School Chooser

Tilbury Pioneer Academy

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy456 pupilsNurseryTilburyThurrock
School Chooser Score
41
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 25 to 60
Out of 100. Better than 45% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, September 2022
Reached the expected level at 1168%England 63%
Attendance94.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families40%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull456 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher22.0School workforce census

Tilbury Pioneer Academy is a sponsored academy in Tilbury for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 456 pupils, 36 more than it has places for. About 40 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 41 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 45% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Dickens Avenue, Tilbury, RM18 8HJ01375 488420theglc-pioneer.org.ukMrs Clare Hall head of schoolAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 28 September 2022 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

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

Reached the expected level at 1168%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level15%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2019 to 2025
2019: 72%72%20192023: 60%60%20232024: 54%54%20242025: 68%68%2025
Since 2019: -4%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019ThurrockEngland
Pupils tested59597858
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths68%54%60%72%70%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths15%8%5%14%12%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0102.0103.0104.0106.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0104.0105.0105.0105.7104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0104.0104.0104.0106.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard76%61%65%78%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard86%73%77%81%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)83%73%69%79%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.0+0.5
Maths progressMaths progress score-0.6+0.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged69%48%52%61%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged65%59%71%83%

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
69%65%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%80%
Gap 30 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
55%68%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
14%15%
Gap 1 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 full413 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
98% 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 fallen by 6% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

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 roll456Census January 2026
Places420109% full
Pupils from low-income families40%40% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English20%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support15%68 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%26 pupils with a plan
Average class size26.114 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)43%£260,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls236 / 220
White British pupils51%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.2 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (36), Autistic spectrum disorder (21), emotional and mental health (19), Moderate learning difficulty (9), Physical disability (5), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll456462459484472490
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals40%41%39%39%36%32%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language20%20%18%18%19%19%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support16%11%12%11%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%5%5%4%3%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school17.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils6.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission4.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.0%6.2%7.2%6.1%3.9%5.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.0%1.5%2.1%1.8%1.1%1.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence4.0%4.7%5.1%4.3%2.8%3.8%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence17.0%18.0%21.6%16.5%9.2%16.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate6.73.11.70.20.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers20.7full-time equivalent, 22 people
Pupils per teacher22.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers82%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants18.0full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,327
Teachers who left in the year40%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher7.52024/25

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£6,379England £7,128. Total £2.9m
Income per pupil£7,097England £7,587. Total £3.3m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,100England £3,405
Money in reserve24%A lot put by: £772k, £1,671 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£332kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,379spent 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 m35312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate138 per 1,000 people52% higher than the England average
Typical house price£355,000Thurrock
Nearest bus stop200 mGainsborough Avenue, 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
The Gateway Primary Free SchoolFree school0.7 miles459No overall grade 202575Compare
Lansdowne Primary AcademyAcademy0.7 miles667Report card 202675Compare
St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles239Good 202389Compare
Chadwell St Mary Primary SchoolAcademy1.1 miles202Not inspected91Compare
Herringham Primary AcademyAcademy1.3 miles425Good 202231Compare
Thameside Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles844No overall grade 202415Compare
Woodside AcademyAcademy1.6 miles662Good 202476Compare
Chantry Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles441Report card 202613Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Tilbury Pioneer Academy 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.

Beats45%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 41 is about the same as the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 44 · highest 100100

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 primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 25 to 60. 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
-0.03
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 59 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.0 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.13
DfE progress measure; 59 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.06
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.06
2024/25; 370 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
+0.03
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 Tilbury Pioneer Academy a good school?

It is about average. Tilbury Pioneer Academy scores 41 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 45% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 25 to 60, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Tilbury Pioneer Academy's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Tilbury Pioneer Academy good at its last full inspection on 28 September 2022.

How good are Tilbury Pioneer Academy's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 68% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 15% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Tilbury Pioneer Academy have?

456 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 109% full.

Is Tilbury Pioneer Academy oversubscribed?

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

What is attendance like at Tilbury Pioneer Academy?

Pupils were in school 94.0% 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 Tilbury Pioneer Academy?

The average class had 26.1 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
Dickens Avenue, Tilbury, RM18 8HJ
Telephone
01375 488420
Website
www.theglc-pioneer.org.uk
Head of School
Mrs Clare Hall
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Gateway Learning Community (5 schools)
Local authority
Thurrock
Ward
Tilbury St Chads
Constituency
Thurrock
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2014 (new provision)
URN
140832 · LAESTAB 8832007 · UKPRN 10045844
Formerly
Manor Primary

Where these figures come from