Chipping Hill Primary School

Chipping Hill Primary School is a highly effective school. Inspectors found outstanding provision in the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and early years; personal development is good. Pupils arrive happy, behave exceptionally well, achieve highly and benefit from an ambitious, coherent curriculum delivered by well-trained staff. Reading and phonics are taught from the start of Reception, pupils with SEND are identified early and supported to access the full curriculum, and attendance is a high priority. The school is well led and governed, and parents and staff are positive about it. The main area for improvement is the extra-curricular offer, which is predominantly sports-related. Pupils with interests and talents in other areas, such as music and the arts, have fewer opportunities to develop them. Otherwise, the report highlights strong early years provision, effective safeguarding and high expectations for all pupils. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first since 2012. Since then, leadership and staffing have changed significantly, including the headteacher and senior leadership team, and the school has grown to two-form entry.

Strengths

• Ambitious, clear and coherent curriculum across subjects
• Staff training is a priority, giving teachers strong subject expertise
• Children make a very strong start in Reception
• Teachers adapt teaching well to meet individual pupils’ needs
• Pupils are routinely challenged and achieve highly
• Pupils with SEND are identified early and access the full curriculum
• Reading and phonics are taught from the beginning of Reception
• Pupils at risk of falling behind in reading are supported swiftly
• Attendance is a high priority and improves rapidly when it dips
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and attitudes to learning are highly positive
• Pupils take on leadership roles and contribute positively to the school
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Governors understand their role and provide effective support and challenge
• Parents are positive about the school and staff enjoy working there

Areas for Improvement

• Extra-curricular activities are predominantly sports-related
• The range of clubs is not wide enough for pupils with interests in music, arts and other areas
• Pupils have fewer opportunities to develop talents and interests outside sport

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 Chipping Hill Primary School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Chipping Hill 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 Chipping Hill Primary School had 24.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.0% 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, 3.1% of pupils at Chipping Hill Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 Chipping Hill Primary School received £6,293 and spent £6,443 for each of its 421 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £414,000 (£983 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 Witham · Essex local authority: places and applications

What is Chipping Hill Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chipping Hill Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Chipping Hill Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chipping Hill Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Chipping Hill Primary School have?

Chipping Hill Primary School has 421 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chipping Hill Primary School cover?

Chipping Hill Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

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

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Chipping Hill Primary School?

Chipping Hill Primary School is at Owers Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 1FR.