William Edwards School, Grays
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data. Admissions policy: Non-selective
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Overall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The school has created a caring environment where pupils feel well-supported and behaviour has improved. Teachers receive strong professional development through mentoring programmes, which is helping them deliver lessons that match what pupils need to learn. The school is working hard to tackle challenges and is making real progress on its improvement priorities.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious curriculum that is well-matched to pupils' needs
- Strong pastoral care with positive relationships between staff and pupils
- Well-structured mentoring and coaching programme supporting teaching quality
- Good support for weaker readers now well established
- Improved behaviour during social times with rare bullying incidents
Areas for Improvement
- Assessment information not used precisely enough to support pupils' learning
- Pupils need clearer guidance on how to respond to teacher feedback
- Low-level disruption in some lessons interrupts learning
- Behaviour expectations not applied consistently by all staff
- Some pupils show inconsistent attitudes to learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding practices were discussed with leaders during the inspection, but no specific judgment on effectiveness was provided in the report.
William Edwards School is making progress to improve, with leaders implementing changes to the curriculum and professional development. However, further work is needed on using assessment information effectively and reducing low-level classroom disruption.
At a Glance
22.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
23.2
Avg class size
45
Total classes
10 classes with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
82%
Available places
984 pupils
1,200 capacity
216 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Grays
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Grays
Admissions Demand - Thurrock
Places available
2,362
Applications
2,437
Got 1st preference
76.0%
Got preferred school
92.8%
Secondary admissions across Thurrock (2025/26)
Inspection History(106)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.96116%
Overall absence
24.6087%
Persistent absence
1,150
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
William Edwards School
Stifford Clays Primary School
Deneholm Primary School
Tudor Court Primary School
Little Thurrock Primary School
St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School
Woodside Academy
Orsett Church of England Primary School
Quarry Hill Academy
The Light Christian School
Nearby Schools
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