Jo Richardson Community School

About Jo Richardson Community School

Jo Richardson Community School’s headline Progress 8 score of 0.2 sits just below the Barking and Dagenham local authority average of 0.23, placing it in the middle of the pack among the borough’s 15 secondary schools. That’s a solid, above-national-average result — the school’s Progress 8 banding is officially “Above average” — but it’s not quite keeping pace with the strongest local performers like Goresbrook School (0.87) or The Sydney Russell School (0.72). What stands out more is the school’s Ofsted rating: in its May 2024 graded inspection, inspectors awarded Outstanding across every single category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth-form provision. That’s a significant upgrade from its previous Good rating in 2013, and it puts Jo Richardson among just six Outstanding secondaries in the LA. For a large comprehensive with 1,686 pupils and a free school meals rate of 36.7%, this is a notable achievement.

Academically, the school delivers respectable but not spectacular results. At KS4, the Attainment 8 score sits at 47.2, and 67.1% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths (the basics 9-4 measure). The EBacc average point score is 3.75, though only 8.7% of pupils entered the full EBacc suite — a low take-up that reflects the school’s broad curriculum offer rather than a lack of ambition. At A-level, the picture is stronger: the school’s value-added score of 0.31 is rated “Above average”, with a points per entry of 36.59 (equivalent to a B- grade). The best three A-levels average out at B-, and 8.5% of entries achieved AAB or higher. In the local authority rankings, Jo Richardson sits 8th out of 13 schools by Progress 8, which puts it in the 62nd percentile — comfortably mid-table, but with room to climb.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 871 applications for 298 places, with 346 first-preference applications and 281 first-preference offers — an oversubscription ratio of 2.92. That tells you local families rate it highly. Facilities are generous for a state school: a swimming pool, tennis courts, playing fields, art studios, an ICT suite, and a dedicated sixth-form centre. The SEND provision is comprehensive, with a specialist SEN unit and support for conditions including dyslexia, autism, speech and language needs, and physical disabilities. Clubs range from Young Enterprise and coding to choir and debate, and sports include gymnastics, rugby, and athletics. This is a school that suits families looking for a large, inclusive comprehensive with strong sixth-form outcomes, Outstanding Ofsted credentials, and the practical resources to back them up — especially those in or near Barking and Dagenham.

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