William Edwards School

About William Edwards School

William Edwards School is an academy converter in Grays, Thurrock, England, for pupils aged 11–16. It has 1,105 pupils on roll. It is part of SOUTH WEST ESSEX COMMUNITY EDUCATION TRUST LIMITED. Its most recent Ofsted inspection (7 November 2023) rated it Requires Improvement. At GCSE, pupils achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 41.8 (2025/26). 22.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 8.5% have English as an additional language.

School Information

Local Authority

Thurrock →

School Type

Academy converter

Phase

Secondary

Age Range

Ages 11–16

Gender

Mixed

Pupils / Capacity

1,105 / 1,200 (92%)

Sixth Form

Does not have a sixth form

Religious Character

None

Admissions Policy

Non-selective

Last Ofsted Inspection

7 November 2023

Who attends this school — useful context if you’re considering teaching here.

Source: DfE School Census, 2025/26, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Official Department for Education results, pupil destinations and attendance.

Progress 8 isn’t published for this year group: their Key Stage 2 baseline (2021 SATs) was cancelled during the pandemic, so a progress measure can’t be calculated. GCSE figures are provisional and may be revised.

Source: Department for Education performance tables, 2025/26, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Some independent schools’ qualifications (e.g. IGCSEs) are not all reflected in these figures.

Staffing at this school, with the trend over recent years — useful if you’re considering working here.

Data for the 2024/25 academic year (trend lines show 3 years). Source: DfE School Workforce Census, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. State-funded schools only.

How this school is funded and where the money goes — per pupil.

Source: DfE school finance returns (CFR for council-maintained schools, AAR for academies), 2024-25, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Per-pupil figures are calculated from total income/expenditure.

Contact Details

Address

Stifford Clays Road, Grays, Thurrock, RM16 3NJ

Phone

01375486000

Headteacher

Lynne Sexton

Website

http://williamedwards.org.uk/

Academy Trust

Frequently asked questions

What type of school is William Edwards School?

William Edwards School is an academy converter in Grays, Thurrock, England, for pupils aged 11–16.

How many pupils does William Edwards School have?

William Edwards School has 1,105 pupils on roll, according to Department for Education data.

What is William Edwards School's Ofsted rating?

William Edwards School was rated Requires Improvement at its most recent Ofsted inspection (7 November 2023).

How does William Edwards School perform at GCSE?

Pupils at William Edwards School achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 41.8 in 2025/26.

Is William Edwards School part of an academy trust?

Yes — William Edwards School is part of SOUTH WEST ESSEX COMMUNITY EDUCATION TRUST LIMITED.

Where is William Edwards School?

William Edwards School is located at Stifford Clays Road, Grays, Thurrock, RM16 3NJ.