Nelmes Primary School

Nelmes Primary School is a highly effective, welcoming community school where pupils flourish academically and personally. Inspectors found ambitious expectations realised for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils in the resource provision for complex needs including autism. Pupils are safe, happy and behave exceptionally well, and the school’s reading programme, curriculum design and enrichment offer are particular strengths. Leaders, staff and governors share a strong commitment to providing the best possible education. Oversight is comprehensive, governors are exceptionally well informed, staff value high-quality training and support, and parents are highly supportive. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The report identifies no areas of concern or required improvement. This was the school’s first section 5 inspection since January 2014, after it was exempt from routine inspection until November 2020. It now includes a unit for 12 pupils with complex SEND needs. Under arrangements from September 2024, no overall effectiveness grade was awarded, although every key judgement was judged at the highest level.

Strengths

• Ambitious curriculum built coherently from Reception to Year 6
• Strong reading and phonics programme with effective additional support
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and very positive attitudes to learning
• High-quality support for pupils with SEND, including the resource provision
• Extensive enrichment and personal development opportunities for all pupils
• Exceptionally well-informed governors who support and challenge the school effectively
• Calm, nurturing and inclusive school community with strong parental support
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Staff value the high level of training and support they receive

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Nelmes Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.2% of pupils at Nelmes Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Nelmes Primary School had 23.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 8.8% of pupils at Nelmes Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 13 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Nelmes Primary School received £7,318 and spent £7,214 for each of its 433 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £171,000 (£395 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Havering · Havering local authority: places and applications

What is Nelmes Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Nelmes Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Nelmes Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Nelmes Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Nelmes Primary School have?

Nelmes Primary School has 433 pupils on roll.

What age range does Nelmes Primary School cover?

Nelmes Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Nelmes Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Nelmes Primary School?

Nelmes Primary School is at Wingletye Lane, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 3BX.