School Chooser

Thames Park Secondary School

Secondary · ages 11-16MixedFree school808 pupilsGraysThurrock
School Chooser Score
41
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 30 to 52
Out of 100. Better than 36% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, January 2023
Strong pass in English and maths54%England 46%
Attendance91.5%England 91.4%
Pupils from low-income families29%About the same as most schools in England
Places92 spare808 pupils, 900 places
Pupils per teacher17.4School workforce census

Thames Park Secondary School is a free school in Grays for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 808 pupils and room for 900. About 29 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 41 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 36% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Chadwell Road, Grays, RM17 5FP01375 470790thames-park.osborne.coopMrs Sam Dyer headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 25 January 2023, 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
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

111 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score46.4
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths54%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths78%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023ThurrockEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 1111100
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 846.446.446.8
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths54%47%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths78%67%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score3.854.114.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry16%47%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged39.4
Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged49.1

Subjects

Results came out for 17 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.

Strongest subjects

Drama77%grades 9 to 5, England 60%
Mathematics65%grades 9 to 5, England 53% · 635th of 3,211 schools

Subjects that did worse than the England average: Business (36% here, 51% across England), Chemistry (69% here, 81% across England), Physics (72% here, 82% across England).

What is taught hereOffers triple science, computer science, music.

The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.

Every subject against England, 2025
Mathematics109 entries · 2nd of 11 in Thurrock
65%England 53%
English Literature109 entries · 7th of 11 in Thurrock
56%England 58%
English Language109 entries · 6th of 11 in Thurrock
53%England 54%
Combined Science73 entries · 6th of 11 in Thurrock
30%England 36%
Business70 entries · 7th of 9 in Thurrock
36%England 51%
History40 entries · 6th of 11 in Thurrock
55%England 52%
Geography36 entries · 4th of 11 in Thurrock
47%England 51%
Physics36 entries · 7th of 7 in Thurrock
72%England 82%
Biology36 entries · 7th of 7 in Thurrock
75%England 82%
Chemistry36 entries · 6th of 7 in Thurrock
69%England 81%
Design & Technology30 entries · 3rd of 5 in Thurrock
50%England 50%
Computer Science22 entries · 3rd of 7 in Thurrock
55%England 56%
Drama17 entries
77%England 60%
33%England 49%
French15 entries
67%England 60%
Music12 entries
75%England 61%
Art and Design11 entries
91%England 58%
SubjectEntriesGrades 9 to 7Grades 9 to 5Grades 9 to 4England 9 to 5Rank in England
Mathematics10931%65%84%53%635 of 3,211
English Literature10914%56%80%58%1,568 of 3,202
English Language10919%53%72%54%1,494 of 3,210
Combined Science736%30%45%36%1,866 of 3,084
Business709%36%51%51%1,313 of 1,806
History4023%55%70%52%1,253 of 3,126
Geography368%47%72%51%1,588 of 3,116
Physics3631%72%86%82%1,876 of 2,546
Biology3633%75%89%82%1,834 of 2,570
Chemistry3622%69%89%81%1,961 of 2,537
Design & Technology3020%50%63%50%689 of 1,478
Computer Science2223%55%64%56%913 of 1,861
Drama1718%77%82%60%
Other Modern Languages1533%33%33%49%
French1540%67%73%60%
Music120%75%83%61%
Art and Design1136%91%100%58%

In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.

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. Every gap at this school 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 GCSE, 2025

Average GCSE scoreLow-income pupils vs other pupils
39.449.1
Gap 9.7England 12.2
Strong pass in English and mathsLow-income pupils vs other pupils
39%60%
Gap 21 ptsEngland 22 pts
Average GCSE scoreBoys vs girls
45.947.1
Gap 1.2England 3.0
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.

