Great Wakering Primary Academy, Southend-on-Sea
Great Wakering Primary Academy is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Southend-on-Sea, part of The Brickfields Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 15 schools in Southend-on-Sea with published results, and 7,842nd of 14,452 across England. It was 97% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Great Wakering Primary Academy in detail
Great Wakering Primary Academy in its own words
In its own words: "An exemplary school at the heart of our community highly regarded for the opportunities offered, the achievements and character of our children and the excellence of our staff."
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at 9.15am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Vision and values (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at Great Wakering Primary Academy reached the expected standard in reading and 75% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 72% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Great Wakering Primary Academy
For September 2026 entry, 71 families put Great Wakering Primary Academy as their first choice and 82 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 13 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Great Wakering Primary Academy
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Great Wakering Primary Academy are Friars Primary School and Nursery (1 mile, Good, 80% reading, 75% maths); St George's Catholic Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 84% reading, 81% maths); Barling Magna Primary Academy (1.4 miles, Good, 72% reading, 76% maths); and Bournes Green Infant School (1.7 miles, Good).
Great Wakering Primary Academy's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Friars Primary School and NurserySt George's Catholic Primary SchoolBarling Magna Primary AcademyBournes Green Infant School
The trust
Great Wakering Primary Academy is one of 4 schools run by The Brickfields Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
77 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Great Wakering Primary Academy (as of September 2025): 73% would recommend the school, 77% say their child is happy there and 31% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (79%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (31%).
Who goes there
0.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 42 pupils (10.2%) received SEN support and 24 (5.8%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Shoeburyness Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lee Lotts (opposite), 60 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 58 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
Suspensions and exclusions
Great Wakering Primary Academy recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Great Wakering Primary is a welcoming school where children feel safe and supported. Teaching is consistently good with strong focus on early reading and maths, helping all pupils - including those with additional needs - make excellent progress. The school offers a rich, broad curriculum with plenty of sports, clubs and leadership opportunities that help children build confidence and develop a real love of learning.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching and early reading interventions help pupils become confident, fluent readers quickly
- Well-planned curriculum with precise knowledge identified across all subjects from early years through Year 6
- High-quality teaching with secure subject knowledge - teachers check what pupils know and adapt teaching for all learners
- Strong focus on vocabulary and communication skills across all lessons
- Robust attendance systems in place with good pupil attendance
- Wide range of clubs, competitions and sports - all pupils get a chance to participate
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length in English and across other subjects
- Need to increase writing opportunities across the curriculum to develop pupils' writing stamina and skills
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Staff are well-trained, pupils know they can talk to various adults if worried, and the school has created a positive safeguarding culture.
Extracurricular Activities
Wide range of popular clubs and competitions, sports activities (all pupils get opportunity to participate in a competition), leadership roles (prefects, house captains, head and deputy head roles), 'Talk for Change' weekly lessons, visits and visitors
Great Wakering Primary Academy has maintained its good standards from the previous inspection. Pupils enjoy attending the school, have positive relationships with each other, and achieve well across a broad and balanced curriculum.
At a Glance
21.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
77 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 72% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 75% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 63% to 42% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
28.3
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
14
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Great Wakering Primary Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Great Wakering Primary Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Great Wakering Primary Academy is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Great Wakering Primary Academy
Will you get a place at Great Wakering Primary Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Great Wakering Primary Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Great Wakering Primary Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Great Wakering Primary Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Great Wakering Primary Academy for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
97%
Near capacity
408 pupils
420 places
12 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Southend-on-Sea
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southend-on-Sea
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
42
SEN Support
24
EHC Plans
16.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
412
Total Pupils
230
Boys
182
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
20.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,052
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2280k
Total funding
£136k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.8%
Overall absence
6.6%
Persistent absence
366
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Great Wakering Primary Academy
Questions parents ask about Great Wakering Primary Academy
What are SATs results like at Great Wakering Primary Academy?
Of the pupils at Great Wakering Primary Academy who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 75% did so in maths.
What is Great Wakering Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
Great Wakering Primary Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Great Wakering Primary Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Great Wakering Primary Academy is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Great Wakering Primary Academy?
Great Wakering Primary Academy was close to full in 2025, at 97% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Great Wakering Primary Academy?
Classes at Great Wakering Primary Academy average 29.4 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Great Wakering Primary Academy?
Great Wakering Primary Academy has around 412 pupils on roll. 22% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Great Wakering Primary Academy?
4.8% of sessions were missed at Great Wakering Primary Academy in 2024/25. 6.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Great Wakering Primary Academy?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Great Wakering Primary Academy on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Great Wakering Primary Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Great Wakering Primary Academy?
Great Wakering Primary Academy is at High Street, Great Wakering, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS3 0EJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)