West Leigh Junior School, Leigh-on-Sea

Ofsted's report card from its 21 April 2026 inspection grades West Leigh Junior School on 6 areas: 6 strong standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Strong standard. "Pupils are incredibly well prepared for their next steps in education."

Attendance and behaviour - Strong standard. "Leaders have clear systems in place to identify when a pupil's attendance falls below where it should."

Curriculum and teaching - Strong standard. "Leaders have a meticulous understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching."

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders identify the specific and changing needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "The decisions that leaders take are driven by a moral purpose to do what is right for pupils."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The personal development offer is extensive and carefully designed to enable pupils to thrive."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure their oversight of more recently introduced initiatives and systems enables them to adapt future priorities as needed to further enhance the high-quality offer pupils receive across all aspects of the school".

In its own words: "We are a school where children can enjoy learning and where achievement in all aspects of life is celebrated. We help our pupils to show empathy, integrity and responsibility. Here at West Leigh Junior School we provide the environment, expertise and resources to allow this"

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include yoga, karate and dance.

The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care, from £6.50 per session.

On phones, the school says: "WEST LEIGH JUNIOR SCHOOL IS A SMARTPHONE FREE SCHOOL Smartphones are a growing problem in our children's lives."

In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at West Leigh Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 88% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 76% and 74% in Southend-on-Sea and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 87% in reading and 82% in maths in 2024.

Across Southend-on-Sea, 88% 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 Southend-on-Sea lodged 55 appeals against primary school offers; 22 reached a hearing and 1 succeeded (4.5% of those heard).

The nearest other state primary schools to West Leigh Junior School are West Leigh Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Leigh North Street Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 73% reading, 65% maths); Darlinghurst Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 73% reading, 74% maths); and Blenheim Primary School (0.8 miles, Outstanding, 75% reading, 81% maths).

West Leigh Junior School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.

West Leigh Junior School is one of 5 schools run by Portico Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

6.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (82%) and Asian (6%).

In 2026, 34 pupils (6.5%) received SEN support and 8 (1.5%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

West Leigh Junior School had 33 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Leigh-on-Sea Rail Station, about 870 metres away (roughly a 11-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is West Leigh Schools (outside), 80 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood West Leigh Junior School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 162 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Southend-on-Sea (318).

In 2024/25, West Leigh Junior School issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to West Leigh Junior School are Belfairs Academy (0.4 miles), Westcliff High School for Girls (0.9 miles), Westcliff High School for Boys Academy (1 mile) and St Thomas More High School (1.1 miles).