Essex schools in numbers
How Essex's 605 schools compare with East of England and England on every headline measure, with the council's rank out of the English councils that have data. Ranks run from best to worst for each measure (highest attendance first, lowest exclusions first, and so on).
Schools605open, all types
Pupils232,979on roll
Primary schools446
Secondary schools81
Who the pupils are
| Measure | Essex | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils from low-income familiesJanuary 2026 · 555 schools | 20.7% | 21.5% | 26.3% | 34thof 151 |
| Pupils attracting pupil premiumnow · 553 schools | 21.9% | 22.4% | 27.1% | 38thof 151 |
| Pupils learning EnglishJanuary 2026 · 555 schools | 10.6% | 15.5% | 18.6% | 106thof 151 |
| Pupils with SEN supportJanuary 2025 · 558 schools | 14.0% | 14.2% | 14.5% | 92ndof 151 |
| Pupils with an EHC planJanuary 2025 · 558 schools | 9.2% | 10.6% | 11.6% | 130thof 151 |
Classrooms and teachers
| Measure | Essex | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average class sizeJanuary 2026 · 513 schools | 26.3 | 25.1 | 25.0 | 132ndof 151 |
| Classes with more than 30 pupilsJanuary 2026 · 513 schools | 14.4% | 10.4% | 10.6% | 138thof 151 |
| Pupils per teacherJanuary 2026 · 552 schools | 20.2 | 19.0 | 19.0 | 133rdof 151 |
| Teachers leaving each year2024/25 · 539 schools | 14.4% | 15.6% | 15.0% | 70thof 151 |
| Average teacher payJanuary 2026 · 551 schools | £50,722 | £50,052 | £51,377 | 91stof 151 |
| Sick days per teacher2024/25 · 525 schools | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 23rdof 151 |
Attendance and behaviour
| Measure | Essex | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance2024/25 · 535 schools | 93.7% | 93.8% | 93.8% | 84thof 151 |
| Persistently absent pupils2024/25 · 535 schools | 15.9% | 15.4% | 15.8% | 72ndof 151 |
| Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25 · 535 schools | 6.5 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 76thof 151 |
Money
| Measure | Essex | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spend per pupil2024/25 · 538 schools | £8,265 | £9,032 | £9,273 | – |
| Spent on teachers per pupil2024/25 · 538 schools | £3,836 | £4,257 | £4,229 | 126thof 151 |
| Reserves as a share of income2024/25 · 553 schools | 10.9% | 9.8% | 8.3% | 31stof 151 |
| Schools in deficit2024/25 · 553 schools | 4.7% | 10.7% | 14.1% | 9thof 151 |
Results
| Measure | Essex | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong pass in English and maths GCSE2024/25 · 78 schools | 44.2% | 46.7% | 46.1% | 81stof 150 |
| Average GCSE score2024/25 · 78 schools | 46.0 | 47.1 | 47.0 | 76thof 150 |
| Reached the expected level at 112024/25 · 388 schools | 63.8% | 61.3% | 63.1% | 73rdof 151 |
| Reached the higher level at 112024/25 · 388 schools | 9.7% | 8.0% | 8.3% | 47thof 151 |
Ofsted, score and places
| Measure | Essex | East of England | England | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inspected under the new report cardsnow · 499 schools | 10% | 11% | 13% | 106thof 151 |
| Good or outstanding (old grades)now · 376 schools | 95% | 94% | 94% | 81stof 151 |
| Scored above similar schoolsnow · 504 schools | 35% | 33% | 35% | 72ndof 151 |
| Places taken2024/25 · 518 schools | 89.6% | 85.9% | 86.2% | 45thof 151 |
| Academies and free schoolsnow · 577 schools | 62% | 57% | 52% | 49thof 154 |
| Free breakfast clubsnow · 577 schools | 8.3% | 8.6% | 12.0% | 103rdof 154 |
Trends
Trend
Attendance
2016 to 2025
EssexEngland
Since 2016: -2.2%
Trend
Pupils from low-income families
2019 to 2026
EssexEngland
Since 2019: +8.3%
Trend
Strong pass in English and maths GCSE
2017 to 2025
EssexEngland
Since 2017: -0.8%
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2016 to 2025
EssexEngland
Since 2016: +5.2%
Trend
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2007 to 2025
EssexEngland
Since 2007: +5.1