On Fencepiece Road in Hainault, the school’s own allotment is not a nice-to-have extra. It is woven into learning, including practical links into subjects such as food technology, and it hints at a wider approach: clear routines, purposeful activity, and a strong emphasis on re-engagement for children who have often found mainstream schooling hard to access.
New Rush Hall School is a state special school for boys and girls aged 5 to 16 in London, Greater London (in the London Borough of Redbridge). Published capacity is 80, with places split across primary and secondary. The most recent Ofsted inspection rated the school Outstanding.
This is a school built for pupils with social, emotional and mental health difficulties (SEMH) as the primary area of need. That matters because it shifts the core question from “how do we fit the pupil into the system?” to “how do we make the system stable enough for the pupil to learn?” You see that emphasis in the language the school uses, in the steady focus on relationships, and in how behaviour is handled as communication rather than theatre.
The setting is small, and the staffing model is designed to be intensive. The school describes small classes, a high adult to pupil ratio, and a layered therapeutic offer that can be adjusted to the individual. For families, this often translates into fewer frantic escalations and more consistent follow-through. When pupils are overwhelmed, the aim is not to “win” the moment; it is to get them back to learning quickly and safely, with dignity intact.
New Rush Hall School also sits within The Rise Group, a federation of three specialist provisions in Redbridge: New Rush Hall School (NRHS), Redbridge Alternative Provision (RAP) and The Constance Bridgeman Centre (CBC). The promise here is joined-up specialist education, with shared expertise and more coherent transitions between settings when a pupil’s needs change. For parents navigating SEMH, that joined-up thinking can be as important as any individual intervention.
We do not publish results data for special schools.
Progress here is better understood through individual targets and the steady rebuilding of learning habits. Many pupils arrive with gaps caused by disruption earlier in their schooling, so the work begins with careful assessment of starting points and then a curriculum that is ambitious, sequenced and adapted so pupils can actually access it. The measure of success is often a combination of academic steps, improved attendance and better emotional regulation, rather than a single exam headline.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
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% of students achieving grades 9-7
The curriculum is deliberately broad. In the primary years, the school describes daily mathematics lessons and a Reading Carousel, with activities tailored to pupils’ needs (including reading, writing, phonics and comprehension). Wider subjects are taught through themed lessons, while pupils also study areas such as art, design and technology, computing, Spanish, PE and horticulture. That blend of the academic and the practical is not a distraction; it is part of how pupils are kept connected to learning.
At secondary, the timetable includes core academic subjects alongside more vocationally flavoured options. The school sets out a subject mix that can include construction and food technology, with GCSE subject choices beginning to take shape from the summer term of Year 9 and then continuing into Years 10 and 11 alongside English, mathematics and science. For SEMH learners, that breadth can be protective: it increases the chance that each pupil finds at least one area where they feel competent and motivated, which then supports engagement elsewhere.
Reading is treated as a foundation rather than a bolt-on. Early reading is planned carefully in the primary department, and pupils who need it can continue to receive targeted support until they read fluently. The same attention is given to older pupils who join later and still need support to read with confidence. For families, this approach is significant because reading difficulties can quietly drive behaviour: frustration, avoidance and shame often show up long before a pupil can articulate what is wrong.
Quality of Education
N/A
Behaviour & Attitudes
N/A
Personal Development
N/A
Leadership & Management
Outstanding
There is no sixth form, so post-16 planning matters. Older pupils are supported to think about what comes after Year 11 through careers education and structured experiences of the workplace. The school describes a six-week employability course and support to explore external work experience, alongside opportunities to build skills through internal placements. For many SEMH pupils, the real win is not simply “a placement”, but a realistic pathway that the young person can sustain.
The school’s approach to preparation is grounded in life skills as well as qualifications: learning how to communicate appropriately, manage emotions, handle public settings and build routines that make attendance and punctuality possible. That can sound ordinary. For a pupil with a history of disrupted education, it is often the turning point.
Admissions are through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), not open competition. The school is in Redbridge, but it also describes taking pupils from neighbouring boroughs, with out-of-borough consultations routed via the Redbridge SEN Team. The school sets out that it will consider whether it can meet a young person’s needs as described in the EHCP and supporting paperwork, and it aims to respond within 15 days of receiving the consultation.
Capacity is clearly stated at 80 places across the school, split into 28 primary and 52 secondary. In a specialist setting, that number is not just a statistic; it shapes the day-to-day feel. Small cohorts can mean calmer corridors and stronger adult knowledge of individual pupils, but it also means places are finite.
School visits are presented as something families arrange once the SEN Team has consulted with the school. If you are coordinating between borough caseworkers, educational psychology input and a school visit, it helps to run the process like a project: dates, documents, and who is waiting on whom. FindMySchool’s Saved Schools shortlist can be a practical way to keep notes and paperwork straight if you are comparing a few specialist options alongside travel time and day structure.
Pastoral care is not an “extra” here; it is the platform the curriculum sits on. The school describes a universal offer built around emotional safety, high adult support, personalised learning (including one-to-one additional learning support) and explicit opportunities to practise social and emotional regulation skills. The goal is not simply fewer incidents. It is pupils learning how to recover from them, so that one hard moment does not derail a whole day.
