Kenningtons Primary Academy

Kenningtons Primary Academy is a highly effective school where pupils are happy, safe and achieve exceptionally well. Inspectors found the school outstanding across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The school is a stand-alone academy and was previously judged good; this graded inspection did not include an overall effectiveness grade. The curriculum is ambitious and broad, beginning in early years and building securely over time, with trips and experiences carefully linked to learning. Staff deliver the curriculum skillfully, check understanding carefully and support pupils to build deep knowledge. Reading is a particular strength: phonics is taught effectively, pupils read books matched to their stage, and those who fall behind are helped promptly. Children in early years make excellent progress from often low starting points and are well prepared for Year 1. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported, including through bespoke opportunities where needed, and they achieve well. Behaviour is exemplary and classrooms are calm and productive. Pupils take meaningful responsibilities, contribute strongly to school life and develop as mature, confident young people. Personal development is exceptional, and pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Governance is strong, staff feel well supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. No areas for improvement were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Rich, broad and ambitious curriculum across all subjects
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well
• Exemplary behaviour and excellent attitudes to learning
• Strong personal development and preparation for life in modern Britain
• Effective phonics teaching and a strong love of reading
• Excellent early years provision with strong progress from low starting points
• Well-considered SEND provision, including bespoke support where needed
• Pupils play a meaningful role in school life and develop leadership skills
• Governors provide effective support and challenge
• Staff feel supported and value leaders' consideration of 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 Kenningtons Primary Academy attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.3% 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 Kenningtons Primary Academy 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 Kenningtons Primary Academy had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.9% 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, 10.7% of pupils at Kenningtons Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% 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 2024–25 Kenningtons Primary Academy received £6,511 and spent £6,585 for each of its 407 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £190,000 (£467 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in South Ockendon · Thurrock local authority: places and applications

What is Kenningtons Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kenningtons Primary Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Kenningtons Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Kenningtons Primary Academy was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Kenningtons Primary Academy have?

Kenningtons Primary Academy has 429 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kenningtons Primary Academy cover?

Kenningtons Primary Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Kenningtons Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kenningtons Primary Academy?

Kenningtons Primary Academy is at Tamar Drive, Aveley, South Ockendon, Essex, RM15 4NB.