Grove House School is a special school. All pupils have an EHCP or a statement of special educational needs. Their primary difficulties are speech, language and communication. The vast majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. In July 2015, the Department for Education commissioned Ofsted to conduct a preregistration inspection. All of the school standards that were checked at that time were deemed likely to be met. Inspection report: Grove House School, 6–7 June 2018 Page 10 of 13 This is the first inspection for the school since it opened in September 2015. The school does not have any students in the sixth form. This development is at too early a stage to make a separate judgement on the quality of the sixth-form provision. Grove House School opened as a single academy trust in September 2015 as a free school. It is currently in its third year of growth. The school is registered for pupils aged 8 to 19 years. At capacity it will admit 105 pupils. In October 2016, the school became a partner academy in the SEAX multi-academy trust and currently has four special academy partners. The SEAX Trust is a multi-academy trust in Essex, established by the special school sector in April 2015. The SEAX board of trustees is accountable for the strategic direction of the trust. The trust committees are resources and audit, and curriculum and standards. These are given delegated authority to make decisions, monitor, evaluate and review particular plan, policies and targets. The local academy committee has been given delegated authorities to make decisions, monitor, evaluate and review plans, policies and targets in relation to Grove House School. Each academy has representation on the board of trustees. The school has undergone considerable construction work and refurbishment to its premises, and this has been ongoing during the first two-and-a-half years of operation. The site consists of a two-storey main building, which includes specialist therapy rooms, a small separate block and a section dedicated to primary pupils. The school makes no use of alternative provision.