Announcements

Building work is now well underway at the new Canvey SEND satellite!

Following on from our successful public consultation for Castledon School, in Wickford, to open a satellite provision on Canvey Island, work is now well underway to enable this exciting new provision to open in September 2026. This exciting new provision will provide much needed, extra spaces for primary-aged pupils with severe learning difficulties, eventually providing an additional 40 places for the South Essex region. There will be a wide range of specialist facilities at the site, which will be shared with William Read Primary, but which will remain a separate area and building. 

Special School Headteacher, Simon Holliday, who is currently Head at Castledon, recently graded ‘Outstanding’ in all areas, said, 

‘We are delighted to be able to expand our provision and create these urgently needed, extra places on Canvey Island. As with all special school places, Essex County Council will still oversee admissions, and we are excited to build on our work at Castledon to support more pupils with special needs’.

Andy Hodgkinson, CEO of Zenith, of which Castledon is part, added,

‘We are delighted that building work is well on the way to completion, and believe this new facility will be a game changer for the area. I would like to thank Cllr Tony Ball, Cabinet Member for Education Excellent, Life Long Learning and Employability, and Clare Kershaw, Director of Education at Essex County Council for driving this project, and local MPs, Dame Rebecca Harris MP and Mark Francois MP, for their support and backing. We know the system needs more specialist places for SEND, and so I very much welcome the vision and determination of Essex County Council to make this possible’.

More information about the new Canvey facility will be added to our website over the coming weeks.