The Hawthorns School
Thornhurst Road, Chelmsford, CM1 2XT
- Phase
- Free Schools
- School type
- Free schools special
- Ages
- 7 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Trust
- SEAX TRUST
- Headteacher
- Miss Hayley Kersey
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Sponsor
- SEAX Trust
- Constituency
- Chelmsford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 70
- Pupils on roll
- 69
- URN
- 149335
- Local authority
- Essex
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01245207607
About this school
The Hawthorns School is a special academy in Chelmsford. It teaches children aged 7 to 16 and has 69 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected The Hawthorns School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted no longer gives schools a single overall grade. Each area of the school's work is graded on a five-point scale, and safeguarding is judged separately.
- Inclusion
- Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching
- Expected standard
- Achievement
- Expected standard
- Attendance and behaviour
- Strong standard
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Strong standard
- Leadership and governance
- Strong standard
- Safeguarding
- Met
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | - | - | 0% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | - | - | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | - | - | 0% |
| Expected standard in maths | - | - | 0% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | - | - | 0% |
| Average scaled score in reading | - | - | - |
| Average scaled score in maths | - | - | - |
Trends over time
How The Hawthorns School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 3.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.3% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 10% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 14 |
| 2023/24 | 24 |
| 2024/25 | 30 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 20%
- English as an additional language
- 13.3%
- Overall absence
- 9.99%
- Persistent absence
- 14.58%
Location
Nearby schools
-
The Sir Geoff Hurst Academy0.1 miles
Free Schools · Chelmsford
-
High Trees0.9 miles
Special schools · London
-
Anglia Ruskin University1.0 miles
Universities · Chelmsford
-
Community College Initiative Ltd1.0 miles
Other types · Chelmsford
-
St Anne's School1.2 miles
Independent schools · Chelmsford
Other schools in Chelmsford
- Clarity Independent School Special schools
- Community College Initiative Ltd Other types
- Lift Columbus Academies
- The Sir Geoff Hurst Academy Free Schools
- Thriftwood School Academies
- Tanglewood Nursery School Nursery
- Woodcroft Nursery School Nursery
- Baddow Hall Infant School Primary
- Baddow Hall Junior School Primary
- Barnes Farm Primary School Primary
- Beehive Lane Community Primary School Primary
- Boreham Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does The Hawthorns School teach?
- The Hawthorns School teaches children aged 7 to 16. It is a special school in Chelmsford.
- Who is the headteacher of The Hawthorns School?
- The headteacher of The Hawthorns School is Miss Hayley Kersey, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Hawthorns School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Hawthorns School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at The Hawthorns School?
- The Hawthorns School has 69 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 7 to 16.
- Is The Hawthorns School full?
- The Hawthorns School has capacity for 70 pupils and 69 on roll (99%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is The Hawthorns School a faith school?
- No. The Hawthorns School has no designated religious character.
- Is The Hawthorns School a selective school?
- No. The Hawthorns School is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Is The Hawthorns School part of an academy trust?
- The Hawthorns School is part of SEAX TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- What is The Hawthorns School's absence rate?
- The Hawthorns School's overall absence rate is 10% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are The Hawthorns School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, The Hawthorns School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.