Greenways Primary School

About Greenways Primary School

Greenways Primary School in Southend-on-Sea is a large state primary with 888 pupils on roll, operating below its capacity of 1,050. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: 28.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, compared with the national primary average of around 24%. Demand for places is strong — for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 172 applications for 105 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.64 applicants per place. Of those, 92 families listed Greenways as their first preference, and all 92 were offered a spot. The school is non-denominational and co-educational, taking children from age 4 through to 11. Headteacher Theresa Goodrich leads a school that was rated Good by Ofsted in its most recent inspection in February 2025, maintaining the same overall rating it received in its previous graded inspection in 2019.

Academically, Greenways sits in the bottom half of primary schools nationally and locally. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 56% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — below the local authority average of 61% and the national average of around 60%. The school’s ranking within Southend-on-Sea is 17th out of 25 primary schools, placing it in the 68th percentile locally. At the higher standard, just 4% of pupils achieved the combined benchmark, with 24% reaching the higher standard in maths, 20% in reading and 9% in writing. Average scaled scores were 103 in both reading and maths, exactly in line with the national average of 100. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. Ofsted rated quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, early years provision, and leadership and management all as Good.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, gymnasium, playing fields and an outdoor playground, plus a chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, cricket, athletics, dance, rounders and netball, while clubs include gardening, chess, drama, choir, film club and coding. For pupils with special educational needs, Greenways has a resourced provision and supports children with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent views from the 2024/25 period were largely positive: 87% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 90% agreed or strongly agreed that their child feels safe. However, only 68% felt behaviour is well managed, and 26% disagreed that SEND children get the support they need. With 80% of parents recommending the school, Greenways is a popular choice for families who value a large, inclusive primary with strong pastoral care and a wide range of activities, though those prioritising top academic results may want to look at higher-performing local options like Bournes Green Junior School or Darlinghurst Academy.

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