SchoolScoresIndependent school guide

The Basildon Lower Academy

Academy · Secondary, ages 11 to 14 · Mixed

Part of THE BASILDON ACADEMIES

Timberlog Close, Timberlog Lane, Basildon, SS14 1UX

01268 552536 · School website · Map and directions

Ofsted report card4 expected, 1 needs attention, 1 urgent improvementSafeguarding met · 27 January 2026
Pupils892Room for 1,350
First-choice applications per place0.486 for 213 places, September 2026

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 27 January 2026 , published 8 June 2026.

In short: 4 expected, 1 needs attention, 1 urgent improvement, and safeguarding met.

Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.

Category of concern: Requires significant improvement. Ofsted will monitor the school closely until it improves.

AreaGrade
SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. Met
InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. Urgent improvement The lowest of five grades. Ofsted found serious weaknesses that need fixing quickly.
Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. Expected standard Middle of five grades. Meets the standard Ofsted expects.
Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. Needs attention Fourth of five grades. Below the expected standard; the school needs to improve this.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

What parents say

40 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026.

Essex comparisons use the 16 of its 82 state secondary schools with comparable results. The other 66 have no published Parent View results (Ofsted only publishes a survey once at least 10 parents answer) or used Ofsted's newer questions, which we don't compare with the older ones.

StatementThis schoolEssexEngland
My child is happy at this school
38% 82% 83%
My child feels safe at this school
38% 85% 85%
The school makes sure pupils are well behaved
23% 79% 78%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOf 24 parents whose child had been bullied
21% 47% 43%
Concerns were dealt with properlyOf 35 parents who had raised a concern
31% 73% 74%
My child with SEND gets the support they needOf 18 parents of children with SEND
44% 60% 63%
I would recommend this school to another parent
40%said yes 83% 83%

Parents choose whether to take part, so these answers may not represent all families (Ofsted puts the response rate at 4%). Figures are the share who agree or strongly agree. England figures are all parents answering the same questions over the same period, for state-funded schools. Essex figures pool parents at the Essex schools compared, from each school's latest survey, so survey dates differ between schools. The scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) agreement, and the dot marks this school among state schools of the same phase that used the same survey questions. The third it falls in is coloured: green for the top third, amber the middle, red the bottom. Source: Ofsted Parent View management information.

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Results

No test or exam results have been published for this school yet.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Essex. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

How hard is it to get in?

For the September 2026 intake there were fewer first-choice applications than places.

Places offered213
Families who put it first86
Of those, offered a place86 (100%)
Families who listed it at all200

First-choice applications per place: 2024: 0.3 · 2025: 0.4 · 2026: 0.4

This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.

Admissions dates and schools in Essex

Pupils, staff and SEND

PupilsThis schoolEssexEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years
 52.4% 22.6%* 28.9%
With an education, health and care plan
 1.5% 2.7%* 3.1%
Receiving special educational needs support
 16.9% 12.9%* 13.4%
English as an additional language
 25.2% 9.5%* 19.2%
Overall absence (sessions missed)
 15.3% 8.6%* 8.4%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)
 42.1% 23.0%* 23.4%
Suspensions per 100 pupils
 40.6 18.4 21.2
Pupils suspended at least once
 19.3% 7.5% 7.3%
Pupils permanently excluded2 pupils 0.22% 0.18% 0.23%
Pupils per teacher
 20.4 17.2 16.7
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff)
 19.5 12.9 11.8
Teachers who left during the year
 44.3% 13.3%* 14.2%*

Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

Nearby secondary schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is The Basildon Lower Academy's Ofsted rating?

The Basildon Lower Academy was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 27 January 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 4 expected, 1 needs attention, 1 urgent improvement, and safeguarding was met.

Would parents recommend The Basildon Lower Academy?

40% of the 40 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey between 10 November 2025 and 6 April 2026 said they would recommend The Basildon Lower Academy to another parent. Parents choose whether to respond, so this may not represent all families.

Is The Basildon Lower Academy oversubscribed?

For the September 2026 intake, 86 families put The Basildon Lower Academy as their first choice for 213 places: fewer first-choice applications than places. 86 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.