West Leigh Infant School
West Leigh Infant School is a community school in Leigh-On-Sea for pupils aged 4 to 7. It has 360 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for West Leigh Infant School is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.
Ofsted inspection: September 2024.
| Type | Primary / Community school |
| Age Range | 4-7 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Ronald Hill Grove Leigh-on-Sea Essex SS9 2JB |
| Reference Number | 114780 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 360 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 47.5%
Girls: 52.5% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 3.1% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 3.1% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 30 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 30 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | 60 | 120 |
| 2 | 61 | 59 | 120 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 82.8% |
| White, Other | 5.6% |
| White & Asian | 3.6% |
| Indian | 1.9% |
| African | 1.4% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.8% |
| Pakistani | 0.8% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.6% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.6% |
| Chinese | 0.3% |
| Unclassified | 0.3% |
| Asian, Other | 0.3% |
West Leigh Infant School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school. Pupils exhibit pride in their school and engage positively with their learning and peers, supported by a calm and nurturing environment. The school demonstrates high expectations for pupils, which is reflected in their enthusiastic attitudes towards learning and participation in various after-school clubs. However, while the curriculum is generally effective, some areas require improvement, particularly with assessment practices in a few subjects, which are still being developed.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 03 Jul 2024 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 03 Jul 2024 | School inspection |
| 18 Oct 2018 | Short inspection |
| 22 Oct 2014 | Full inspection: |
| 15 Jan 2013 | Interim assessment |
| 03 Dec 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 15 Mar 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 17 Jun 2002 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils have very positive attitudes towards learning.
- The early reading curriculum is highly effective.
- Pupils with special educational needs receive effective support.
- Staff use consistent behavior management strategies.
- The school offers a wide range of extracurricular activities.
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment systems in a few subjects are still in early development.
Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 54 | 2 |
| Third Preference | 37 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 25 | 5 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 West Leigh Infant School had 360 pupils for 360 places. Every place was filled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Leigh Primary” planning area
Southend-on-Sea counted 572 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 442 in 2029–30, down 23%.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 330 | 330 | 330 | 330 | 330 | 330 | 330 | 330 | 330 | 330 | 360 | 360 | 360 | 360 | 360 |
| Pupils | 359 | 360 | 361 | 360 | 360 | 361 | 361 | 360 | 358 | 359 | 358 | 357 | 360 | 359 | 360 |
| Unfilled | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.
In 2024–25 pupils at West Leigh Infant School attended 96.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 2.8% | 2.1% | 0.9% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 2.7% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% |
Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.
In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at West Leigh Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.
In 2025–26 West Leigh Infant School had 21.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 13.6 | 13.3 | 12.2 | 13.7 | 13.1 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 13.1 | 14.7 | 11.4 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 10.2 | 10.5 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 6.0% | 2.6% | 0.0% | 13.8% | 25.3% | 7.0% | 0.0% | 6.4% | 0.0% | 12.6% | 14.5% | 0.0% | 6.2% | 0.0% | 6.1% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 55.6% | 75.0% | 70.0% | 57.1% | 57.9% | 64.7% | 41.2% | 21.1% | 47.1% | – | 33.3% | 77.8% | 52.6% | 57.9% | 44.4% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 2.8 | 4.2 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 0.9 | – | 0.8 | 5.3 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 0.7 | – |
Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.
