Glenwood School
Rushbottom Lane, New Thundersley, Benfleet, SS7 4LWOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Glenwood School is a special school in Benfleet for ages 3 to 19. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. Its latest Ofsted rating is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2014.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 12 November 2014, report published 3 December 2014
- Overall effectiveness
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Outstanding
- Early years provision
- Outstanding
- Sixth form provision
- Outstanding
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 8 October 2024
Caring staff provide a warm welcome as each pupil arrives at Glenwood. They understand what every pupil needs to help them settle quickly. Calm and orderly starts show that pupils are happy to be at school. Many are beavering away at carefully selected tasks matched to their needs. Others follow established routines to stay safe and prepare them for learning. Through the day, the planned curriculum provides a wealth of experiences that benefit pupils' needs. Attentive staff pay close attention to pupils in their care. They understand the different ways pupils communicate their needs. Through gentle persuasion they help to sustain pupils' engagement. Adults also take appropriate action where pupils have greater difficulty managing their emotions. These timely and prompt actions mean there is little disruption to learning. The school is ambitious for pupils. There is a strong focus on developing pupils' communicative and social skills. A bespoke learning journey for every pupil supports achievement of this aim. This prepares them well for life out of school and adulthood. Pupils enjoy their outdoors activities. Visiting local restaurants or gardening at the 'nature centre' are favourites. These opportunities nurture pupils' interests and develop their talents.
What the school should improve
- Some parents remain dissatisfied with the communication they receive from the school. They are not clear about how their child's learning is supported in school and do not understand reasons for decisions made by the school. The school should continue to build on its communication strategies so that more parents have a better understanding of how the provision made for their child supports progress.
- Governors do not sufficiently challenge the school about the curriculum. This means they do not have a deep enough knowledge about the impact of the curriculum and how consistently it is delivered. Governors should ensure that they undertake the training needed to deepen their understanding so that leaders are fully challenged and held to account.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
26 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
263 pupils on roll, with places for 220
Schools near Glenwood School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cedar Hall School | 2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Requires improvement to good | Attainment 8: 0.7 |
| Omnia Foundation | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Castledon School | 3 miles | Ofsted judgements: Outstanding | 0% met the expected standard |
| Lift Pioneer | 3 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | 0% met the expected standard |
| Athena School | 4 miles | No Ofsted inspection | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Community special school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 3 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Boarding places
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Ms Amanda Lambert
- Phone
- 01268792575
- Address
- Rushbottom Lane, New Thundersley, Benfleet, SS7 4LW
- Local authority
- Essex
- URN
- 115469
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.