School profile

The James Hornsby School

Secondary · Academy sponsor led · Basildon, SS15 5NX

Requires improvement

Map showing The James Hornsby 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.

The James Hornsby School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 3 Feb 2026

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

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy sponsor led
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,040
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMrs Tammy Nicholls
TrustZENITH MULTI ACADEMY TRUST
Local authorityEssex
Opened01 Oct 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138865.

GCSE results

2025/26

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

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
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 Essex45.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.53.7%, worse than England, worse than Essex63.2%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.32.7%, worse than England, worse than Essex44.2%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.4.4%, worse than England, worse than Essex12.9%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths50.7%, worse than England, worse than Essex58.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4205--

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 pupils1,040
Girls516
Boys524
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.48%
First language not English6.9%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,050
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.1%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.185
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.40
Average class size24

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
78.7%
Other White
6.3%
White and Black Caribbean
3.4%
African
3.2%
Indian
1.4%
White and Black African
1.2%
Other mixed
1.2%
Other Black
1%
Pakistani
0.8%
White and Asian
0.7%

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 teacher13.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.1
Teachers (FTE)78.8
Teaching assistants (FTE)13.76
Support staff (FTE)38.37
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2570.8
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2563.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/252
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.6

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.202
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.804
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.259
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.186
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)6

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 schoolEssexEngland
Overall absence8.2%, similar to England, similar to Essex8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.22.7%, similar to England, similar to Essex21.4%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.2%, similar to England, better than Essex4%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 rate4.7%
Pupils with one or more suspensions3.8%
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.86.8%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.81.6%
Further education69%
School sixth form12.6%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.7.5%
Apprenticeship3.4%
Employment1.7%
Sixth form college0%

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 The James Hornsby School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimaryThe Phoenix Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.3 miPrimaryJanet Duke Primary SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
0.4 miPrimaryMillhouse Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.4 miPrimaryLaindon Park Primary School & NurseryAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimarySt Anne Line Catholic Junior SchoolVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
0.7 miPrimarySt Anne Line Catholic Infant SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.8 miPrimaryMerrylands Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryNoak Bridge Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.0 miPrimaryLee Chapel Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Outstanding
1.1 miPrimaryLincewood Primary AcademyAcademy converter
Good

Frequently asked questions about The James Hornsby School

What is The James Hornsby School's Ofsted rating?

The James Hornsby School is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 3 Feb 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does The James Hornsby School rank in England?

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

What are The James Hornsby School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 32.7% of pupils at The James Hornsby 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 The James Hornsby School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, The James Hornsby School made 202 offers from 804 applications (4 per offer), and 186 of 259 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend The James Hornsby School?

The James Hornsby School has 1,040 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of The James Hornsby School?

The James Hornsby School had 1,050 school places in 2024/25.

Does The James Hornsby School have a sixth form?

No, The James Hornsby School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at The James Hornsby School?

At The James Hornsby School, the average class had 24 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 13.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at The James Hornsby School?

In 2025/26, pupils at The James Hornsby School missed 8.2% of sessions (England 8%), and 22.7% 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.