Gaynes School
49%
Capacity
473
Pupils
3.7x
Demand
About Gaynes School
Gaynes School sits in the London borough of Havering, a mixed state secondary for pupils aged 11 to 16. Among the 17 schools of its type in the local authority, it ranks 9th by Progress 8 score, placing it in the middle of the pack. The top-performing peers in Havering are Sacred Heart of Mary Girls' School, The Campion School, and Harris Academy Rainham, all of which post higher Progress 8 scores. Gaynes is not far from Sacred Heart of Mary Girls' School, the nearest Outstanding-rated school, at just 1.3 kilometres away. The school is led by headteacher Annabelle Kirkpatrick and has no religious character. It is significantly undersubscribed relative to its capacity: with 473 pupils against a capacity of 960, it has room to grow. However, it was oversubscribed for 2025/26 admissions, receiving 404 applications for 110 places, with 63 first-preference offers made — a ratio of 3.67 applicants per place.
Academically, Gaynes School performs above the Havering average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.24 is well ahead of the local authority average of 0.11, and the school is banded as 'Average' nationally. The Attainment 8 score sits at 48.8, and 56.3% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics 5 measure), compared with 71.9% at grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score is 4.49, with 71.9% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects and 25% achieving a grade 5 or above in it. Broken down by subject, Progress 8 is strongest in English (0.38) and weakest in maths (-0.29). The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022 rated it Good overall, with Good marks for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2018, when it was rated Inadequate.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, art studios, and a chapel. Sports on offer include tennis, hockey, badminton, martial arts, gymnastics, swimming, netball, and cricket, while clubs range from film club and drama to science club, choir, and gardening. SEND provisions are comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. With no sixth form or nursery provision, Gaynes is a straight 11-16 school. It suits families in Havering looking for a secondary that has improved its Ofsted rating from Inadequate to Good, offers strong English outcomes, and provides a broad set of extracurricular and SEND support, though maths progress is an area to watch.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Brackendale Gardens, Upminster, Havering, RM14 3UX |
| Headteacher | Annabelle Kirkpatrick |
| Local Authority | Havering |
| Number of Pupils | 473 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 22.8% |
| School Capacity | 473 / 960 (49% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
29 Nov 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 8 Feb 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.24)
960th of 3,141
Nationally
263rd of 487
In London
9th of 17
In Havering
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2358%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 67 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)58%
- FE college34%
- Not sustained4%
- Sixth form college1%
- Apprenticeship1%
96% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
13Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed110
404
High Demand
Competitive - many more applications than places available
63 families put this school as their 1st choice (16% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British52.9%
- Mixed9.0%
- White (other)8.5%
- Asian5.5%
- Black3.6%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
7
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
4
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gaynes School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Brackendale Gardens, Upminster
Havering, RM14 3UX
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
