Dilkes Academy

Dilkes Academy is performing exceptionally well, achieving an outstanding rating in all areas assessed, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This marks a significant achievement as it is the school's first inspection since converting from Dilkes Primary School, which was also previously judged outstanding. The academy demonstrates a strong commitment to providing a rich curriculum that meets the diverse needs of its pupils, fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit high motivation and engagement in their learning.
• The curriculum is broad, rich, and well-structured across all year levels.
• Teachers effectively support the needs of pupils with SEND.
• Robust systems are in place for monitoring and improving teaching standards.
• Pupils show excellent behaviour and positive attitudes throughout the school.
• There are extensive opportunities for personal development and extracurricular activities.

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 Dilkes Academy attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.0% 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 Dilkes 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 Dilkes Academy had 23.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 28.6% 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, 7.0% of pupils at Dilkes Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 7 pupils.

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 Dilkes Academy received £7,097 and spent £6,330 for each of its 544 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,029,000 (£1,891 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Catalyst Academies Trust, income was £6,930 and spending £6,646 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

Dilkes Academy is part of Catalyst Academies Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Somers Heath Primary School South Ockendon
• Aveley Primary School South Ockendon
• Benyon Primary School South Ockendon
• Quarry Hill Academy Grays

What is Dilkes Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Dilkes Academy is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Dilkes Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Dilkes Academy was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Dilkes Academy have?

Dilkes Academy has 554 pupils on roll.

What age range does Dilkes Academy cover?

Dilkes Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Dilkes Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 86% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Dilkes Academy?

Dilkes Academy is at Garron Lane, South Ockendon, Essex, RM15 5JQ.