SchoolFacts.uk

The Gateway Primary Free School

Primary · Grays · RM16 4LU

Data updated

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Good

SchoolFacts estimate: Ofsted awarded no overall grade at this inspection

We show the lowest of the four areas Ofsted did judge, listed below. Why some schools have no overall grade →

Quality of education: GoodBehaviour & attitudes: OutstandingPersonal development: OutstandingLeadership & management: GoodSafeguarding effective: Yes

Inspected 4 February 2025

Read the Ofsted report ↗

At a glance

459 pupils · 96% of 480 capacity (January 2026 census)

School type
Free schools
Age range
0–11
Gender
Mixed
Free school meals
35.3% of pupils (January 2026)
English as additional language
23% of pupils (2024/2025)
SEN support
14.8% of pupils (2024/2025)
EHC plan
2.5% of pupils (2024/2025)
Nursery
Yes
Website
http://www.theglc-primaryfreeschool.org.uk
URN
138334

In figures

For September 2026 entry, 41 families named it first for 45 Reception places, 0.91 first choices per place. At its inspection on 4 February 2025 Ofsted awarded no overall grade; the lowest of the four areas it judged was Good. In the 2025/26 autumn and spring terms its pupils missed 4.9% of sessions, against 6.6% across England.

Admissions demand: Reception entry, September 2026

0.91 first-choice applications per place

45 places offered · 41 first-choice applications · roughly balanced

First-choice applications per place, by entry year

19/20
20/21
21/22
22/23
23/24
24/25
25/26
26/27

Source: DfE applications and offers on national offer day · how demand is measured

Key stage 2 results (2024/2025)

56 pupils at the end of key stage 2 in 2024/2025

Reaching the expected standard in reading, writing & maths
73%
England 62%
Reaching the higher standard
16%
England 8%
Average scaled score (reading)
106
England 106
Average scaled score (maths)
106
England 105

Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · what “suppressed” means

Schools with a similar intake

Meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, 2024/2025

This school73%
Median of its 12 closest peers59%
Thurrock average70.4%
England62%

On meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, this school is ahead of the schools that teach a comparable intake.

They are matched on intake, not location, so most are not local: see nearby schools for those you could apply to.

SchoolOfstedResult
Northwood Primary SchoolDarlington · 226 miles awayGood56%
Ealdham Primary SchoolLondon · 14 miles awayExpected standard77%
Tudor AcademyCroydon · 18 miles awayGood (2019)73%
Beeches Primary SchoolBirmingham · 121 miles awayGood63%
Goddard Park Community Primary SchoolSwindon · 91 miles awayExpected standard59%
Bluecoat Primary AcademyNottingham · 123 miles awayGood51%
St James CofE Primary SchoolOldbury · 124 miles awayExpected standard59%
St Clare's RC Primary SchoolManchester · 179 miles awayGood55%
Priestsic Primary and Nursery SchoolSutton-in-Ashfield · 133 miles awayGood42%
Sledmere Primary SchoolDudley · 125 miles awayGood58%
Moat Farm Junior SchoolOldbury · 122 miles awayStrong standard78%
Charles Dickens Primary SchoolLondon · 20 miles awayOutstanding92%

It is not a ranking. Source: DfE performance tables 2024/2025 · how the matching works

Pupils by ethnicity (January 2026)

White British 47% (Thurrock 45%, England 60%) · Any other White background 14% (Thurrock 15%, England 7%) · Black African 9% (Thurrock 14%, England 5%) · Asian Pakistani 5% (Thurrock 3%, England 5%) · Asian Bangladeshi 5% (Thurrock 4%, England 2%) · Mixed White and Black Caribbean 4% (Thurrock 2%, England 2%) · Any other Mixed background 4% (Thurrock 4%, England 3%) · Any other Asian background 2% (Thurrock 2%, England 2%) · Any other Black background 2% (Thurrock 2%, England 1%) · Mixed White and Asian 2% (Thurrock 1%, England 2%) · Any other ethnic group 2% (Thurrock 2%, England 3%) · Mixed White and Black African 2% (Thurrock 1%, England 1%) · White Gypsy/Roma 2% (Thurrock 0%, England 0%) · Asian Indian 1% (Thurrock 3%, England 4%) · other groups together 1%

