William Read Primary Academy, Canvey Island
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
William Read provides a warm, welcoming environment where children thrive academically and personally. The school excels at teaching reading through a consistent phonics approach, and offers excellent support for children with additional needs. With an impressive range of clubs, trips and enrichment activities - from forest school to competitive sports - your child will have plenty of opportunities to build confidence and discover new interests.
Key Strengths
- Warm, positive relationships between staff and pupils create a safe, happy learning environment
- Well-structured phonics programme helps pupils in Reception and Year 1 learn to read quickly
- High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND, who receive skilled support to learn successfully
- Extensive range of extra-curricular activities including forest school, choir, football and competitions
- Clear behaviour expectations and routines established from Reception onwards help pupils behave well and respectfully
Areas for Improvement
- Key knowledge has not been clearly defined in some curriculum areas, limiting pupils' ability to recall prior learning and use subject-specific vocabulary
- Early years curriculum also needs better-defined key knowledge to support learning
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Forest school, choir, football, clubs, music lessons, workshops, educational visits, panathlon events, school council, play leaders
William Read Primary Academy is a friendly and welcoming school where pupils arrive eager to learn and achieve well across a broad, well-organized curriculum. The school has maintained good standards since its previous inspection and continues to strengthen its provision.
At a Glance
28.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
32 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 80% to 63%. Maths has declined from 82% to 69%. Writing has remained stable at around 72%.
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
48%
Available places
189 pupils
390 capacity
201 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Canvey Island
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Canvey Island
Admissions Demand - Essex
Places available
17,913
Applications
15,619
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.4%
Primary admissions across Essex (2025/26)
Inspection History
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
5.96038%
Overall absence
12.99435%
Persistent absence
177
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
William Read Primary Academy
Nearby Schools
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