OFSTED, or the Office for Standards in Education, inspects and rates all state schools across England to judge the quality of education pupils are receiving.

According to the latest ratings, 26 schools in Essex have been rated as 'requires improvement' or ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted.

Here is a list of all the schools that have been rated 'inadequate' or 'requiring improvement' in Essex.

Grange Primary School, Wickford - requires improvement

The Ofsted report said: "Over time, teachers have not planned learning to meet the needs of pupils effectively.

"Consequently, pupils’ progress across the curriculum, including in mathematics and reading, is not consistently good."

It added: "Teachers’ expectations are not consistently high enough throughout the school for the most able and middle prior-attaining pupils."

Date of last inspection: June 2019

The Basildon Upper Academy - requires improvement

Inspectors found the quality of education required improvement while all other areas were rated good.

The report said: "The quality of education pupils receive is variable. Senior leaders have worked well with subject leaders to produce plans for what pupils should learn.

"Some of these plans are better than others. The better plans have been written to help pupils develop their skills and improve their understanding of the subject."

Date of last inspection: October 2019

Chase High School, Westcliff - requires improvement

The report said: "Pupils’ outcomes are well below average across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.

"Poor teaching over time has led to successive cohorts of pupils underachieving. Too many pupils continue to underachieve.

"Leaders have adapted the curriculum to improve outcomes for pupils. It has been well planned across all key stages."

Date of last inspection: March 2018

Leigh North Street Primary School - requires improvement

Early years provision was found to be outstanding and personal development, behaviour and welfare was good. 

All other areas were rated requires improvement. 

The report said: "Teachers do not typically cater for the needs of pupils with different starting points. This leads to some pupils, particularly the most able, completing work which is too easy for them.

"Pupils’ progress across keys stages 1 and 2 is not good. It is typically in line with, or slightly below, the progress pupils make nationally."

Date of last inspection: May 2018

Colchester Royal Grammar School - requires improvement 

The quality of education and sixth form were found to be good. All other areas were rated requires improvement. 

The report said: "A significant number of pupils feel uncomfortable or unsafe in school and report being the subject of insulting and damaging comments regarding their gender, appearance, race or sexual orientation.

"Pupils are too often reluctant to pass their concerns on to staff. Systems for dealing with safeguarding matters do not work properly. Consequently, leaders are largely unaware of the difficulties some pupils face."

Date of last inspection: May 2021

Monkwick Junior School, Colchester - requires improvement 

Personal development, behaviour and welfare was found to be good but all other areas were rated requires improvement. 

The reporter said: "There is too much inconsistency in the quality of teaching across the school. Too few pupils make the progress they should.

"Some teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low, and planned work does not allow all pupils to make strong progress."

Date of last inspection: September 2018

Cherry Tree Academy, Colchester - requires improvement

The report said: "Leaders’ view of the school’s current effectiveness is too generous.

"Teaching does not secure good progress across the school. Teachers’ use of questioning does not deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding

"Some parents and carers feel the school’s communication with them could be improved."

Date of last inspection: May 2018

Clacton Coastal Academy - requires improvement 

A monitoring inspection took place in June 2019 following the school being rated requires improvement in 2018. 

It said: "Senior leaders, governors and the trust are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified.

"The school should take further action to rapidly secure consistently good-quality teaching, across subjects and year groups, so that all pupils make strong progress, especially pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), disadvantaged pupils and boys."

Date of last inspection: June 2019 (monitoring visit)

Ravens Academy, Clacton - inadequate 

The school was rated inadequate in December 2019 and subsequently put in special measures. 

In the most recent monitoring inspection, which took place last month, inspectors said: "Trust leaders have taken prompt action to improve the school. Suitable plans for improvement are in place.

"The executive principal and principal have led improvements against a backdrop of staffing changes.

"There has been significant disruption to pupils’ education caused by the pandemic. During this period, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes have remained good."

Date of last inspection: June 2021 (monitoring visit)

Sir Martin Frobisher Academy, Jaywick - requires improvement

The report said: "The quality of teaching and learning varies too much across year groups.

"As a result, too few pupils are meeting the attainment targets for their ages in reading, writing and mathematics.

"Leaders do not carefully evaluate the work they do to improve pupils’ attendance. Although improving, attendance remains too low and too many pupils regularly miss school."

Date of last inspection: July 2019

Hamford Primary Academy, Walton - requires improvement 

The report said: "Teaching quality is not consistent across the school.

"Pupils are not challenged enough in their work and do not fully understand what they have been taught.

"The attainment and progress of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics are too low."

Date of last inspection: February 2019

The Mayflower Primary School, Dovercourt - requires improvement 

The report said: "Since the previous inspection, the school has declined considerably. Pupils’ achievement has not been good enough for several years for the school to remain outstanding.

"Pupils do not make sufficient progress in lower key stage 2. Consequently, pupils have too much to catch up on in Years 5 and 6."

Date of last inspection: June 2018

Mistley Norman Church of England Primary School - requires improvement 

Early years provision was found to be good. All other area were rated requires improvement. 

