Best Schools in Grays

How many schools are there in Grays?

Grays has 26 open schools: 16 state primary, 7 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent and 2 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Grays are rated Outstanding?

4 schools in Grays were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Harris Academy Chafford Hundred, Harris Primary Academy Chafford Hundred, Quarry Hill Academy and Treetops School. Counting Good as well, 96% of the 24 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Harris Academy Chafford HundredHarris Primary Academy Chafford HundredQuarry Hill AcademyTreetops School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Grays get the best GCSE results?

Of the 8 schools in Grays with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.5 and 66% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Grays Convent High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.5 and 48% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Gateway Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 50 and 56% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Harris Academy Chafford HundredGrays Convent High SchoolThe Gateway Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Grays have the best SATs results?

Of the 16 primary schools in Grays with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Quarry Hill Academy (88% in reading, 97% in maths); West Thurrock Academy (90% in reading, 90% in maths); and Chadwell St Mary Primary School (86% in reading, 86% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Quarry Hill AcademyWest Thurrock AcademyChadwell St Mary Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Grays?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Grays selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Grays have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Grays have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Thurrock allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Grays?

Apply to Thurrock through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.