Gascoigne Primary School

Gascoigne Primary School is a very large primary school in Barking serving over 1,100 pupils in an area of high deprivation. It performs well overall: early years provision is a particular strength, and pupils typically achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics, including disadvantaged pupils. The curriculum is ambitious and has a strong focus on oracy and core skills, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and make steady progress.

Strengths

• Early years provision is exceptionally well led, with a precise curriculum and strong support for children's development and wellbeing.
• Pupils typically achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics, including disadvantaged pupils, and phonics and multiplication outcomes are strong.
• The curriculum is ambitious and coherently focused on speaking, reading, writing and mathematics.
• An emphasis on oracy helps pupils develop vocabulary and express their thinking in full sentences.
• Pupils with SEND are well supported through inclusive teaching and tailored provision, and they make steady progress.
• Personal development is comprehensive, with strong pastoral care and a wide range of clubs, trips and leadership opportunities.
• Pupils behave positively, are respectful and engaged, and feel safe at school.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and are taking purposeful steps to improve.
• Governors fulfil their statutory duties and have clear oversight of school priorities.
• Staff receive effective support and professional development, and leaders consider workload and wellbeing.
• Relationships with families are positive, and parents value the school's approachable staff.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance rates have been below national averages over time.
• Persistent absence remains high, particularly for pupils with SEND.
• Improvements in attendance are marginal and it is too early to tell whether they will be sustained.
• Teaching is not consistently adjusted to pupils' existing knowledge and understanding.
• Some teaching strategies do not fully match pupils' needs, so learning is not always consolidated or advanced.

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 Gascoigne Primary School attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 24.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

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, 0.2% of pupils at Gascoigne Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

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 Gascoigne Primary School had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

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, 13.7% of pupils at Gascoigne Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

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 Gascoigne Primary School received £7,669 and spent £7,890 for each of its 1,078 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £478,000 (£443 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Barking And Dagenham · Barking and Dagenham local authority: places and applications

What is Gascoigne Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gascoigne Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Gascoigne Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Gascoigne Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Gascoigne Primary School have?

Gascoigne Primary School has 1,115 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gascoigne Primary School cover?

Gascoigne Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Gascoigne Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 59% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Gascoigne Primary School?

Gascoigne Primary School is at Gascoigne Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 7DR.