William Edwards School, Grays

Ofsted's report card from its 10 March 2026 inspection grades William Edwards School on 6 areas: 3 expected standard and 3 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise attendance."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders' systems for identifying and meeting the needs of different pupils work well."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have constructed a programme of personal development that supports pupils well."

Achievement - Needs attention. "For several years, pupils have not attained as well as they should."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The quality of teaching is variable."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Certain aspects of the school that were identified as needing to improve at the previous inspection still need more work and more time to reach the expected standard."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should support teachers' understanding of how to use assessment information effectively and to use this information to adapt their lessons so that pupils learn well in all subjects"; "Leaders should ensure that all teachers use the agreed and effective pedagogical approaches that fully engage pupils' interest and help them to remember what they have been taught"; "Leaders should ensure that actions to improve the school are taken swiftly and that they evaluate the effectiveness of their work in a timely manner".

In 2026, pupils at William Edwards School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 41.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.2 in Thurrock and 47 across England.

37% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 46% in Thurrock and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 42.5.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.29: pupils made below 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 32.7, against 44.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.8 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and History.

For September 2026 entry, 90 families put William Edwards School as their first choice and 429 named it as one of their preferences, for 159 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to William Edwards School are The Hathaway Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 45.5); Orsett Heath Academy (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 42); Grays Convent High School (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.5); and Thames Park Secondary School (2.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 49.1).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than William Edwards School.

William Edwards School is one of 6 schools run by South West Essex Community Education Trust Limited, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.6 in 2024/25.

116 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about William Edwards School (as of April 2026): 72% would recommend the school, 74% say their child is happy there and 62% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (78%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (62%).

Of the 243 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 68% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.

8.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (57%), Black (10%) and Mixed (9%).

The nearest railway station is Grays Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.

7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is William Edwards School (at), 150 metres away.

In 2024/25, William Edwards School issued 145 suspensions, 13.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to William Edwards School are Stifford Clays Primary School (0.4 miles), Deneholm Primary School (0.7 miles), Tudor Court Primary School (1.1 miles) and Little Thurrock Primary School (1.2 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.