, and represents a crucial step forward in expanding specialist educational provision across South Essex.

Having launched the campaign for this school in the House of Commons, back in July 2023, after numerous local parents raised concerns at my constituency surgeries, I have worked closely with Essex County Council (ECC) to bring this long-overdue vision to life.

It is no secret that demand for SEN places has far exceeded the available provision in our area for far too long.

While Essex is home to a number of excellent special schools, almost all of them are oversubscribed, leaving many families in the very difficult position where their children cannot access the support they need. That is why this new school is so important, and it has been incredibly encouraging to witness the strong public support for the project.

Last year, Essex County Council launched a public consultation, regarding the proposed new school, received one of the highest response rates the authority has ever seen. Of the 823 individuals who responded, 95% expressed support for the creation of the new school. This represents a 19-to-1 ratio in favour of the plans, underscoring the urgent need for additional SEN provision and highlighting the depth of local enthusiasm for this vital service.

I would like to extend my thanks to every constituent who took the time to participate and share their views.

We are now entering an exciting new phase of the project. Following extensive design work by Essex County Council and Kier Construction – the company tasked with delivering the project – a new, updated proposal has been developed for how the school will operate.

The school will still cater to children aged 3 to 18, as originally planned, but the configuration of the two sites has been adjusted to better meet the needs of students with complex requirements. Moreover, following many people responding to the consultation, asking if the school could be enlarged from the originally proposed 100 pupils – because of the pressing demand for more SEN places – I am delighted to confirm that the total number of pupils has now been expanded significantly, from 100 to 250, across the two sites.

Under the updated proposal, the Wolsey Park site in Rayleigh will focus on providing educational support for younger children, including those in early years, Key Stage 1, and Key Stage 2 (nursery and primary school age). Older pupils in Key Stages 3 and 4 will be based at the former Chetwood School site in South Woodham Ferrers. This arrangement ensures that the school will continue to operate as a through school across two locations, with each site utilised to its full potential.

Throughout this process, I have also maintained close contact with County Councillor Tony Ball, Essex’s Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, as well as senior officials at Essex County Council. I am grateful for their continued commitment to this important project, and for the fact that a portion of the funding is coming from Section 106 contributions from major housing developments in the area. This locally driven solution is an innovative approach that ensures new housing developments directly contribute to meeting the evolving needs of our local community.

In addition, following a competitive process organised by Essex County Council, in their capacity as the Local Education Authority (LEA), I am delighted that the school itself will now be run by the Zenith Education Trust, whose Chief Executive, Andy Hodgkinson, is already well known to many Rayleigh residents, having been a highly successful Headteacher at Sweyne Park School, for many years.

Zenith already run several schools across South Essex, including the oversubscribed Castledon School and College, a specialist SEN School in Wickford (which is also in my constituency and which, incidentally, is also benefitting from new facilities, including a new teaching block with nearly a dozen classrooms, which should hopefully come on stream, in September this year.)

Residents will also once again be invited to share their views on the new site design during a further public consultation, which will run from 28 April to 9 May. This is an essential opportunity for local people to have their say on how the school will look and operate, and I strongly encourage everyone with an interest to participate. The feedback gathered during this consultation will help refine the final plans, which will then be submitted for planning permission.

If planning permission is granted, as we hope, construction is expected to begin this summer (with good weather, God willing), with the school welcoming its first pupils in the Autumn of 2026.

As we move forward, we do so with confidence, knowing that we have the backing of our local community and a clear, well-supported plan to deliver this much-needed facility. This project will transform the lives of local families, providing new opportunities that were previously unavailable to Rochford District children with Special Educational Needs.

I look forward to keeping everyone fully informed as this vital project progresses and I am excited about the positive impact this school will have for many years to come.

Picture: Councillor Andrew Sheldon and Councillor Tony Ball, Essex County Council, Mark Francois MP and William Wood, Associate Director of Planning, Vistry Major Projects.

about author

Editor