The Gateway Academy, Grays
The Gateway Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Grays, part of Gateway Learning Community. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 3rd-highest of the 7 schools in Grays with published results, and 983rd of 3,298 across England. It was 75% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Thurrock (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Gateway Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Gateway Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 50, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Thurrock and 47 across England.
56% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Thurrock and 47% in England.
That is up from 46.1 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.07: pupils made about average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 42.6, against 54.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.8 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.
Getting a place at The Gateway Academy
For September 2026 entry, 234 families put The Gateway Academy as their first choice and 433 named it as one of their preferences, for 208 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 38 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to The Gateway Academy are Orsett Heath Academy (1.3 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42); Grays Convent High School (1.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.5); Thames Park Secondary School (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.1); and The Hathaway Academy (1.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.5).
The Gateway Academy's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Orsett Heath AcademyGrays Convent High SchoolThames Park Secondary SchoolThe Hathaway Academy
The trust
The Gateway Academy is one of 5 schools run by Gateway Learning Community, an academy trust.
What parents say
72 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Gateway Academy (as of September 2025): 88% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 233 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 67% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Who goes there
41.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
The Gateway Academy had 77 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical secondary school, at about one for every 17.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Tilbury Town Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gateway Academy (s-bound), 280 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Gateway Academy issued 118 suspensions, 11.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Gateway Academy are The Gateway Primary Free School (under 0.1 miles), Chadwell St Mary Primary School (0.4 miles), Tilbury Pioneer Academy (0.7 miles) and Herringham Primary Academy (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
The Gateway Primary Free SchoolChadwell St Mary Primary SchoolTilbury Pioneer AcademyHerringham Primary 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; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 2019, 7 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 December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
The Gateway Academy stands out for creating a genuinely caring community where all pupils, especially those who need extra support, thrive. Pupils develop strong leadership skills and a real sense of responsibility through roles like anti-bullying ambassadors and presenting the school news bulletin. The school equips pupils with excellent knowledge about their career options and next steps, preparing them well for life beyond school.
Key Strengths
- Excellent behaviour and positive school culture based on kindness and respect - pupils are orderly, polite, and eager to learn
- High-quality support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, who achieve very well
- Strong curriculum delivery with consistent teaching of core knowledge, particularly in English and mathematics
- Extensive careers education and guidance that gives pupils real knowledge about their future options
- Well-attended learning activities before and after school, plus high pupil attendance
Areas for Improvement
- Some learning activities don't help pupils learn the intended knowledge as effectively as they could - teachers need better guidance on creating more purposeful tasks
- Teachers sometimes don't help pupils make connections between prior learning and new topics, which limits deeper understanding
- English Baccalaureate entries have been below average, though the school is working to increase these
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with the school creating a positive culture where pupil safety is prioritised.
Extracurricular Activities
Anti-bullying ambassador roles, school video news bulletin, board of the borough council participation, Christmas present providing for those in need, before and after school learning activities
The Gateway Academy is a secondary comprehensive school that has maintained good standards since its previous inspection in 2019. The school is known for its strong sense of community, excellent behaviour, and high expectations for pupil achievement.
At a Glance
41.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
72 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from 0.23 to 0.07 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 44.2 to 50.0 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 44% to 56% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 50.0 | 55.7% |
| Disadvantaged(71) | - | 42.6 | 40.8% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(121) | - | 54.4 | 64.5% |
| Boys(93) | - | 49.5 | 54.8% |
| Girls(99) | - | 50.5 | 56.6% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(55) | - | 53.1 | 60% |
| Non mobile(182) | - | 49.7 | 55.5% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 1 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 233 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
1
Permanent exclusions
0.10%
Exclusion rate
118
Suspensions
11.42%
Suspension rate
52 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,033 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Latest from The Gateway Academy
Inspiring GCSE Art and Photography
16 Sep 2026
Gateway Academy Celebrates Highest Ever GCSE Results
20 Aug 2026
Year 10 - From Starch to Pasta
4 Aug 2026
Year 11 Prom 2026
4 Aug 2026
Cadets Trip
4 Aug 2026
Inspiring the Community
4 Aug 2026
From The Gateway Academy's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Gateway Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Gateway Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Gateway Academy is in Thurrock; for families living there:
- Thurrock's school travel policy: Home to school travel and transport policy
- How to apply: apply for school travel support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
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 Thurrock is 12 (the median across 58 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 The Gateway Academy
Will you get a place at The Gateway Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Gateway Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Gateway Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Gateway Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Thurrock, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Gateway Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Thurrock 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
75%
Available places
1,038 pupils
1,390 places
352 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Grays
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Grays
Across Thurrock council
Places available
2,395
Applications
2,478
Got 1st preference
74.8%
Got preferred school
92.7%
All secondary applications across Thurrock council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
173
SEN Support
33
EHC Plans
20.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,030
Total Pupils
508
Boys
522
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
77
Teachers
13.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£58,773
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,076
Per pupil
£9247k
Total funding
£469k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.5%
Overall absence
23.6%
Persistent absence
1,082
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Gateway Academy
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Gateway Academy
What are GCSE results like at The Gateway Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Gateway Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 50. 56% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Gateway Academy's Ofsted rating?
The Gateway Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Gateway Academy?
No fixed boundary. When The Gateway Academy is oversubscribed, Thurrock allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Gateway Academy?
The Gateway Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 75% of its 1390 places.
How big are the classes at The Gateway Academy?
Classes at The Gateway Academy average 21.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Gateway Academy?
The Gateway Academy has around 1030 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Gateway Academy?
7.5% of sessions were missed at The Gateway Academy in 2024/25. 23.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Gateway Academy?
Apply through Thurrock's coordinated admissions process, naming The Gateway Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near The Gateway Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 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 Thurrock is 12 (the median across 58 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Gateway Academy?
The Gateway Academy is at Marshfoot Road, Grays, Essex, RM16 4LU.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)