Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has effectively maintained its good standards since the last inspection. The school prioritizes a nurturing environment where pupils embody values like respect and responsibility, leading to a supportive community. With a broad curriculum and high expectations, pupils engage in various extra-curricular activities that foster personal and educational growth, preparing them well for future challenges. However, while there are commendable aspects of the school's operations, challenges in writing support, particularly for some older pupils and those with special educational needs, need addressing.

Strengths

• Strong emphasis on school values like love, respect, and responsibility.
• Effective fundraising initiatives fostering community spirit.
• High expectations lead to excellent educational and personal growth.
• Rigorous phonics program supports early reading development.
• Well-established systems to identify and support students with SEND.

Areas for Improvement

• Writing provision is still developing and inconsistent.
• Mismatch between writing tasks and pupils' phonics knowledge.
• Some older students struggle with writing due to unaddressed errors.

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 Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.5% 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, 2.2% of pupils at Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided 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 Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.9% 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, 28.6% of pupils at Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.0% 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 Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School received £7,072 and spent £7,332 for each of its 98 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £81,000 (£824 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 Saffron Walden · Essex local authority: places and applications

What is Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have?

Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has 98 pupils on roll.

What age range does Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School cover?

Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at Rickling Green, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 3YG.