St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford, Basildon
St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Basildon, part of The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 25th-highest of the 27 schools in Basildon with published results, and 13,056th of 14,452 across England. It was 81% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford in detail
Results
In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils at St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford reached the expected standard in reading and 54% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (54% in reading, 65% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford as their first choice and 32 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford are Eversley Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 72% reading, 78% maths); Northlands Primary School and Nursery (1 mile, Good, 73% reading, 74% maths); Jotmans Hall Primary School (1 mile, Requires improvement, 84% reading, 76% maths); and Woodham Ley Primary School (1 mile, Good, 80% reading, 83% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford.
Eversley Primary SchoolNorthlands Primary School and NurseryJotmans Hall Primary SchoolWoodham Ley Primary School
The trust
St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford is one of 21 schools run by The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 49% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 21 schools in The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust
What parents say
21 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford (as of September 2025): 38% would recommend the school, 76% say their child is happy there and 20% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (76%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (20%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 40 pupils (22%) received SEN support and 4 (2.2%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford had 11 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 railway station is Pitsea Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Margaret's School (opposite), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford issued 15 suspensions, 7.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford are The Basildon Upper Academy (1 mile) and Harris Academy Benfleet (1.1 miles).
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; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2015, 11 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
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
St Margaret's is a warm and friendly school. From Nursery, pupils are happy to come to school. They look forward to the exciting learning that staff prepare for them, especially their history lessons.
'Be safe, be kind and be ready' are the new behaviour expectations that pupils are proud to share. They know how to keep themselves safe and who they can talk to if they have worries or concerns.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has experienced a turbulent time, with changes in staffing and leadership. This has now been stabilised. Staff feel well supported by the school. The trust and the school leaders have worked rapidly to improve the school. Communication with parents about their child's education is improving and school leaders are continuing to work on this.
The school has implemented a clear and concise curriculum that sets out what pupils will learn from the early years. Recent changes to the curriculum have ensured that staff better understand and implement the high expectations that the school has set out. This means pupils experience a curriculum that builds their knowledge and understanding over time. In some instances, staff do not always know the curriculum well enough in some subjects to adapt their teaching. This means that some pupils do not access what they need and they develop gaps in their learning.
From Ofsted's September 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
19.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
21 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 54% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 65% to 54% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 65% to 39% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford 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
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 11 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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 St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford
Will you get a place at St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
81%
Available places
170 pupils
210 places
40 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Basildon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Basildon
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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
24.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
182
Total Pupils
87
Boys
95
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
16.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,305
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,756
Per pupil
£1120k
Total funding
£55k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.2%
Overall absence
24.1%
Persistent absence
170
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
St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford
Questions parents ask about St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford
What are SATs results like at St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford?
Of the pupils at St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 64% reached the expected standard in reading and 54% did so in maths.
What is St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford's Ofsted rating?
St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford?
No fixed boundary. When St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford?
St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford was not full in 2025: it ran at 81% of its 210 places.
How many pupils go to St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford?
St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford has around 182 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford?
7.2% of sessions were missed at St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford in 2024/25. 24.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford 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 St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 11 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford?
St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford is at London Road, Bowers Gifford, Basildon, Essex, SS13 2DU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)