Benyon Primary School

About Benyon Primary School

Benyon Primary School in Thurrock holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a significant achievement given its most recent inspection in 2024 marked a clear turnaround from an Inadequate grade in 2013. The school’s leadership and management, as well as its early years provision, were both rated Good. However, the most telling academic metric is the Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard, where just 49% of pupils met the benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year. This places the school well below the Thurrock local authority average of 67% and ranks it 36th out of 39 primary schools in the area, putting it in the bottom 50% nationally. For context, only 5% of pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects.

A closer look at the individual subject results reveals a mixed picture. In writing, 91% of pupils achieved the expected standard, a strong performance that suggests effective teaching in this area. Reading followed at 65%, while maths lagged behind at 55%. Higher-attaining pupils were relatively few: 20% reached the higher standard in reading and writing, and just 11% in maths. The school’s average scaled scores were 104 for reading and 101 for maths, both close to the national baseline of 100. With no progress scores available, it is difficult to assess how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the gap between writing and maths outcomes is notable and may be a focus for improvement.

Benyon is a three-form entry primary with a nursery, catering for 424 pupils against a capacity of 480. It was oversubscribed for 2025/26, receiving 94 applications for 45 places, with 42 offers going to first-preference families. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, playing fields, a gymnasium, a sensory room, art studios, a forest school, and an ICT suite. Its SEND provisions are extensive, covering moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With a free school meal rate of 22.1%, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged community. Families seeking a primary with strong writing outcomes and a supportive SEND framework may find Benyon a good fit, though those prioritising overall academic attainment may want to compare it with nearby schools like Dilkes Academy, the nearest Outstanding-rated option 2.3 km away.

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