Gearies Primary School

Gearies Primary School is a highly effective, happy and inclusive school where pupils flourish. Inspectors found every judged area to be outstanding: the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. Pupils work hard, achieve highly—including in national assessments—and are well supported, with pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieving very well alongside their peers. Parents are overwhelmingly positive, and pupils are proud of their school and its wide range of opportunities. The curriculum is carefully designed from the early years so pupils build important knowledge over time. Staff are expert in delivering it, identify SEND needs accurately, and adapt learning so all pupils can succeed. Reading and phonics are particular strengths, with a language-rich early years environment, regular checks and effective support for any pupil who falls behind. Behaviour is excellent, personal development is promoted exceptionally well, and pupils embrace their diverse community and take on responsibilities. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and it had not been inspected under section 5 since 2014 because of its previous outstanding judgement. Since September 2024, schools no longer receive an overall effectiveness grade. The co-headteachers were appointed in September 2024, and leaders and governors are determined to provide the best possible experiences for pupils, with high morale and strong team spirit. Safeguarding is effective. No areas for improvement were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive culture where all pupils, including those with SEND, succeed and thrive.
• Curriculum is carefully sequenced from early years, building important knowledge over time.
• Staff are experts at delivering the curriculum and adapting learning to meet pupils’ needs.
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well, with standards in reading, writing and mathematics far exceeding national averages.
• Strong focus on communication and language from Nursery, with expert phonics teaching and effective catch-up support.
• Pupils’ behaviour is excellent in lessons and around the school, and bullying is rare.
• Personal development is promoted exceptionally well, including character, resilience and community involvement.
• Wide range of enrichment opportunities, including visits, residentials and inclusive sports for pupils with SEND.
• Leaders and governors provide high-quality training and carefully consider staff workload and well-being.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.

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 Gearies Primary School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.1% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Gearies 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 Gearies Primary School had 20.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% 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, 15.4% of pupils at Gearies Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.4% 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 Gearies Primary School received £7,058 and spent £7,207 for each of its 851 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £402,000 (£472 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).

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All schools in Redbridge · Redbridge local authority: places and applications

What is Gearies Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Gearies Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Gearies Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Gearies Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Gearies Primary School have?

Gearies Primary School has 884 pupils on roll.

What age range does Gearies Primary School cover?

Gearies Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Gearies Primary School?

Gearies Primary School is at Waremead Road, Gants Hill, Ilford, Essex, IG2 6TF.