School Chooser

Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy

Primary · ages 2-7MixedAcademy342 pupilsNurseryCanvey IslandEssex
School Chooser Score
38
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 17 to 66
Out of 100. Better than 33% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, March 2024
Attendance94.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families15%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull342 pupils, 270 places
Pupils per teacher34.3School workforce census
Pupils on roll342Census January 2026

Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy is a sponsored academy in Canvey Island for boys and girls aged 2 to 7. It has 342 pupils, 72 more than it has places for. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 38 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 33% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Point Road, Canvey Island, SS8 7TD01268 682322leighbeck-inf.essex.sch.ukEmma Lane headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 21 March 2024 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

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places219 pupils for 270 places, 2024/25
81% full

51 places were empty (19% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 11% 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 3.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60120LA

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 roll342Census January 2026
Places270127% full
Pupils from low-income families13%15% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support5%18 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%7 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.88 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)20%£69,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls164 / 178
White British pupils89%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (10), Severe learning difficulty (7), emotional and mental health (3), language and communications needs (2), Autistic spectrum disorder (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll342295296302312290
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%14%15%20%17%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%4%4%2%2%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support3%4%4%5%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%2%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school14.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.4%5.4%6.7%6.5%3.1%5.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.7%3.2%4.3%4.6%2.0%3.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.7%2.2%2.4%1.9%1.1%2.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence14.6%13.3%18.7%17.2%3.3%13.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers9.4full-time equivalent, 13 people
Pupils per teacher34.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants19.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,644
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.42024/25

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£5,882England £7,128. Total £1.7m
Income per pupil£5,615England £7,587. Total £1.6m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,247England £3,405
Money in reserve-4%In the red: -£71k, -£247 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out-£77kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£5,882spent 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 m18212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate60 per 1,000 people35% lower than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Castle Point
Nearest bus stop140 mTransport Museum, 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
Leigh Beck Junior SchoolAcademy0 m319Report card 202679Compare
Lubbins Park Primary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles211No overall grade 202561Compare
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School and NurseryAcademy1.1 miles200Good 202462Compare
William Read Primary AcademyAcademy1.5 miles189Not inspected29Compare
St Katherine's Church of England Primary SchoolFoundation1.6 miles213Good 202440Compare
Winter Gardens AcademyAcademy1.6 miles411Good 20226Compare
Canvey Island Infant School and NurseryCouncil1.8 miles216Not inspectedCompare
Canvey Primary School and NurseryCouncil1.8 miles239Good 202382Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats33%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 38 is 16 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 54 · highest 98100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 38 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 38% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 17 to 66. 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 years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.15
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.02
2024/25; 151 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
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 Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy a good school?

It is about average. Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy scores 38 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 33% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 17 to 66, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy good at its last full inspection on 21 March 2024.

How many pupils does Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy have?

342 pupils aged 2 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 270 places, so it is 127% full.

Is Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy oversubscribed?

Probably not. 51 places were empty in 2024/25 (19% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 15% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery Academy?

The average class had 28.8 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
Point Road, Canvey Island, SS8 7TD
Telephone
01268 682322
Website
www.leighbeck-inf.essex.sch.uk
Headteacher
Emma Lane
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-7, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Northwick Park Trust (3 schools)
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Canvey Island East
Constituency
Castle Point
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 March 2015 (new provision)
URN
141326 · LAESTAB 8812113 · UKPRN 10047445
Formerly
Leigh Beck Infant School and Nursery

Where these figures come from