School Chooser

Edwards Hall Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademy411 pupilsLeigh-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea
School Chooser Score
87
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 75 to 94, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 87% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Reached the expected level at 1188%England 63%
Attendance96.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families14%Far fewer than most schools
Places9 spare411 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher22.3School workforce census
Pupils on roll411Census January 2026

Edwards Hall Primary School is a converter academy in Leigh-on-Sea for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 411 pupils and room for 420. About 14 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 87 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 87% of the 50 schools most like it.

Macmurdo Road, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 5AQ01702 524470edwardshallprimary.co.ukMrs Debora Donoghue headteacherAll details

Ofsted

Ofsted hasn't published an inspection for this school yet.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

59 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1188%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level16%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score109.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score107.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 70%70%20172018: 84%84%20182019: 82%82%20192023: 79%79%20232024: 68%68%20242025: 88%88%2025
Since 2017: +18%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†Southend-on-SeaEngland
Pupils tested596052605846
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths88%68%79%82%84%70%63%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths16%8%21%17%22%22%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score109.0105.0108.0108.0108.0106.0105.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0103.0107.0107.0108.0105.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score108.0105.0108.0109.0109.0108.0105.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard90%78%90%88%88%74%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard93%77%94%92%91%85%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)97%87%85%93%90%89%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.8+2.1+1.2+0.1
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.6+0.4+1.9+0.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged80%53%64%67%60%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged90%76%83%84%93%74%

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 Edwards Hall Primary School, the school this one replaced in December 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 2 of the 3 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
80%90%
Gap 10 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
90%86%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
10%16%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Nearly full416 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
99% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have grown by 7% since 2021/22, so places are getting harder to come by.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 5.2 miles away in 2026. Those cut-offs are for children living outside the catchment area; every child inside it got a place. Brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups are placed first. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child in the catchment area who applied got a place. Outside the catchment, the last place went to a child living 5.2 miles away.

EntryApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary91585.2 miles (distance, outside the catchment area)LA
2025 Primary10347LA
2024 Primary52LA
2023 Primary54LA
2022 Primary60LA
2021 Primary51LA

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 roll411Census January 2026
Places42098% full
Pupils from low-income families14%14% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English5%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%59 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%14 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.313 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils23%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)14%£91,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls219 / 192
White British pupils86%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.1 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (33), emotional and mental health (19), Autistic spectrum disorder (8), Moderate learning difficulty (6), Specific learning difficulty (5), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census20262025202420232022
Pupils on roll411416410395381
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals14%12%15%17%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language5%6%5%3%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support12%9%9%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 96.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance96.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school6.9%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21†2018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.0%5.2%5.0%4.4%3.1%4.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.7%3.6%3.2%3.0%2.0%3.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.5%1.8%1.4%1.1%1.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence6.9%9.7%9.0%9.0%6.7%7.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.50.30.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions0000

† These attendance figures are for Edwards Hall Primary School, the school this one replaced in December 2021. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

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

Teachers18.4full-time equivalent, 20 people
Pupils per teacher22.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers95%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants9.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£44,781
Teachers who left in the year20%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.22024/25

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£5,192England £7,128. Total £2.2m
Income per pupil£6,111England £7,587. Total £2.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,861England £3,405
Money in reserve3%Very little put by: £68k, £163 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£382kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,192spent 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 m12312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate44 per 1,000 people52% lower than the England average
Typical house price£340,000Southend-on-Sea
Nearest bus stop210 mProgress Road, 9 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
Heycroft Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles349Inadequate 20233Compare
Fairways Primary SchoolCouncil0.8 miles407Good 202350Compare
Eastwood Primary School & NurseryAcademy0.9 miles469Good 2023Compare
Grove Wood Primary SchoolAcademy1.1 miles630No overall grade 202489Compare
Blenheim Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles650Outstanding 202082Compare
Wyburns Primary SchoolAcademy1.3 miles187Good 202222Compare
Darlinghurst AcademyAcademy1.7 miles547Not inspected75Compare
West Leigh Infant SchoolCouncil1.7 miles360Good 202457Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Edwards Hall Primary School with the 45 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 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats87%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 87 is 21 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 15 · middle 66 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 87 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 87% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 75 to 94. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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%above
+0.23
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 59 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.08
DfE progress measure; 59 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.11
2024/25; 363 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.11
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 59 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 Edwards Hall Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Edwards Hall Primary School scores 87 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 87% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 75 to 94, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

How good are Edwards Hall Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 88% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 16% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Edwards Hall Primary School have?

411 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 98% full.

Is Edwards Hall Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 5.2 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Edwards Hall Primary School?

Pupils were in school 96.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 7% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Edwards Hall Primary School?

The average class had 29.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 23% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

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

Contact and details

Address
Macmurdo Road, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 5AQ
Telephone
01702 524470
Website
www.edwardshallprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Debora Donoghue
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Learning in Harmony Multi Academy Trust (14 schools)
Local authority
Southend-on-Sea
Ward
Eastwood Park
Constituency
Southend West and Leigh
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 December 2021 (academy converter)
URN
148825 · LAESTAB 8823826 · UKPRN 10089419
Formerly
Edwards Hall Primary School

Where these figures come from