John Ray Junior School, Braintree
John Ray Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Braintree, part of The Compass Partnership of Schools. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 16 schools in Braintree with published results, and 8,749th of 14,452 across England. It was 91% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Capacity
- 91% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
John Ray Junior School in detail
John Ray Junior School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Hello! I have the great privilege of being the headteacher of our friendly and caring school that is filled with enthusiastic and dedicated children. We have a brilliant team of staff who are highly skilled and committed to providing high quality teaching and learning to all of our children."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at John Ray Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 66% in reading and 64% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at John Ray Junior School
Across Essex, 90% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Essex lodged 375 appeals against primary school offers; 241 reached a hearing and 31 succeeded (12.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to John Ray Junior School are John Ray Infant School (under 0.1 miles); St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (1 mile, Requires improvement, 67% reading, 66% maths); Notley Green Primary School (1 mile, Good, 80% reading, 81% maths); and St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree (1.1 miles, Good, 93% reading, 90% maths).
John Ray Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
John Ray Infant SchoolSt Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolNotley Green Primary SchoolSt Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree
The trust
John Ray Junior School is one of 28 schools run by The Compass Partnership of Schools, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 77% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
76 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about John Ray Junior School (as of September 2025): 75% would recommend the school, 78% say their child is happy there and 46% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (84%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (46%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Braintree Rail Station, about 980 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is John Ray School (outside), 30 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 191 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, John Ray Junior School issued 2 suspensions, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to John Ray Junior School are Notley High School and Sixth Form (0.1 miles), Alec Hunter Academy (1 mile) and Tabor Academy (1.4 miles).
Notley High School and Sixth FormAlec Hunter AcademyTabor Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; 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 March 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
John Ray Junior School excels at creating a kind, welcoming environment where pupils feel safe and thrive. The school provides excellent support for all learners, particularly those with special educational needs, and offers a rich range of experiences - from planetarium visits to live music performances - that broaden pupils' horizons. Children develop into respectful, responsible citizens through meaningful leadership roles and learning about diversity.
Key Strengths
- Strong support for pupils with SEND, with staff adapting teaching skillfully to help all pupils succeed
- Effective reading support that helps pupils develop fluency, accuracy and confidence quickly
- Rich curriculum experiences including planetarium visits, live music, theatre and sporting activities
- Well-designed curriculum that helps pupils make meaningful connections between subjects and build knowledge over time
- Strong focus on developing respectful citizens who learn about diversity and take on meaningful leadership roles
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, learning activities do not enable pupils to deepen and extend their understanding of complex knowledge quickly enough
- Teachers need to help pupils develop their understanding of more complex knowledge and content across all subjects more consistently
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with strong oversight and a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Indoor planetarium visits, Stone Age day, live music performances, theatre, national singing events, yoga, martial arts, drawing clubs, sporting activities, playground buddy roles, well-being counsellor roles, school council, head ambassador roles, eco-team activities, litter picking, church services, fundraising activities
John Ray Junior School is a kind and welcoming school where pupils behave well, enjoy coming to school, and achieve well in most subjects. The school has maintained the good standards identified at its previous inspection in March 2020.
At a Glance
30.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
76 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 66% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 64% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.4
Avg class size
27.4
KS2
14
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with John Ray Junior School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to John Ray Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. John Ray Junior School 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
- 9
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 3 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
91%
Near capacity
436 pupils
480 places
44 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Braintree
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Braintree
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.
Inspection History(3)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
89
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
23.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
439
Total Pupils
228
Boys
211
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
20.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,835
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,015
Per pupil
£2519k
Total funding
£192k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
14.1%
Persistent absence
460
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
John Ray Junior School
Questions parents ask about John Ray Junior School
What are SATs results like at John Ray Junior School?
Of the pupils at John Ray Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is John Ray Junior School's Ofsted rating?
John Ray Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for John Ray Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When John Ray Junior School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at John Ray Junior School?
John Ray Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 91% of its 480 places.
How big are the classes at John Ray Junior School?
Classes at John Ray Junior School average 27.4 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to John Ray Junior School?
John Ray Junior School has around 439 pupils on roll. 30% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at John Ray Junior School?
5.4% of sessions were missed at John Ray Junior School in 2024/25. 14.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to John Ray Junior School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming John Ray Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near John Ray Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 3 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 John Ray Junior School?
John Ray Junior School is at Notley Road, Braintree, Essex, CM7 1HL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)