School Chooser

Crays Hill Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy82 pupils Free breakfast clubBillericayEssex
School Chooser Score
2
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 1 to 6
Out of 100. Better than 10% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, September 2022
Reached the expected level at 1117%England 63%
Attendance62.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families85%Far more than most schools
Places23 spare82 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher11.5School workforce census

Crays Hill Primary School is a converter academy in Billericay for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 82 pupils and room for 105. About 85 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 2 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 10% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

London Road, Crays Hill, Billericay, CM11 2UZ01268 521914crayshill.essex.sch.ukMrs H Dyer headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 13 September 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

9 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1117%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score95.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score95.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2018 to 2025
2018: 0%0%20182019: 0%0%20192023: 0%0%20232024: 10%10%20242025: 17%17%2025
Since 2018: +17%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†EssexEngland
Pupils tested912101285
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths17%10%0%0%0%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%0%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score95.0101.097.090.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score95.095.089.091.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score104.0102.096.098.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard11%33%10%0%0%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard11%17%0%0%0%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)17%10%0%0%0%
Reading progressReading progress score-11.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-12.2

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Crays Hill Primary School, the school this one replaced in May 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places78 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
74% full

27 places were empty (26% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 17% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

How places were given out for September 2026. The last place was given under this rule: Criterion 5.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary204LA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll82Census January 2026
Places10578% full
Pupils from low-income families85%85% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support26%21 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan7%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size10.84 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)90%£110,050 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls43 / 39
White British pupils10%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 10.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 11.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (11), emotional and mental health (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), language and communications needs (2), Hearing impairment (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll8275108999674
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals85%91%85%88%88%87%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%1%1%1%1%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support21%12%12%7%14%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans7%3%3%5%4%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 62.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance62.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school86.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils13.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission4.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence37.3%43.6%38.9%40.3%31.1%48.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence33.2%38.6%32.5%37.3%28.9%45.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence4.1%5.0%6.4%3.0%2.2%2.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence86.8%98.2%86.8%86.4%77.6%88.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate13.38.315.22.11.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers7.1full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher11.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,805
Teachers who left in the year22%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.42024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£14,587England £7,128. Total £1.1m
Income per pupil£14,587England £7,587. Total £1.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£7,747England £3,405
Money in reserve30%A lot put by: £331k, £4,416 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£0it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£14,587spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m1312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate50 per 1,000 people45% lower than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Basildon
Nearest bus stop50 mPrimary School, 6 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Grange Primary SchoolCouncil1.2 miles311Good 202352Compare
Wickford Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles472Good 202325Compare
Whitmore Primary School and NurseryAcademy1.7 miles633Good 201915Compare
North Crescent Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles216Good 202431Compare
St Peter's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles419Outstanding 202499Compare
Downham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles173Good 2021Compare
The Willows Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles651Not inspected48Compare
Oakfield Primary SchoolCouncil2.0 miles391Good 202449Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Crays Hill Primary School with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats10%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 2 is 14 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 16 · highest 95100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Crays Hill Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Waterman Primary SchoolAcademy9.8 miles67Requires improvement 20238Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 2 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 2% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 1 to 6. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%well below
-0.38
2024 results; 12 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.29
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 12 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.32
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.28
2024/25; 83 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.14
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 12 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Crays Hill Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Crays Hill Primary School scores 2 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 10% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 1 to 6, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Crays Hill Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Crays Hill Primary School good at its last full inspection on 13 September 2022.

How good are Crays Hill Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 17% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Crays Hill Primary School have?

82 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 78% full.

Is Crays Hill Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 27 places were empty in 2024/25 (26% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Crays Hill Primary School?

Pupils were in school 62.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 87% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Crays Hill Primary School?

The average class had 10.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Crays Hill Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
London Road, Crays Hill, Billericay, CM11 2UZ
Telephone
01268 521914
Website
www.crayshill.essex.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs H Dyer
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Berlesduna Academy Trust (11 schools)
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Castledon & Crouch
Constituency
Basildon and Billericay
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2018 (academy converter)
URN
145772 · LAESTAB 8812251 · UKPRN 10067563
Formerly
Crays Hill Primary School

Where these figures come from