The Deanes

The Deanes has made significant progress since its last inspection, now achieving a 'Good' rating across all key areas. The school has created a welcoming and inclusive environment where students feel valued. Curriculum improvements have resulted in better engagement and retention of knowledge, although there are still occasions when some students struggle to retain important concepts. The school's focus on personal development and a supportive atmosphere for mental health adds to its strengths. However, attention is needed to ensure all teaching staff effectively assess and adapt to students' understanding.

Strengths

• Welcoming and inclusive environment for all students
• Broad, balanced, and ambitious curriculum
• Strong focus on reading and literacy support
• Effective personal development programs and PSHE education
• Supportive leadership with positive staff morale

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checking of pupil understanding leading to gaps in knowledge retention
• Some low-level disruption caused by a minority of pupils

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 The Deanes attended 88.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 32.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 20.3% of pupils at The Deanes were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 The Deanes had 15.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 22.4% of pupils at The Deanes were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 8.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 The Deanes received £10,931 and spent £10,397 for each of its 595 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £572,000 (£962 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of South East Essex Academy Trust, income was £7,331 and spending £7,262 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 Benfleet · Essex local authority: places and applications

The Deanes is part of South East Essex Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Hadleigh Junior School Benfleet
• Heycroft Primary School Leigh-On-Sea
• The Cornelius Vermuyden School Canvey Island
• Westcliff High School for Girls Westcliff-On-Sea
• Prince Avenue Academy and Nursery Westcliff-On-Sea
• The Westborough School Westcliff-On-Sea
• Holt Farm Junior School Rochford
• Rochford Primary and Nursery School Rochford

What is The Deanes's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Deanes is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was The Deanes last inspected by Ofsted?

The Deanes was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does The Deanes have?

The Deanes has 588 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Deanes cover?

The Deanes for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Deanes's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 32.2, and 14% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Deanes?

The Deanes is at Daws Heath Road, Thundersley, Benfleet, Essex, SS7 2TD.