In 2025–26, 8.9% of pupils at West Leigh Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 18 | 4 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 8 | 1 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 6 | 0 |
| Physical disability | 0 | 1 |
Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
In 2025–26 West Leigh Infant School received £6,736 and spent £6,926 for each of its 360 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £626,000 (£1,738 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £449,000 | £563,000 | £656,000 | £776,000 | £699,000 | £720,000 | £694,000 | £626,000 |
| per pupil | £1,248 | £1,564 | £1,826 | £2,172 | £1,946 | £2,016 | £1,940 | £1,738 |
| In-year balance | -£38,000 | £114,000 | £92,000 | £120,000 | -£77,000 | £21,000 | -£25,000 | -£69,000 |
| per pupil | -£106 | £316 | £258 | £336 | -£214 | £60 | -£71 | -£191 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
| Name | Distance |
|
West Leigh Junior School
Ronald Hill Grove, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 2JB |
0 miles |
|
St. Michael's School
|
0.27 miles |
|
Leigh North Street Primary School
North Street, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 1QE |
0.49 miles |
|
Darlinghurst Academy
Pavilion Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3JS |
0.76 miles |
|
Blenheim Primary School
School Way, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 4HX |
0.84 miles |
|
Fairways Primary School
The Fairway, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 4QW |
0.94 miles |
|
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School
Manchester Drive, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3HS |
0.97 miles |
|
Chalkwell Hall Infant School
London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3NL |
1.05 miles |
|
Chalkwell Hall Junior School
London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3NL |
1.05 miles |
|
Saint Pierre School
16 Leigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 1LE |
1.09 miles |
|
Eastwood Primary School & Nursery
Rayleigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 5UT |
1.41 miles |
|
Hadleigh Infant and Nursery School
Bilton Road, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2HQ |
1.46 miles |
|
Hadleigh Junior School
Church Road, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2DQ |
1.52 miles |
|
Edwards Hall Primary School
Macmurdo Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 5AQ |
1.66 miles |
|
Heycroft Primary School
Benvenue Avenue, Eastwood, Benvenue Avenue, LEIGH-on-SEA, Essex, SS9 5SJ |
1.68 miles |
|
Earls Hall Primary School
Carlton Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0QN |
1.96 miles |
|
Westwood Academy
Beresford Close, Hadleigh, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2SU |
2 miles |
|
Prince Avenue Academy and Nursery
Hornby Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0LG |
2.13 miles |
|
The Westborough School
Macdonald Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 9BS |
2.18 miles |
|
Milton Hall Primary School and Nursery
Salisbury Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7AU |
2.32 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Belfairs Academy
Highlands Boulevard, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3TG |
0.37 miles |
|
Estuary High School
820 London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 3NH |
0.85 miles |
|
Westcliff High School for Girls
Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0BS |
0.92 miles |
|
The St Christopher School
Mountdale Gardens, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 4AW |
0.96 miles |
|
Westcliff High School for Boys Academy
Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0BP |
0.97 miles |
|
St Thomas More High School
Kenilworth Gardens, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0BW |
1.09 miles |
|
The Eastwood Academy
Rayleigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 5UU |
1.33 miles |
|
Kingsdown School
Snakes Lane, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS2 6XT |
1.49 miles |
|
Chase High School
Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0RT |
1.82 miles |
|
Lancaster School
Prittlewell Chase, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0RT |
1.82 miles |
|
Southend High School for Boys
Prittlewell Chase, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 0RG |
2.09 miles |
|
St Bernard's High School
Milton Road, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7JS |
2.3 miles |
|
The King John School
Shipwrights Drive, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1RQ |
2.34 miles |
|
Compass Community School Boleyn Park
8 Trinity Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, SS0 7PU |
2.36 miles |
|
The Deanes
Daws Heath Road, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2TD |
2.5 miles |
|
South Essex College of Further and Higher Education
Luker Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1ND |
2.74 miles |
|
Cedar Hall School
Hart Road, Thundersley, Cedar Hall School, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 3UQ |
2.86 miles |
|
Castle View School
Foksville Road, Canvey Island, Essex, SS8 7FH |
2.92 miles |
|
USP College
Runnymede Chase, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 1TW |
2.96 miles |
|
Sutton House Academy
Wentworth Road, Southend-On-Sea, Essex, SS2 5LG |
3.11 miles |
All schools in Leigh-On-Sea · Southend-on-Sea local authority: places and applications
What is West Leigh Infant School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for West Leigh Infant School is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.
When was West Leigh Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?
West Leigh Infant School was last inspected in September 2024.
How many pupils does West Leigh Infant School have?
West Leigh Infant School has 360 pupils on roll.
What age range does West Leigh Infant School cover?
West Leigh Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.
Where is West Leigh Infant School?
West Leigh Infant School is at Ronald Hill Grove, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 2JB.