Thriftwood School
Academy special converter school in Chelmsford (Essex).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
LGPCD Pay Scale: 2, Point 3 (Range 3-4) Actual Salary: From £8,043.00 to £8,169.00 (These figures include the holiday pay entitlement for someone with less than five years' continous service, as specified by the Essex County Council Modification Order).
Closing Date: Monday, 23rd February 2026 (Midday) Interview Date: Thursday, 26th Febr uary 2026 (After 2pm) Thriftwood is a well-respected, 'Outstanding' provision for pupils with moderate learning difficulties.
Our students have a range of different needs, which may include difficulties with communication, social or physical skills and, because of this, they often need a little extra help to manage everyday activities. To Apply: Please complete a SEAX Trust Application Form available at and for additional information and queries please telephone Gemma Ellis on 01245 262779.
Thriftwood is part of the SEAX Trust group of special schools The SEAX Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
12 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Boxing
- Cricket
- Dance
- Drama
- Football
- Gymnastics
- Karate
- Multi-Sports
- Swimming
- Bug Club
- Forest School
- Twinkl
Key facts
- URN
- 137554
- Type
- Academy special converter
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Ages
- 5 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Local authority
- Essex
- Constituency
- Maldon
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2011
Governing body (4 current, 3 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.2 governors are linked to a profile (all confirmed).
Governors marked “Confirmed same person” have exactly the same forename and surname as the only officer of that name at the school’s own academy trust company on the Companies House register, so we treat them as the same person. The governance record itself comes from DfE.
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms Sally Godfrey | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2025 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Ms Ruth Sturdy Confirmed same person Former | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2019 · term ended 2025 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms Georgina Pryke Confirmed same person | Local Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Ms Suzanne Bayliss | Local Governor | Elected by parents | since 2025 · until 2026 ends 2026 |
| Ms Rebecca Johnson | Local Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2025 · until 2026 ends 2026 |
| Ms Ruth Sturdy Confirmed same person Former | Local Governor | Appointed by academy members | since 2025 · term ended 2026 |
| Ms Caroline Pardy Former | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record