Source: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026 census · how to read these figures

Attendance (2025/26 autumn and spring terms)

Sessions missed (overall absence)
4.9%
England 6.6%
Pupils missing 10%+ of sessions (persistent absence)
13.4%
England 17.5%

Suspensions and permanent exclusions (2024/25)

5.47 suspensions per 100 pupils and 0 permanent exclusions · England, primary schools: 2.47 suspensions and 0.03 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils · Thurrock: 1.66 suspensions and 0.03 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils

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Source: DfE pupil absence data, autumn and spring terms, and DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions, school-level file · how absence is measured · how to read exclusions

Staffing

Pupils per qualified teacher
18.2
England 18.5

Full-time-equivalent, 2025/26.

Teacher retention (2024/25)

87% of teachers stayed at the school the following year · 3% moved to another state school · 10% left the state-funded sector

Vacancies (November 2025)

3.32% of teaching posts vacant, 0% filled temporarily · England, primary academies: 0.3% vacant, 0.32% temporary

Teacher sickness absence (reported in the November 2024 census)

6.3% of teachers took sickness absence, 4 days each on average · England, all state-funded schools: 61.8%, 8.1 days

Teacher pay (November 2025)

Mean salary of full-time qualified teachers £50,666; 33.3% on the leadership pay range · England, primary schools: £50,856, 17.3%

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Source: DfE School Workforce Census · how these figures are counted

Spending per pupil (2024-25)

This school£6,116
Typical primary school£7,202

Where the money went (2024-25)

Share of spending, with the median for primary schools in brackets: Staff 87% (77%) · premises 1% (5%) · occupation (energy, rates, cleaning) 2% (8%) · supplies and services 9% (9%) · educational supplies 6% (4%) · bought-in professional services 2% (2%) · catering 0% (5%)

Reserves (2024-25)

Revenue reserve £425,000; in-year balance +£334,000

Spending and reserves, last three years Premium

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Higher spending is not a measure of quality. Source: academy finance return, 2024-25, DfE · how spending is compared

Inspection history since 2015

Source: Ofsted management information · ungraded visits and the two inspection systems

The area around the school

Child poverty (IDACI)
3/10more deprived than most of England
Overall deprivation (IMD)
3/10more deprived than most of England
Census 2021This areaEngland
Adults with a degree or higher22.8%33.9%
Adults with no qualifications27.2%18.1%
In managerial or professional work20.4%33.2%
Households deprived in two or more ways25.6%18.1%
Residents in very good health50.8%48.5%
Homes owned by the occupier54.4%62.3%
Social housing31.4%17.1%
Privately rented14.2%20.5%
Detached houses3.7%22.9%
Flats13.1%22.2%
Homes with four or more bedrooms13.9%21.1%
Households with no car or van19.3%23.5%

These figures describe the area, not the pupils. Source: Census 2021 (ONS) and English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG) for small area E01015935 · how to read area figures

What homes cost nearby

Median sale price
£355,00089 sales within 1 km, January 2024 to September 2026
Typical range
£325,000–£380,000the middle half of sales
England median
£300,000all sales over the same period
Detached (5)£375,000
Semi-detached (34)£379,000
Terraced (43)£350,000
Flat (7)£170,000

Homes around this school are dearer than most school neighbourhoods in England, comparing the median within 1 km across every state school.

Source: HM Land Registry sales within 1 km since January 2024 · how sales are counted. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Postcodes located with OS Code-Point Open: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026; contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026; contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.

Roads around the school

Child pedestrian casualties
2an urban school averages 2.0
Collisions at school-run times
1an urban school averages 5.7
All reported collisions
5an urban school averages 30.5
Of those, serious or fatal
2an urban school averages 6.1

A high count usually reflects traffic, not an unsafe school. Source: DfT road casualty statistics (STATS19), collisions within 500 m, 2021–2025 · what is counted

Nearby schools