Howbridge Infant School

Howbridge Infant School is performing well overall, with a consistent rating of 'Good' across all inspected areas including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The school is described as a happy, inclusive place where pupils feel safe and supported by caring adults. There is a strong emphasis on reading, with pupils engaging enthusiastically in their learning and demonstrating a deep appreciation for literature from a young age. This inspection marks the school's first routine evaluation since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the inspectors noted the proactive measures taken by the leaders to support student learning during challenging times.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and supported in a caring environment.
• A wide range of engaging lunchtime clubs available for pupils.
• Strong focus on reading and high-quality literature.
• Well-trained staff effectively teach phonics and support reading.
• Pupils demonstrate kindness, curiosity, and respect.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, curriculum content is unclear, impacting pupils' knowledge retention.
• Some subject leaders do not effectively monitor curriculum impact.

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 Howbridge Infant School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.4% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Howbridge Infant 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 Howbridge Infant School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.1% 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, 11.7% of pupils at Howbridge Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 Howbridge Infant School received £6,634 and spent £6,375 for each of its 265 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £413,000 (£1,559 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 Howbridge Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Howbridge Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Howbridge Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Howbridge Infant School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Howbridge Infant School have?

Howbridge Infant School has 265 pupils on roll.

What age range does Howbridge Infant School cover?

Howbridge Infant School for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is Howbridge Infant School?

Howbridge Infant School is at Dengie Close, Witham, Essex, CM8 1DJ.