The report said: "A legacy of poor teaching has not enabled pupils to achieve as well as they might.

"While the quality of teaching is improving, it remains too variable.

"As a result, pupils, including some who are disadvantaged, do not make consistently good progress across the school."

Date of last inspection: February 2018

Southminster Church of England Primary School - requires improvement 

The report said: "Senior leaders, governors and the trust are not taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the last section 5 inspection in order for the school to become good.

"The school should take further action to improve the teaching of phonics so that all pupils can read confidently by the end of key stage 1

"Ensure that pupils are receiving a quality curriculum that covers a range of subjects in line with or better than the criteria outlined in the national curriculum."

Date of last inspection: October 2019 (monitoring visit)

Notley High School and Braintree Sixth Form - inadequate 

The report said: "Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to provide education in the current circumstances. Safeguarding is not effective.

"Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to ensure that systems for recording and monitoring a range of safeguarding information about pupils are understood and used effectively by staff, so that pupils get timely and effective help, when they need it."

Date of last inspection: February 2021 (monitoring visit)

Richard De Clare Community Academy, Halstead - inadequate 

The report said: "Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to provide education in the current circumstances.

"Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to fully embed the new curriculum, ensuring that pupils’ new learning builds upon what has come before. 

"Increase the proportion of pupils who engage in remote learning and complete their work."

Date of last inspection: February 2021 (monitoring visit)

The Cathedral Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Chelmsford - requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare and early years provision were rated as good. 

The report said: "Leaders’ actions have not secured consistently strong outcomes in writing and mathematics across the school.

"The school’s self-evaluation is too generous. Leaders are not using information about the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning to make effective decisions or to respond quickly to emerging concerns."

Date of last inspection: March 2018

Hylands School, Writtle - requires improvement 

The report said: "Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to provide education in the current circumstances. Safeguarding is effective.

"Leaders and those responsible for governance should take further action to make sure parents are well informed about their children’s learning and the support their children need, particularly for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Date of last inspection: April 2021 (monitoring visit)

Mildmay Junior School, Chelmsford - requires improvement 

Effectiveness of leadership and management and personal development, behaviour and welfare were found to be good. 

The report said: "Significantly fewer pupils attained the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics and in science at the end of key stage 2 than seen nationally.

"Pupils have insufficient opportunities to practise reading and writing and to use their mathematical skills in a range of other subjects."

Date of last inspection: November 2017

Springfield Primary School - requires improvement 

Early years provision was found to be good. 

The report said: "Outcomes require improvement. Not enough Year 6 boys achieve the expected standard or make good progress from their starting points across a range of subjects.

"The quality of teaching and learning is too variable to secure consistently good outcomes across the school."

Date of last inspection: February 2018

Herringham Primary Academy, Chadwell St Mary - requires improvement 

Personal development, behaviour and welfare and early years provision were rated as good. 

The report said: "The quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is too varied.

"As a result, pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable. In particular, the progress pupils make in key stage 2 is low.

"The progress that pupils make in reading from key stage 1 to key stage 2 is well below the national average."

Date of last inspection: February 2018

William Edwards School, Stifford Clays - requires improvement 

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment and personal development, behaviour and welfare were found to be good. 

The report said: "Outcomes in humanities are a weakness in the school’s provision.

"Disadvantaged pupils are not yet making consistently good progress by the end of Year 11.

"The trust does not challenge leaders precisely enough about standards in the school, including for disadvantaged pupils."

Date of last inspection: July 2019

The King John School, Benfleet - inadequate 

The report said: "Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action to provide education in the current circumstances.

"During 2019/20 leaders reviewed the school’s curriculum. All pupils now study the full range of national curriculum subjects, religious education and drama until the end of Year 9.

"Subject leaders have revised their curriculum plans to identify the most important things pupils should know and the order in which these should be taught."

Date of last inspection: January 2021 (monitoring visit)

The Deanes, Benfleet - requires improvement 

Behaviour and attitudes and personal development were found to be good. 

THe report said: "Despite recent improvements, some parts of the curriculum are not developed well, and pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

"Curriculum plans for science and mathematics, for example, have been reviewed recently.

"Over time, pupils have not learned as much as they should have in either of these subjects."

Date of last inspection: September 2019

The Cornelius Vermuyden School, Canvey - requires improvement 

Personal development was found to be good. 

The report said: "Pupils told inspectors that the school has improved over the past year.

"Parents, carers and pupils say the new leadership team has made a big difference. Leaders now have high expectations of pupils and want them to do well.

"However, pupils know that behaviour needs to improve. Some teachers do not use the systems for managing behaviour well. Pupils find it hard to learn in some lessons because of disruption."

Date of last inspection: December 2019

Winter Gardens Academy, Canvey - requires improvement 

Effectiveness of leadership and management and early years was found to be good. 

The report said: "Teachers in key stages 1 and 2 do not typically have high expectations of what pupils can achieve.

"They do not routinely help pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding, or move their learning on rapidly.

"In a number of instances, pupils’ misconceptions are not picked up or addressed."

Date of last inspection: June 2018