Ripple Primary School, Barking
Ripple Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Barking. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2016. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 11 schools in Barking with published results, and 5,291st of 14,452 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Barking and Dagenham (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Ripple Primary School in detail
Ripple Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of all the staff, children, parents and governors I would like to welcome you to Ripple Primary School, an EMOTIONALLY AVAILABLE SCHOOL where EVERYONE IS WELCOME and EVERYONE BELONGS. BELONGING is the most powerful word we can use in making our Ripple family a genuinely INCLUSIVE school community where NURTURE is at the heart of everything we do."
The school runs a breakfast club.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Ripple Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 80% in Barking and Dagenham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 63% in reading and 74% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Ripple Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 28 families put Ripple Primary School as their first choice and 141 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Ripple Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Ripple Primary School are Greatfields Primary School (0.4 miles); Eastbury Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 66% reading, 56% maths); Gascoigne Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 73% maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 100% reading, 100% maths).
Ripple Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
Greatfields Primary SchoolEastbury Primary SchoolGascoigne Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School
What parents say
11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Ripple Primary School (as of September 2025): 73% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 67% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (91%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (55%).
Who goes there
85.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Asian (44%), Black (15%) and Mixed (9%).
Ripple Primary School has a SEN unit for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 70 places, 65 pupils on roll.
Staffing
Ripple Primary School had 60 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest Underground station is Upney Underground Station, about 700 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Blake Avenue, 280 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 711 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Barking and Dagenham (470), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Ripple Primary School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Ripple Primary School are Greatfields School (0.3 miles); Eastbury Community School (0.5 miles); Barking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities College (0.7 miles); and Loxford School (0.9 miles).
Greatfields SchoolEastbury Community SchoolBarking Abbey School, A Specialist Sports and Humanities CollegeLoxford School
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2016, 10 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 April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Ripple Primary School creates a caring, nurturing environment where children feel safe and confident to learn. Teachers have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special needs, and deliver an ambitious curriculum that brings learning to life through trips, visitors, and engaging activities. The school's strong behaviour policy means pupils want to behave well because it's 'the right thing to do.'
Key Strengths
- Well-designed, ambitious curriculum that helps most pupils grasp important ideas securely and progress through school
- Strong focus on reading development with effective phonics teaching and regular library visits
- Pupils with SEND fully included and achieving well alongside peers, with tailored support
- Excellent behaviour and respectful relationships throughout school, with pupils understanding clear values
- Wide range of enriching activities including trips, visiting professionals, and cultural celebrations
Areas for Improvement
- Teachers sometimes move to new learning too quickly without fully addressing misconceptions, leaving gaps in pupils' knowledge
- Inconsistent delivery of phonics at times, causing some younger pupils to struggle with reading fluency
- Need to ensure all pupils, especially those with SEND, are fully secure in their understanding before moving forward
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with pupils confident they can talk to trusted adults about any worries.
Extracurricular Activities
School choir performances at local residential homes, trips to local parks and museums, visits from local fire brigade, whole-school cultural celebrations with 'All About Me' afternoon for heritage sharing
Ripple Primary School has maintained good standards since its last inspection. Pupils are safe, happy, and achieve well in this nurturing community with an ambitious, broad curriculum.
At a Glance
20.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEN unit: Autism, SEMH, PMLD
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
11 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 63% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 74% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 67% to 79% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
23.8
Avg class size
23.7
Infant (KS1)
26.1
KS2
34
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Social & online
Keep up with Ripple Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Ripple Primary School.
- Greatfields - Premier Education670m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Ripple Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Ripple Primary School is in Barking and Dagenham; for families living there:
Apply to Barking and Dagenham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 53
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 10
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 53 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 46 slight.
10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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 Barking and Dagenham is 65 (the median across 68 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 Ripple Primary School
Will you get a place at Ripple Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Ripple Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Ripple Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Ripple Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Barking and Dagenham, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Ripple Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Barking and Dagenham 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
86%
Available places
906 pupils
1,055 places
149 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Barking
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Barking
Across Barking and Dagenham council
Places available
3,884
Applications
2,970
Got 1st preference
95.3%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Barking and Dagenham council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
132
SEN Support
39
EHC Plans
20.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Ripple Primary School has a SEN unit for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 70 places, 65 pupils on roll.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
856
Total Pupils
458
Boys
398
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
60
Teachers
14.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£61,733
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,542
Per pupil
£6271k
Total funding
£305k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.9%
Overall absence
18.6%
Persistent absence
837
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
Questions parents ask about Ripple Primary School
What are SATs results like at Ripple Primary School?
Of the pupils at Ripple Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Ripple Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ripple Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Ripple Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Ripple Primary School is oversubscribed, Barking and Dagenham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Ripple Primary School?
Ripple Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 1055 places.
How big are the classes at Ripple Primary School?
Classes at Ripple Primary School average 23.8 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Ripple Primary School?
Ripple Primary School has around 856 pupils on roll. 20% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Ripple Primary School have specialist SEN provision?
Ripple Primary School has a SEN unit for autism, social, emotional and mental health needs and profound and multiple learning difficulties: 70 places, 65 pupils on roll.
What is attendance like at Ripple Primary School?
5.9% of sessions were missed at Ripple Primary School in 2024/25. 18.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Ripple Primary School?
Apply through Barking and Dagenham's coordinated admissions process, naming Ripple Primary School 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.
Does Ripple Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Ripple Primary School: Greatfields - Premier Education (670m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Ripple Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 53 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 6 serious and 46 slight. 10 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 7 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 Barking and Dagenham is 65 (the median across 68 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Ripple Primary School?
Ripple Primary School is at Suffolk Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 7QS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)