"[6] The Grays Thurrock Open-Air School For 60 Delicate Children was opened in 1930 by Essex County Council.

The school closed temporarily from September 1939 to March 1940 because of the Second World War, with its site being used for an Air Raid Precautions outpost.

[7][4] It became a special school and was adjacent to The Dell, a house formerly owned by Alfred Russel Wallace and one of the first to be built with concrete in the United Kingdom.

[8] Under David Phillips Treetops School was expanded into a two-part new purpose built building.

[8] In April 1998 Thurrock was granted unitary authority status and in September of that year the government requested that the boroughs' three special schools (Woodacre, Knightsmead and Treetops) declare a SEN specialist that they would like to pursue.

Treetops chose a specialism in autism, ADHD, communication disorders and speech and language impairment.

Mayor of Thurrock, Cllr Cathy Kent, commented: “I am thrilled intu Lakeside has chosen Treetops School as its charity of the year.