School profile

William Edwards School

Secondary · Academy converter · Grays, RM16 3NJ

Requires improvement

Map showing William Edwards School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,384 of 3,312

Worse than 71% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

William Edwards School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 10 Mar 2026

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Needs attention
Achievement
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Needs attention
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils984
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Lynne Sexton
TrustSOUTH WEST ESSEX COMMUNITY EDUCATION TRUST LIMITED
Local authorityThurrock
Opened01 Aug 2011
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 137214.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolThurrockEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.41.8, worse than England, worse than Thurrock45.946.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.53.7%, worse than England, worse than Thurrock65.4%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.36.9%, worse than England, worse than Thurrock46%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.8.9%, worse than England, worse than Thurrock12.8%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths48.1%, worse than England, worse than Thurrock60.3%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4214--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils984
Girls427
Boys557
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.22.4%
First language not English8.5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,250
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.21.3%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.155
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.35
Average class size21.7

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
57.2%
Other White
11.6%
African
8.2%
Indian
4.7%
White and Black Caribbean
3.9%
White and Black African
2%
Other Asian
1.6%
Caribbean
1.6%
White and Asian
1.5%
Other mixed
1.4%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher14.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.11.8
Teachers (FTE)67.34
Teaching assistants (FTE)5.59
Support staff (FTE)29.39
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2573.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2561.7
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/257.6
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.159
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.429
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.90
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.90
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)3

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolThurrockEngland
Overall absence8.1%, similar to England, worse than Thurrock6.7%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.24.6%, worse than England, worse than Thurrock18.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.2.8%, better than England, similar to Thurrock2.9%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate13.1%
Pupils with one or more suspensions6.6%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.95.1%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.86.4%
Further education68.3%
School sixth form16.5%
Apprenticeship4.5%
Employment4.1%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.3.7%
Sixth form college0.8%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near William Edwards School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimaryStifford Clays Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.7 miPrimaryDeneholm Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miSecondaryThe Hathaway AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.0 miSecondaryOrsett Heath AcademyFree schools
Good
1.1 miPrimaryTudor Court Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.2 miPrimaryLittle Thurrock Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
1.2 miPrimarySt Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.4 miPrimaryWoodside AcademyAcademy converter
Good
1.4 miSecondaryGrays Convent High SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.5 miPrimaryOrsett Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about William Edwards School

What is William Edwards School's Ofsted rating?

William Edwards School is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 10 Mar 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does William Edwards School rank in England?

William Edwards School ranks 2,384 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 71% of schools).

What are William Edwards School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 36.9% of pupils at William Edwards School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 41.8 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into William Edwards School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, William Edwards School made 159 offers from 429 applications (2.7 per offer), and 90 of 90 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend William Edwards School?

William Edwards School has 984 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of William Edwards School?

William Edwards School had 1,250 school places in 2024/25.

Does William Edwards School have a sixth form?

No, William Edwards School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at William Edwards School?

At William Edwards School, the average class had 21.7 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 14.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at William Edwards School?

In 2025/26, pupils at William Edwards School missed 8.1% of sessions (England 8%), and 24.6% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.