17 December 2025
Partners unite at Wolsey Park site ahead of new SEND school build
The new Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) school will welcome pupils from KS1 up to KS4.
Representatives from various partner organisations involved in delivering the new Wolsey Park SEND school in Rayleigh have visited the site to mark its imminent construction.
Among those present were Councillor Tony Ball, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Lifelong Learning and Employability, Mark Francois, MP for Rayleigh and Wickford, Andy Hodgkinson, CEO of Zenith Multi Academy Trust and Chris Bladon, Divisional Chair at Vistry, the developers of Wolsey Park.
The visit signals the beginning of preparations for construction. This is expected to start in early 2026, with Kier Construction appointed as the contractor for the Wolsey Park facility.
The school is going to be split across two sites – the Wolsey Park development in Rayleigh and the former site of Chetwood Primary School in South Woodham Ferrers. It will work as an all-through school.
KS1 and KS2 will be based at a site on the Wolsey Park development. KS3 and KS4 capacity will be delivered from the former Chetwood Primary site. The school will provide 252 places in total and be run by Zenith Multi Academy Trust.
Councillor Tony Ball said: “This new SEND school represents a significant investment in the future of our children and young people. Every child deserves to thrive and the school is a testament to what can be achieved when partners come together with a shared vision for inclusive education in Essex.”
The new SEND school is the result of strong partnership working, with each organisation demonstrating its commitment to delivering the very best for children and families with SEND.
Rayleigh and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, said: “I am delighted, that after two and a half years of hard work, including with significant support from Essex County Council, we have now, finally, broken ground on the first ever SEN school in the Rochford District. This should be a very valuable asset to the community in south Essex, when it opens, in the spring of 2027.”
Andy Hodgkinson, CEO of Zenith Multi Academy Trust, said: “We are delighted that work on the actual construction itself is now about to begin. This state-of-the-art building is going to ensure that pupils with SEND experience the very best possible environment in which to learn, as is only right.
“In the meantime, we have been working really hard behind the scenes planning for the new school, and we will be launching The Wolsey Park School’s new website in the New Year so that we can provide regular updates to the wider community going forwards. We all recognise that this provision is desperately needed, and it will make a genuinely transformational difference, once its doors finally open.”
Chris Bladon, Divisional Chair, at Vistry, said: “We are delighted to be celebrating the approval of this fantastic new school for the residents of south Essex, helping to meet the chronic need for high-quality SEND educational provision in the area. This new school will be a valuable addition to Vistry’s Wolsey Park development with the land being transferred in accordance with the s106, and is a great example of our commitment to working in partnership to deliver vital local facilities required to support long-term, sustainable communities.”
The original decision to open a special school was taken in May 2024. The project is the result of increased population growth in the south Essex area.