All Local Authorities

SEND Services in Southend-on-Sea

East of EnglandUnitary Authority
Council website

Southend-on-Sea, a vibrant coastal unitary authority in the East of England, offers dedicated SEND support tailored to its community of families, with a focus on keeping more children in local schools through expanding resource bases like the one at Shoeburyness High School. While the proportion of pupils at SEN Support here is lower than the national average, the area prioritises social, emotional and mental health needs, which affect over a fifth of SEND pupils, as outlined in the SEND Strategy 2023-2026 developed with input from parents via Southend SEND Independent Forum. For impartial guidance, contact SENDIASS Southend to navigate services calmly and confidently - you're not alone in this journey.

As you work with Southend's SEND services and professionals to support your child's needs, JakTrack quietly builds a picture of what's really happening day-to-day - the patterns in sleep, behaviour, and emotional wellbeing that matter most. By the time you're preparing for reviews, appointments, or benefit assessments, you'll have 90 days of organised evidence ready to go, so you can walk into every conversation feeling prepared and heard rather than scrambling to remember details. Starting early means that evidence grows naturally from your routine, taking just 30 seconds to log, so you're never playing catch-up when it counts. see how JakTrack can help

Schools & SEND Provision

59

Schools

7

Specialist

11

SEN Units & Resource Bases

32,709

Total Pupils

12.5%receive SEN Support

4,102 pupils

5%have an EHCP

1,629 pupils

Services & Contacts

Local Offer

Every Local Authority must publish a "Local Offer" - a directory of all SEND services and provision in their area.

View Southend-on-Sea's Local Offer

IASS

Free, impartial advice about SEND - EHCPs, school issues, exclusions, navigating the system.

SENDIASS Southend

Parent Carer Forum

Southend SEND Independent Forum (SSIF)

Southend's Official Parent Carer Forum providing support and voice for parent carers of children and young people with SEND.

SEND Team

Local Offer Team

For general information and signposting about SEND services and the Local Offer

Portage

Educational Psychology

Occupational Therapy

Mid & South Essex ICB Children's OT

Speech and Language Therapy

Mid & South Essex ICB Children's SALT

Social Care

Children with Disabilities Team

Provides advice, support, and practical help to families with children up to 18 years who are substantially affected in their everyday living by profound and severe disabilities

Other Services

Child Development Centre

Lighthouse Child Development Centre

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) support line: 01702 372251, Occupational Therapy support line: 01702 372250, Physiotherapy support line: 01702 372252, Speech and Language Therapy support line: 07580 167371, Sleep support line: 01702 578601

Autism Pathway

Home to School Transport

Education Transport Team

Preparing for Adulthood

Early Help

Specialist Teaching Service

New EHCPs by Primary Need

Schools

years old

Estuary High School

Special
Ages 13-18Capacity: 10SS9 3NH
Social & Emotional

Kingsdown School

SpecialNot judged
Ages 3-14Capacity: 130SS2 6XT
PhysicalSevere LearningProfound & Multiple

Lancaster School

Special
Ages 14-19Capacity: 106SS0 0RT
PhysicalSevere LearningProfound & Multiple

St Nicholas School

Special
Ages 11-16Capacity: 108SS2 4RL
AutismModerate Learning

Sutton House Academy

SpecialGood
Ages 5-16Capacity: 65SS2 5LG
Social & Emotional

The St Christopher School

SpecialGood
Ages 3-19Capacity: 191SS9 4AW
AutismSocial & EmotionalModerate Learning

Compass Community School Boleyn Park

Special
Ages 8-18Capacity: 24SS0 7PU

Chase High School

SecondaryNot judged
Ages 11-18Capacity: 1340SS0 0RT
AutismSocial & EmotionalModerate Learning
SEN unit: 10 places

Hamstel Infant School and Nursery

Primary
Ages 3-7Capacity: 390SS2 4PQ
Autism
SEN unit: 10 places

Temple Sutton Primary School

PrimaryGood
Ages 3-11Capacity: 690SS2 4BA
Autism
SEN unit: 10 places

Blenheim Primary School

PrimaryOutstanding
Ages 3-11Capacity: 657SS9 4HX
Autism
SEN unit: 10 places

Fairways Primary School

Primary
Ages 4-11Capacity: 420SS9 4QW
Speech & Language
SEN unit: 22 places

Greenways Primary School

PrimaryNot judged
Ages 4-11Capacity: 1050SS1 3BS
Autism

Shoeburyness High School

SecondaryGood
Ages 11-18Capacity: 1770SS3 9LL
AutismModerate Learning
SEN unit: 10 places

Southend High School for Boys

SecondaryOutstanding
Ages 11-18Capacity: 1060SS0 0RG
Autism
SEN unit: 10 places

Thorpedene Primary School & Nursery

PrimaryNot judged
Ages 2-11Capacity: 630SS3 9NP
Autism

Understanding school SEND provision

Schools in England provide SEND support at different levels. Here's what each type means:

Specialist School

A school that exclusively educates children with SEND. Smaller classes (typically 6-12 pupils), staff trained in specific needs, and environments designed for children who need more support than mainstream can provide. Places are usually named in an EHCP.

SEN Unit

A dedicated unit within a mainstream school, staffed by specialists. Children are on the roll of the unit but may join mainstream classes for some lessons. Offers a middle ground - specialist support with mainstream social opportunities. Usually requires an EHCP.

Resource Base

Extra resourced provision attached to a mainstream school. Children are on the mainstream roll but can access additional support, equipment, and specialist staff. Some resource bases focus on specific needs like autism or speech and language.

SEN Support (Mainstream)

Every mainstream school has a legal duty to identify and support children with SEND. This includes having a SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator), providing reasonable adjustments, and putting in place SEN Support plans. You don't need an EHCP for SEN Support.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from families about SEND support in Southend-on-Sea.

You can request an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment by contacting Southend-on-Sea's SEND team. You'll need to complete a request form and provide evidence that your child may have special educational needs and that they may need support through an EHC plan. The local authority must decide whether to carry out the assessment within 6 weeks of receiving your request, and the full assessment process takes up to 20 weeks from start to finish.
SENDIASS Southend is a free, impartial Information, Advice and Support Service for children and young people with SEND and their families. They can guide you through the EHC assessment process, explain your rights, and support you with appeals or mediation if needed. You can contact them on 01702 215499 or email [email protected].
The entire EHC assessment process must be completed within 20 weeks from when you submit your request. The local authority has 6 weeks to decide whether to carry out an assessment, and if they agree, they have until week 16 to decide whether to issue an EHC plan. The final plan must be issued by week 20.
The Local Offer is a guide that explains what SEND support and services are available in your area for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Southend-on-Sea's Local Offer can be found at https://www.livewellsouthend.com/send-local-offer and includes information about schools, services, and support available to families.
Southend-on-Sea has 7 specialist schools, 4 schools with dedicated SEN units, and 7 schools with resource bases to support children with different types of SEND. Currently, 1,629 pupils in Southend schools have an EHC plan, and a further 4,102 receive SEN support within mainstream settings.

Navigating SEND in Southend-on-Sea?

JakTrack helps you track evidence, prepare for EHCP reviews, check benefit eligibility, and stay on top of appointments - all in one place.

See How JakTrack Helps