Therapeutic support is described as layered and graduated, matched to the individual pupil rather than delivered as a one-size package. The school sets out practical adaptations such as visual timetables and alternative teaching approaches, plus routes into specialist support such as speech and language and occupational therapy, and further assessment where needed (including dyslexia assessment).
A distinctive feature is the Reset Room for Key Stages 3 and 4: a quiet, low-stimulus space designed for pupils who feel overwhelmed in class and need a short, structured break to regulate and then return to learning. Alongside that, the school describes learning mentors working across Key Stages 1 to 4, and access to school counselling as another layer when pupils need a protected space to make sense of feelings, patterns and choices.
The allotment is unusually developed for a school of this size. The school describes a polytunnel for propagation, a wildlife garden with a pond for studying habitats and ecosystems, and areas such as woodland, orchard and soft fruit, plus a cut-flower section that supports hands-on learning about plants and pollinators. There is also a clear club identity: Garden Club runs daily, with pupils able to take part in activities such as pond watch, plant care and identification work, or simply using the space for calm and reflection. The school also describes taking part in the RSPB Big Schools Birdwatch.
The educational value is straightforward. Horticulture brings routine, responsibility and visible cause-and-effect, which can be grounding for SEMH pupils. It also creates authentic curriculum links, including using produce in food technology.
Enrichment is positioned as a curriculum in its own right, chosen to build social skills, self-image and friendships, and aligned to EHCP targets. On Fridays, extra-curricular activities are used as a structured reward and a way for pupils to mix across year groups.
The school’s descriptions point to a deliberately mixed offer: some activities are calming and skill-based, others are high-energy and confidence-building. Examples include water sports at Fairlop Waters (such as sailing, canoeing and paddle boarding), football sessions off-site, and boxing sessions delivered with a clear safety framework. This matters because SEMH pupils often need both regulation and challenge: a day that is only soothing can feel patronising, while a day that is only high stimulus can be destabilising.
Music is presented with both traditional instruments and modern production. Pupils can access one-to-one instrumental tuition during the school day (including drums, bass, guitar and piano) as well as digital music production, and students can work towards BTEC Music at Key Stage 4. For some pupils, performing in a band or building a music portfolio becomes a rare space where effort is visible and identity is positive.
The school is in Hainault in the London Borough of Redbridge. For public transport, Hainault station (Central line) is a useful reference point for many families, alongside local bus routes through Hainault and Ilford. If you are driving, plan around London-style on-street parking and allow a little time for drop-off and pick-up.
The published structure includes breakfast as part of the day. Primary pupils arrive from 9:05am, with breakfast and lessons following, and the primary day ending mid-afternoon. Secondary starts earlier (with breakfast and tutor time from 8:30am), and both Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 finish at 2:00pm on Fridays after early afternoon extra-curricular.
EHCP admissions route: Entry is via EHCP consultation rather than a standard application form. That can feel slow and paperwork-heavy, especially across borough boundaries, so families often do best when they keep timelines and documents tightly organised and ask early who is leading the next step.
SEMH focus is central: The school is specifically framed around SEMH as the primary area of need. That clarity is a strength, but it also means this is not a generic catch-all specialist placement. Fit matters, and the most important question is whether the school’s therapeutic, relationship-led approach matches your child’s barriers to learning.
Small capacity means limited places: With a published capacity of 80 (split into 28 primary and 52 secondary), the school is intentionally small. That can bring consistency and a calmer pace, but it also means fewer spaces and less flexibility if you need an immediate move.
Friday logistics: A 2:00pm finish on Fridays in secondary changes transport and childcare plans. It can be a welcome reset for some pupils, but it does need family logistics to match, particularly when travel is longer.
New Rush Hall School reads as a carefully designed SEMH specialist setting: small enough for close adult knowledge of each pupil, structured enough to feel predictable, and practical enough to make learning tangible through things like the allotment and a broad enrichment curriculum. It is not trying to be everything to everyone; it is trying to get vulnerable pupils back into education with dignity and momentum.
Best suited to children and teenagers aged 5 to 16 whose primary need is SEMH, particularly those who need small classes, high adult support and a therapeutic approach that helps them regulate and re-engage with learning. The challenge is less about day-to-day fit, and more about securing the right placement through the EHCP process.
New Rush Hall School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection. It is a small specialist setting with a published capacity of 80, and its curriculum and pastoral approach are designed specifically for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
It is a state special school for boys and girls aged 5 to 16 in Hainault, in the London Borough of Redbridge. The school describes SEMH as the primary area of need for its pupils.
Places are through an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The school explains that consultations are considered based on EHCP paperwork and supporting information, and visits are arranged once the relevant SEN team has consulted with the school.
Support is described as layered and graduated, including learning mentors, counselling, and a Reset Room for older pupils who need a short, structured space to regulate before returning to class. The school also references access to support such as speech and language and occupational therapy when needed.
The allotment is a major feature, including structured outdoor learning and a daily Garden Club, with links into curriculum areas such as food technology. Pupils also access wider enrichment, including activities that build confidence and social skills, and music that includes instruments and digital production, with BTEC Music available at Key Stage 4.
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