School Chooser

Grafton Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil892 pupilsNurseryDagenhamBarking and Dagenham
School Chooser Score
34
Below
similar schools
Likely range 21 to 51, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 20% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
Reached the expected level at 1156%England 63%
Attendance94.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families20%A bit fewer than most schools
Places28 spare892 pupils, 920 places
Pupils per teacher22.3School workforce census
Pupils on roll892Census January 2026

Grafton Primary School is a council school in Dagenham for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 892 pupils and room for 920. About 20 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 34 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it.

Grafton Primary School, Grafton Road, Dagenham, RM8 3EX020 3727 5171graftonprimary.co.ukMrs Junaida Bana headteacherAll details

Ofsted

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1156%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level3%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 69%69%20172018: 66%66%20182019: 65%65%20192023: 69%69%20232024: 48%48%20242025: 56%56%2025
Since 2017: -13%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017Barking and DagenhamEngland
Pupils tested118122120115116144
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths56%48%69%65%66%69%69%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%0%3%6%12%8%9%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0104.0105.0104.0106.0104.0106.5105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0103.0106.0105.0106.0106.0106.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0108.0108.0111.0112.0107.0107.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard70%66%77%71%82%78%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard69%62%85%90%86%84%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)64%58%87%81%76%84%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.9-0.6+1.7+0.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.9+0.7+2.0+1.7
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%33%65%58%55%60%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged58%59%71%71%75%80%

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.

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 4 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
50%58%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
49%61%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
63%56%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%3%
Gap 3 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 full833 pupils for 840 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 stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Barking and Dagenham council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll892Census January 2026
Places92097% full
Pupils from low-income families19%20% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English43%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%162 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%35 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.929 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)21%£261,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls434 / 458
White British pupils20%

Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) and SEN unit with 12 pupils and a SEN unit with 12 pupils, for pupils with special educational needs.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.8 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.6 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (70), Autistic spectrum disorder (58), emotional and mental health (39), Moderate learning difficulty (13), Physical disability (5), Specific learning difficulty (5).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll892898909907905907
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals19%20%24%25%22%21%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language43%41%38%40%41%46%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%12%12%14%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%3%3%3%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.62024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission2.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.7%6.6%7.1%6.7%4.6%3.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.2%3.9%4.4%4.0%2.5%2.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.4%2.6%2.7%2.7%2.1%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.4%20.3%22.0%19.7%11.3%7.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.60.70.10.00.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10000

Staff and money

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

Teachers39.1full-time equivalent, 42 people
Pupils per teacher22.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers98%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants36.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£61,538
Teachers who left in the year30%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.32024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£7,680England £7,738. Total £6.7m
Income per pupil£7,579England £7,697. Total £6.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,047England £3,480
Money in reserve-2%In the red: -£159k, -£182 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£88kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,680spent 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 m54612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate81 per 1,000 people11% lower than the England average
Typical house price£375,000Barking and Dagenham
Nearest bus stop270 mWinifred Road, 8 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
Five Elms Primary SchoolCouncil530 m460Good 202264Compare
Valence Primary SchoolCouncil610 m848Good 202435Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy750 m277Good 202356Compare
Southwood Primary SchoolCouncil910 m593Good 202319Compare
William Bellamy Primary SchoolCouncil950 m795Good 202430Compare
Henry Green Primary SchoolCouncil960 m460Good 202162Compare
Robert Clack SchoolCouncil0.6 miles3,231Good 202368Compare
The Sydney Russell SchoolAcademy0.8 miles2,568Report card 202686Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Grafton 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.

Beats20%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 34 is 41 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 4 · middle 75 · highest 100100

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 Grafton 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
Crowlands Primary SchoolCouncil1.5 miles669Good 202369Compare
Rush Green Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles840No overall grade 202599Compare
Goresbrook SchoolFree school1.9 miles1,089No overall grade 202493Compare
Monteagle Primary SchoolCouncil1.9 miles630Report card 202688Compare
The Mawney Foundation SchoolFoundation2.0 miles650No overall grade 202557Compare
Manor Primary SchoolCouncil2.0 miles1,135Good 202453Compare
St Edward's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England2.4 miles675No overall grade 202484Compare
Davies Lane Primary SchoolAcademy5.6 miles927Outstanding 202497Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 34 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 34% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 21 to 51. 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%in line
-0.09
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 118 pupils
Ofsted inspection0%no data
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.21
DfE progress measure; 118 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.09
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.06
2024/25; 760 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.16
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 118 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 Grafton Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Grafton Primary School scores 34 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 20% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 21 to 51, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

How good are Grafton Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 56% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Grafton Primary School have?

892 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 920 places, so it is 97% full.

Is Grafton Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Grafton Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Grafton Primary School?

The average class had 27.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
Grafton Primary School, Grafton Road, Dagenham, RM8 3EX
Telephone
020 3727 5171
Website
www.graftonprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Junaida Bana
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Barking and Dagenham
Ward
Valence
Constituency
Dagenham and Rainham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
101206 · LAESTAB 3012033 · UKPRN 10071308

Where these figures come from