School Chooser

Kents Hill Junior School

Primary · ages 7-11MixedAcademy343 pupils Free breakfast clubBenfleetEssex
School Chooser Score
61
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 43 to 75
Out of 100. Better than 46% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1177%England 63%
Attendance94.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families9%Far fewer than most schools
Places17 spare343 pupils, 360 places
Pupils per teacher21.7School workforce census

Kents Hill Junior School is a converter academy in Benfleet for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 343 pupils and room for 360. About 9 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 61 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 46% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Kents Hill Road, Benfleet, SS7 5PS01268 792133kentshilljuniorschool.co.ukMrs Joanne Parkes head of academyAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 28 June 2023 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1177%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level14%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
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: 67%67%20172018: 74%74%20182019: 79%79%20192023: 49%49%20232024: 71%71%20242025: 77%77%2025
Since 2017: +10%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017EssexEngland
Pupils tested929187909090
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths77%71%49%79%74%67%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths14%10%3%10%19%13%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0102.0105.0107.0105.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score107.0105.0101.0105.0107.0105.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0103.0101.0104.0107.0107.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard83%75%59%86%86%82%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard90%86%64%83%87%79%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)89%87%74%94%93%96%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.7-0.6+0.8-0.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-2.9-1.1+2.2+0.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged42%61%46%56%47%77%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged83%74%50%81%80%65%

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. None of the gaps is 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
42%83%
Gap 41 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
73%80%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
100%77%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
8%14%
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

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Nearly full347 pupils for 360 places, 2024/25
96% 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.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

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 who applied got a place.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary9066all offeredLA

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 roll343Census January 2026
Places36095% full
Pupils from low-income families9%9% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support14%47 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%15 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.85 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils20%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)15%£77,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls168 / 175
White British pupils86%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (18), emotional and mental health (16), language and communications needs (10), Moderate learning difficulty (9), Specific learning difficulty (5), Physical disability (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll343348366348351357
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals9%10%11%10%10%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%5%4%4%3%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%15%15%13%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%3%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

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

Attendance94.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.92024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.2%5.3%6.2%6.5%4.1%3.8%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.8%3.9%4.4%5.1%2.5%3.0%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%1.5%1.8%1.4%1.6%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.0%12.0%18.3%19.8%8.3%6.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.95.22.34.31.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions01000

Staff and money

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

Teachers15.8full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher21.7Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers94%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.4full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,607
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.22024/25

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£5,170England £7,128. Total £1.8m
Income per pupil£6,198England £7,587. Total £2.2m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,647England £3,405
Money in reserve13%A healthy amount put by: £273k, £784 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£358kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,170spent 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 m7812 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate53 per 1,000 people42% lower than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Castle Point
Nearest bus stop180 mBowers Road, 7 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
Kents Hill Infant AcademyAcademy0 m239Good 202480Compare
Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy190 m216Good 202326Compare
Jotmans Hall Primary SchoolAcademy800 m304Requires improvement 20247Compare
South Benfleet Primary SchoolAcademy910 m414Not inspected85Compare
Kingston Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles210Outstanding 202398Compare
The Robert Drake Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles313Good 202486Compare
Woodham Ley Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles243Good 202365Compare
Montgomerie Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles201Good 202375Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Kents Hill Junior School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats46%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 61 is 8 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 69 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 61 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 61% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 43 to 75. 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
+0.07
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 92 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.20
DfE progress measure; 92 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.23
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.03
2024/25; 357 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.02
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 92 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 Kents Hill Junior School a good school?

It is about average. Kents Hill Junior School scores 61 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 46% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 43 to 75, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Kents Hill Junior School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Kents Hill Junior School good at its last full inspection on 28 June 2023.

How good are Kents Hill Junior School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 77% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 14% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Kents Hill Junior School have?

343 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 360 places, so it is 95% full.

Is Kents Hill Junior 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 Kents Hill Junior School?

Pupils were in school 94.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Kents Hill Junior School?

The average class had 27.8 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 20% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Kents Hill Junior 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
Kents Hill Road, Benfleet, SS7 5PS
Telephone
01268 792133
Website
www.kentshilljuniorschool.co.uk
Head of Academy
Mrs Joanne Parkes
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 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
The Epsilon Star Trust (2 schools)
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Appleton
Constituency
Castle Point
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 November 2011 (academy converter)
URN
137631 · LAESTAB 8812811 · UKPRN 10035691
Formerly
Kents Hill Junior School

Where these figures come from