The King Edmund School
85%
Capacity
1,354
Pupils
2.1x
Demand
About The King Edmund School
The King Edmund School in Rochford is a large secondary with 1,354 pupils on roll, operating below its capacity of 1,600. The school serves a community with a notably high level of disadvantage: 33.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average. Demand for places is strong — for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 440 applications for 213 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 2.07 applicants per place. Of those, 166 were first-preference applications, all of which were offered places. This suggests the school is a popular local choice, particularly among families who list it as their top option. The school is mixed, non-denominational, and has no religious character, catering to pupils aged 11 to 19 with its own sixth form.
Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024 rated it Good overall, with Good marks across all categories including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership. This represents a significant improvement from its previous inspection in 2019, when it was rated Requires Improvement. However, exam results tell a more mixed story. At Key Stage 4, the school’s Progress 8 score was -0.83, which is well below average and places it 68th out of 86 schools in Essex. The local authority average Progress 8 is -0.18, so pupils here make less progress than their peers across the county. Attainment 8 was 34.9, and just 46.1% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. EBacc entry is low at 4.7%, and the EBacc average point score is 2.7. At A-level, the school’s value added score was -0.29, with a points per entry of 27 (equivalent to a C- grade), and the progress banding is rated below average.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a theatre, science labs, sports hall, music rooms, and a sixth form centre. Sports provision is broad, covering football, rugby, hockey, swimming, tennis, and even martial arts. There are numerous clubs such as drama, orchestra, chess, coding, and Model UN. The school has a strong SEND offer, with provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families considering this school, it is a large, oversubscribed community secondary that has improved its Ofsted rating but still faces challenges in academic progress. It may suit parents who value a broad extracurricular programme and strong SEND support, and who are comfortable with a school that is working to raise attainment from a low baseline.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | None |
| Address | Vaughan Close, Rochford, Rochford, SS4 1TL |
| Headteacher | Joanne Ingate |
| Local Authority | Essex |
| Number of Pupils | 1,354 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 33.4% |
| School Capacity | 1,354 / 1,600 (85% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
23 Jan 2024Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 7 Mar 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.83)
2939th of 3,141
Nationally
333rd of 350
In East of England
4th of 4
In Rochford
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less 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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
31.6
'22/23
25.4
'23/24
27.0
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2358%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 257 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)58%
- FE college25%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Not sustained5%
- Employment4%
93% 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.
Where school leavers go
2022/2338%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 127 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
9%
Russell Group
10%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- Employment39%
- University (HE)38%
- Not sustained13%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Further education2%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Business Studies:Single17
- Psychology17
- Sociology15
- Media/Film/Tv Studies13
- Mathematics12
- Economics11
- Law11
- Computer Studies / Computing10
- Art and Design (Fine Art)9
- Biology9
- Design and Technology (Product Design)8
- French8
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
20Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed213
440
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
166 families put this school as their 1st choice (38% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
07:55 – 14:10
Source: kes.essex.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% 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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British86.1%
- Mixed4.5%
- White (other)2.8%
- Asian2.4%
- Black0.7%
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
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% 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.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given 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.
6
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
5
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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The King Edmund 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
Vaughan Close, Rochford
Rochford, SS4 1TL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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