William Ford CofE Junior School, Dagenham
William Ford CofE Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Dagenham. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 16th-highest of the 29 schools in Dagenham with published results, and 7,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 90% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Capacity
- 90% full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
William Ford CofE Junior School in detail
William Ford CofE Junior School in its own words
In its own words: "We take 90 pupils, in three classes of 30 children per year group. It is the governors' policy to admit the children of all parents who choose to have their children educated at the school. If you are applying under category 2 or 5, you should fill in the priest reference form."
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to William Ford C of E Junior School, a Church of England school in the heart of Dagenham, East London. My name is David Huntingford, and I am proud to be the Headteacher of such a fantastic educational establishment."
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at William Ford CofE Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 81% and 80% in Barking and Dagenham and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (77% in reading, 75% in maths).
Getting a place at William Ford CofE Junior School
Across Barking and Dagenham, 95% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Barking and Dagenham lodged 204 appeals against primary school offers; 71 reached a hearing and 2 succeeded (2.8% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to William Ford CofE Junior School are Village Infants' School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Thomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns Road (0.3 miles, Good, 86% reading, 84% maths); Parsloes Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 83% reading, 80% maths); and Marsh Green Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 77% reading, 89% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than William Ford CofE Junior School.
Village Infants' SchoolThomas Arnold Primary School, Rowdowns RoadParsloes Primary SchoolMarsh Green Primary School
Who goes there
36.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 47% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are Black (33%), White British (23%) and Asian (18%).
In 2026, 105 pupils (32.9%) received SEN support and 11 (3.4%) 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 a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Dagenham Heathway, about 470 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ford Road (RM10) (->w), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood William Ford CofE Junior School 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, William Ford CofE Junior School issued 10 suspensions, 3.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to William Ford CofE Junior School are Dagenham Park CofE School (0.3 miles), Brook Sixth Form and Academy (0.9 miles), Eastbrook School (1 mile) and Goresbrook School (1 mile).
Dagenham Park CofE SchoolBrook Sixth Form and AcademyEastbrook SchoolGoresbrook School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
William Ford provides a warm, inclusive environment where all pupils feel happy and safe. The school excels at offering exciting experiences beyond the classroom - from educational visits to foreign countries to unique opportunities like learning paralympic sports and running a school radio station. Staff are well-supported and approachable, and the school has successfully improved attendance by keeping pupils highly engaged in their learning.
Key Strengths
- Pupils have excellent personal development opportunities with 11 planned 'experiences' including theatre visits, cooking lessons and community contributions - rated outstanding by inspectors
- Strong support for pupils with reading difficulties and those with special educational needs, identified quickly and given regular help
- Outstanding range of clubs and activities including multi-sports, arts and crafts, and a radio station club that broadcasts live shows at lunchtime
- Clear behaviour management approach that creates a respectful, polite school environment
- Significantly improved attendance rates through engaging learning and enrichment activities
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching activities sometimes don't help pupils learn and remember the curriculum as effectively as they could
- Key knowledge that pupils need to remember isn't revisited frequently enough for long-term memory
- Recent improvements to writing and reading curriculum not yet reflected in historical academic outcomes
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Multi-sports clubs, arts and crafts clubs, radio station club (live broadcasts at lunchtime), educational visits, foreign trips, theatre visits, cooking lessons, community contribution activities, before-school and after-school activities
William Ford CofE Junior School is a good school where pupils are happy, safe and kind. The school has high expectations for behaviour and provides a broad, well-structured curriculum with equal importance placed on all subjects including sport and the arts.
At a Glance
36.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.6
Avg class size
26.6
KS2
10
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from William Ford CofE Junior School
Career visitor - Irene Burgin (fashion)
1 Oct 2026
Year 5 Science Museum Trip
30 Sep 2026
Pupil Voice Elections
18 Sep 2026
Heartgarden Puzzle Workshop
17 Sep 2026
Vision Day/Stand By Me
8 Sep 2026
The William Ford DJs Are Back
8 Sep 2026
From William Ford CofE Junior School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with William Ford CofE Junior School
Before and after school care
William Ford CofE Junior School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Barking and Dagenham
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near William Ford CofE Junior School.
- Parsloes Extended School700m away · Not yet graded
- Hunters Hall Extended Provision990m away · Not yet graded
- Sun and Moon Playcare Scheme990m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Tube / Metro / Tram
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to William Ford CofE Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. William Ford CofE Junior School is in Barking and Dagenham; for families living there:
Apply to Barking and Dagenham for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 83
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 10
- Children hurt
- 12
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 83 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 73 slight.
12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
14 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 Barking and Dagenham is 65 (the median across 68 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
90%
Near capacity
323 pupils
360 places
37 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Dagenham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Dagenham
Across Barking and Dagenham council
Places available
3,884
Applications
2,970
Got 1st preference
95.3%
Got preferred school
99.3%
All primary applications across Barking and Dagenham council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
105
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
36.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
319
Total Pupils
138
Boys
181
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
19.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£67,397
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,494
Per pupil
£2373k
Total funding
£176k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.1%
Overall absence
18.4%
Persistent absence
343
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
William Ford CofE Junior School
Questions parents ask about William Ford CofE Junior School
What are SATs results like at William Ford CofE Junior School?
Of the pupils at William Ford CofE Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is William Ford CofE Junior School's Ofsted rating?
William Ford CofE Junior School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2014 it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for William Ford CofE Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When William Ford CofE Junior School is oversubscribed, Barking and Dagenham allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at William Ford CofE Junior School?
William Ford CofE Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 360 places.
How big are the classes at William Ford CofE Junior School?
Classes at William Ford CofE Junior School average 26.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to William Ford CofE Junior School?
William Ford CofE Junior School has around 319 pupils on roll. 36% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at William Ford CofE Junior School?
6.1% of sessions were missed at William Ford CofE Junior School in 2024/25. 18.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to William Ford CofE Junior School?
Apply through Barking and Dagenham's coordinated admissions process, naming William Ford CofE Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does William Ford CofE Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
William Ford CofE Junior School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists 3 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of William Ford CofE Junior School: Parsloes Extended School (700m away, registered, not yet graded), Hunters Hall Extended Provision (990m away, registered, not yet graded) and Sun and Moon Playcare Scheme (990m away, registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near William Ford CofE Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 83 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 10 serious and 73 slight. 12 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 6 on foot, 4 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 14 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 Barking and Dagenham is 65 (the median across 68 schools, same distance and years).
Where is William Ford CofE Junior School?
William Ford CofE Junior School is at Ford Road, Dagenham, Essex, RM10 9JS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)