The Edith Borthwick School

Special school · All-through, ages 3 to 19 · Mixed · Nursery class · Sixth form

Enterprise Drive, Braintree, CM7 2YN

01376 529300 · School website · Map and directions

Ofsted report card7 expectedSafeguarding met · 13 January 2026
Pupils243Room for 245 Pupil numbers in January of each year: 234 in 2019, 246 in 2021, 244 in 2022, 244 in 2023, 243 in 2024, 241 in 2025, 243 in 2026. Across England, special state school pupil numbers were up 39% from 2019 to 2025.
Free school meals40%of pupils eligible now

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 13 January 2026 , published 28 May 2026.

In short: 7 expected, and safeguarding met.

Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.

AreaGrade
SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. Met
InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Post-16 provisionSixth form or other study after 16. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

36 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.

StatementThis schoolEngland
My child is happy at this school 89% 83%
My child feels safe at this school 75% 85%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved 64% 78%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 32 parents who had raised a concern 66% 74%
My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 36 parents of children with SEND 78% 63%
I would recommend this school to another parent 75%said yes 83%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 15%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

Key stage 2 (SATs, age 11), 2024/25

13 pupils in this year group.

0% — 63 points below the Essex average, and 62 points below the England average.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 63% 62%
Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths 0% 10% 8%
Met the expected standard in reading 0% 77% 75%
Met the expected standard in writing 0% 73% 72%
Met the expected standard in maths 0% 76% 74%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 106 106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 is the expected standard. Not published 105 105

"Not published": No figure published.

Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, over time
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% England 2022/23: 60%England 2023/24: 61%England 2024/25: 62% This school 2022/23: 0%This school 2023/24: 0%This school 2024/25: 0% This school England 62% 2022/23 0% 2023/24 0% 2024/25 0%

Source: DfE key stage 2 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

16 pupils in this year group.

100% — 8 points above the Essex average, and 8 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 100% 92% 92%
School sixth form 0% 37% 34%
Sixth form college 0% 9% 13%
Further education college 6% 38% 37%
Apprenticeship 0% 3% 3%
Work 0% 3% 3%

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
96%100%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Essex. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

Admissions dates and schools in Essex

Pupils, staff and SEND

This is a special school for children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP). Places are arranged through the council's SEND team, not the normal admissions round. It caters for: Visual impairment; Hearing impairment; Speech, language and communication needs; Autism; Multi-sensory impairment; Physical disability; Severe learning difficulties; Profound and multiple learning difficulties.

PupilsThis schoolEssexEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years 44.8% 45.9%* 51.9%
With an education, health and care plan 100.0% 99.6%* 99.5%
Receiving special educational needs support 0.0% 0.4%* 0.5%
English as an additional language 4.6% 4.3%* 14.4%
Overall absence (sessions missed) 10.5% 12.2%* 12.8%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more) 32.6% 34.5%* 35.3%
Suspensions per 100 pupils 5.4 9.8 12.3
Pupils suspended at least once 2.5% 4.5% 5.1%
Pupils permanently excluded1 pupil 0.41% 0.08% 0.08%
Pupils per teacher 9.2 7.1 6.6
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff) 2.1 2.4 2.3
Teachers who left during the year 19.0% 16.7%* 14.3%*

Comparisons are with special schools. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

SEND provision: Get Information about Schools (DfE).

Questions parents ask

What is The Edith Borthwick School's Ofsted rating?

The Edith Borthwick School was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 13 January 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 7 expected, and safeguarding was met.

Would parents recommend The Edith Borthwick School?

75% of the 36 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend The Edith Borthwick School to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Sources

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Page updated 26 September 2026.