Janet Duke Primary School, Basildon

Ofsted's report card from its 30 June 2026 inspection grades Janet Duke Primary School on 7 areas: 5 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for giving children the best possible start to their education."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have established an inclusive culture across the school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders keep pupils' best interests at the heart of everything they do."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders place pupils' personal development and wellbeing at the centre of the school's work."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils have not achieved as well as they should in national tests and assessments."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "Pupils' attendance has consistently been below the national average."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should improve attendance, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), so that more pupils benefit fully from the school's provision and achieve as well as they should"; "Leaders should continue to build on improvements in teaching so that pupils, including pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, make strong progress so that they achieve as well as they can, particularly in writing".

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils at Janet Duke Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 53% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 58% in reading and 59% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 52 families put Janet Duke Primary School as their first choice and 121 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Janet Duke Primary School are The Phoenix Primary School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 70% reading, 64% maths); St Anne Line Catholic Junior School (0.4 miles, Good, 92% reading, 95% maths); St Anne Line Catholic Infant School (0.4 miles); and Laindon Park Primary School & Nursery (0.5 miles, Good, 59% reading, 63% maths).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Janet Duke Primary School.

Janet Duke Primary School is one of 4 schools run by Cresco Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 51% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

54.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

The nearest railway station is Laindon Rail Station, about 1030 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Mynchens (opposite), 130 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 424 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Janet Duke Primary School issued 20 suspensions, 3.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Janet Duke Primary School are The James Hornsby School (0.3 miles), Harris Academy Kingswood (1 mile) and De La Salle School (1.4 miles).