St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham

St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is performing well overall, with strong provision across education, behaviour, leadership and early years. Pupils are happy and settled in a welcoming, family-like village school, and leaders have built an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum supported by high expectations. Reading is a particular strength, with children developing a love of books early and most pupils becoming competent readers by the end of Year 2. Pupils with SEND are well supported and fully included in school life, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Personal development is a standout feature. The school offers an exceptionally well-designed programme that builds character, broadens pupils' experiences and prepares them for responsible citizenship. Pupils benefit from trips, residentials, leadership roles and a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Behaviour is strong, relationships are respectful and no learning time is lost through poor behaviour. Leadership is effective, with a supportive team spirit among staff, governors and parents, and leaders have made meaningful improvements in recent years. The main area for development is consistency in how teachers extend and deepen pupils' learning. In some lessons, questioning and activities do not routinely stretch pupils, meaning some do not achieve as highly as they could. Leaders should ensure the good practice already present is used consistently across the school so that all pupils can meet the curriculum's ambitious aims. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the leadership team has changed since the previous inspection.

Strengths

• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum across subjects
• Strong early reading provision and a clear love of reading
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• High expectations and consistently good behaviour
• Exceptional personal development programme
• Wide range of trips, residentials and extra-curricular activities
• Pupils take on meaningful leadership roles
• Supportive staff, governors and parents
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• In some lessons, teachers do not routinely provide opportunities to extend and deepen pupils' learning
• Questioning and activities do not always promote deeper learning, so some pupils do not achieve as highly as they could
• Good practice is not yet consistent across all classrooms

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 St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 2.6% 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, 0.9% of pupils at St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham 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 St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham had 24.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.2% 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, 14.1% of pupils at St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham 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 St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham received £6,798 and spent £6,520 for each of its 213 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £162,000 (£761 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 Halstead · Essex local authority: places and applications

What is St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham is Good, from an inspection in October 2024.

When was St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham last inspected by Ofsted?

St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham was last inspected in October 2024.

How many pupils does St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham have?

St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham has 213 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham cover?

St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham?

St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible Hedingham is at School Road, Sible Hedingham, Halstead, Essex, CO9 3NR.