The Hawthorns School
Free schools special 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
iWritten by WhatSchool from official school data (Get Information about Schools, DfE and Ofsted).The Hawthorns School is a special school located in Chelmsford, Essex. The school caters for boys and girls aged 7 to 16. The Headteacher is Hayley Kersey.
Key facts
- URN
- 149335
- Type
- Free schools special
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Ages
- 7 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Essex
- Constituency
- Chelmsford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2023
Governing body (3 current, 3 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.1 governor is 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 Caroline Pardy | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Caroline Pardy Former | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2021 · term ended 2025 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headteacher Hayley Kersey | Local Governor | Appointed by trustees | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Sally Stainton | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Mrs Ruth STurdy Confirmed same person Former | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2023 · term ended 2026 |
| Kim McWilliam Former | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2023 · 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