Herringham Primary Academy

Herringham Primary Academy has demonstrated considerable improvement since its previous inspection, now rated as good across all key areas including the quality of education, behaviour, and personal development. The school's positive ethos fosters respect and kindness among pupils, who enjoy learning and feel safe. Leaders have high expectations and have made significant strides in curriculum development, ensuring that pupils, including those with special educational needs, are well supported. The school also effectively prioritizes personal development through various extracurricular opportunities and sports.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate a respectful and kind attitude towards each other and adults.
• Leaders at all levels maintain high expectations and continue to improve the curriculum.
• Teachers implement the curriculum effectively, catering to all pupils, including those with SEND.
• The early reading curriculum is well planned, aiding quick progression into reading.
• Pupils engage actively and confidently in their learning and discussions.
• Strong support for mental health and well-being from staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Some historic gaps remain in pupils' learning in a few subjects.
• The curriculum needs adaptation to better meet the diverse needs of all pupils in certain subjects.

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 Herringham Primary Academy attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.5% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Herringham Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Herringham Primary Academy had 18.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.7% 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, 22.1% of pupils at Herringham Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% 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 2024–25 Herringham Primary Academy received £6,874 and spent £6,943 for each of its 424 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £272,000 (£641 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Gateway Learning Community, income was £8,044 and spending £8,021 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 Grays · Thurrock local authority: places and applications

Herringham Primary Academy is part of Gateway Learning Community, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• The Gateway Academy Grays
• The Gateway Primary Free School Grays
• Tilbury Pioneer Academy Tilbury
• Lansdowne Primary Academy Tilbury

What is Herringham Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Herringham Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2022.

When was Herringham Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Herringham Primary Academy was last inspected in July 2022.

How many pupils does Herringham Primary Academy have?

Herringham Primary Academy has 425 pupils on roll.

What age range does Herringham Primary Academy cover?

Herringham Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Herringham Primary Academy?

Herringham Primary Academy is at St Mary's Road, Chadwell St Mary, Grays, Essex, RM16 4JX.