Plenty of spare places727 pupils for 900 places, 2024/25
81% full

173 places were empty (19% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 208% 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 Thurrock 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 roll808Census January 2026
Places90090% full
Pupils from low-income families29%29% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English30%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%138 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%46 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.633 classes, January 2026; England 22.8
Classes with more than 30 pupils15%share of one-teacher classes; England 12%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)30%£272,800 extra funding in 2026/27; England 30%
Boys and girls444 / 364
White British pupils41%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (53), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (34), Moderate learning difficulty (26), emotional and mental health (26), language and communications needs (23), Specific learning difficulty (11).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll808740566362234110
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals29%29%26%27%27%21%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language30%33%33%35%34%34%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%9%5%8%10%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans6%6%7%5%6%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.

Attendance91.5%
England 91.4%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school24.6%
England 23.9%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils33.22024/25, 1 permanent exclusion
Missed without permission4.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/21England
Sessions missedOverall absence8.5%7.4%6.7%5.4%4.5%8.6%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.5%4.4%4.6%3.9%3.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence4.0%3.0%2.0%1.5%1.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence24.6%21.9%16.1%15.8%13.2%23.9%
SuspensionsSuspension rate33.251.415.214.55.5
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions10001

Staff and money

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

Teachers46.4full-time equivalent, 47 people
Pupils per teacher17.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers98%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants12.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,226
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies2
Sick days per teacher5.32024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£7,474England £7,965. Total £5.6m
Income per pupil£8,032England £8,423. Total £6.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,373England £4,444
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £441k, £594 per pupil. England 10%
Money in against money out+£415kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,474spent 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 m1,39312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate162 per 1,000 people78% higher than the England average
Typical house price£355,000Thurrock
Nearest bus stop260 mBus Station, 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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Grays Convent High SchoolRoman Catholic0.7 miles655Good 202386Compare
The Hathaway AcademyAcademy1.1 miles586Good 202435Compare
Harris Academy Chafford HundredAcademy1.4 miles1,435Outstanding 202495Compare
The Gateway AcademyAcademy1.8 miles1,030Not inspected70Compare
Orsett Heath AcademyFree school1.8 miles699Good 202351Compare
William Edwards SchoolAcademy2.1 miles984Report card 202618Compare
Leigh Academy EbbsfleetAcademy2.3 miles788Good 201936Compare
Alkerden Church of England AcademyFree school2.7 miles128Not inspectedCompare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Thames Park Secondary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats36%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 41 is 13 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 54 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Thames Park Secondary 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
Harris Academy RiversideFree school3.6 miles1,111Report card 202664Compare
Harris Academy RainhamAcademy5.8 miles913Not inspected79Compare
Redden Court SchoolAcademy8.7 miles1,058Outstanding 202283Compare
St Edward's Church of England AcademyAcademy9.9 miles918Report card 202649Compare
St Matthew AcademyAcademy13.9 miles1,063No overall grade 202585Compare
Prendergast Ladywell SchoolAcademy15.2 miles1,280Not inspected62Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 41 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 41% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 30 to 52. 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 years20%in line
+0.02
2025 results; 111 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 3.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.06
Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 111 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.28
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.01
2024/25; 777 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 111 pupils
What pupils do next0%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 Thames Park Secondary School a good school?

It is about average. Thames Park Secondary School scores 41 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 36% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 30 to 52, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Thames Park Secondary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Thames Park Secondary School good at its last full inspection on 25 January 2023.

How good are Thames Park Secondary School's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 54% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 46.4, against 46.8 for England.

How many pupils does Thames Park Secondary School have?

808 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 900 places, so it is 90% full.

Is Thames Park Secondary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 173 places were empty in 2024/25 (19% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Thames Park Secondary School?

Pupils were in school 91.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 25% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Thames Park Secondary School?

The average class had 23.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 15% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

Does Thames Park Secondary School have a sixth form?

No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship.

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

Contact and details

Address
Chadwell Road, Grays, RM17 5FP
Telephone
01375 470790
Website
www.thames-park.osborne.coop
Headteacher
Mrs Sam Dyer
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-16
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Osborne Co-operative Academy Trust (12 schools)
Local authority
Thurrock
Ward
Grays Riverside
Constituency
Thurrock
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2020 (new provision)
URN
147853 · LAESTAB 8834005 · UKPRN 10086452

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from