Grafton Primary School

About Grafton Primary School

Grafton Primary School’s headline metrics present a striking contrast against the Barking and Dagenham local authority average. While the LA average for Key Stage 2 pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths sits at 65%, Grafton’s figure is just 48%. This places the school 38th out of 39 primary schools in the borough, firmly in the bottom 50% nationally. Yet the school’s Ofsted rating tells a very different story. In its most recent graded inspection, Grafton was judged Outstanding overall, with Outstanding marks for early years provision, leadership and management, and an ungraded inspection confirmed standards are being maintained. This is a school that has climbed from a Good rating in its previous inspection to Outstanding, one of only four primaries in the borough to hold that top grade. The disconnect between its inspection rating and its raw SATs scores is unusual and worth unpicking.

Looking more closely at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, the picture is mixed. In reading, 66% of pupils reached the expected standard and 23% achieved the higher standard, with an average score of 104. Maths saw 62% at the expected level and 23% at the higher level, with an average score of 103. Writing was weaker, with 58% meeting expectations and no pupils reaching the higher standard. Combined, the 48% figure for all three subjects is well below the LA average of 65%. The school’s rankings reflect this: it sits in the bottom 50% nationally and near the bottom of its London region. However, the Ofsted report’s Outstanding judgement suggests inspectors saw strengths in teaching and leadership that aren’t fully captured by these exam results alone. The school’s Progress 8 scores for reading, writing and maths are not available in the data, so it’s hard to say whether pupils are making strong progress from their starting points.

Grafton is a large, oversubscribed primary with 898 pupils on roll against a capacity of 920. For the 2025/26 intake, there were 268 applications for 111 places, with 105 first-preference offers made – an oversubscription ratio of 2.41. The school has a nursery provision and caters for children aged 3 to 11. Facilities include a sports hall, gymnasium, music rooms, ICT suite and a dining hall, with sports offered in netball, cricket, football, swimming and gymnastics. Clubs include science, art and drama. The school’s SEND provisions are extensive, covering dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language, hearing and visual impairments, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 64 families show 73% would recommend the school, though opinions are divided: 86% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, but only 42% felt concerns are dealt with properly. This is a school that suits families who value its Outstanding Ofsted rating and broad SEND support, but who are aware that its academic outcomes sit below the local average.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Grafton Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents