Jo Richardson Community School

School overview

Jo Richardson Community School is a secondary school serving Barking and Dagenham, classified by the DfE as a community school. It has 1,686 pupils aged 11 to 19 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated Jo Richardson Community School 'Outstanding'. The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 50.2 — above the national average (national average: 46). Its Attainment 8 score has risen by 3.0 points year on year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the top 28% of secondary schools nationally.

48% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, in line with the national average of about 45%. 69% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. 85% of the families who made Jo Richardson Community School their first choice were offered a Year 7 place for September 2026, even though the school made at least as many offers as it had first choices - the rest withdrew, moved or fell outside a priority group. In 2026 the furthest child offered a place lived 1.36 miles from the school in a straight line, according to the council's published allocation figures; the distance changes every year with demand. After Year 11, 92% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 7.1%. There are about 14.6 pupils per teacher. The school serves a community with above-average levels of disadvantage: about 39% of pupils have been eligible for free school meals in the last six years, compared with roughly 24% nationally — useful context when reading the results above. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.