The Appleton School
Croft Road, Benfleet, SS7 5RN
1,597 pupils · 106% of 1,500 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11–19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- COMPASS EDUCATION TRUST LTD
- Local authority
- Essex
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 18.4%
Ofsted
Standards maintained (2024) — Ungraded inspection — “Standards maintained” (no overall grade issued)
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 20 November 2024, published 12 January 2025. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 39.6 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 31.5% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 57.7% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 38.8% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.68 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 297 | 203 | 761 | 297 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 296 | 218 | 773 | 296 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 270 | 216 | 756 | 270 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 268 | 275 | 768 | 268 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 300 | 300 | 763 | 300 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 300 | 311 | 834 | 300 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 293 | 292 | 834 | 293 |
| Sept 2019 entry | 268 | 335 | 933 | 268 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- The King John School 3 km · Most areas: Strong standard (2026)
- The Deanes 3.3 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- The Basildon Upper Academy 3.4 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- The Cornelius Vermuyden School 4.1 km · Inadequate (2023) · previous system
- The Basildon Lower Academy 4.5 km · Most areas: Expected standard (2026)
- The Sweyne Park School 4.8 km · No overall grade (2025)
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.