St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree

St Francis Catholic Primary School in Braintree has demonstrated a good overall performance, marked by a nurturing environment where pupils feel valued and safe. With a committed focus on an inclusive educational experience, the school effectively supports all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. The curriculum is rich and engaging, ensuring pupils achieve well and enjoy their learning experience, particularly in reading and mathematics. Leaders are proactive in improving educational outcomes and fostering positive relationships within the school community.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and valued in a nurturing environment.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs.
• Well-organized and engaging reading curriculum leading to fluency.
• Positive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Pupils successfully contribute to the school community.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers sometimes do not adapt learning effectively to pupils' prior knowledge.
• Limited range of extra-curricular activities available for pupils.

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 Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.4% 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, 0.5% of pupils at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree 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 Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree had 23.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.9% 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, 7.4% of pupils at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree 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 St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree received £6,457 and spent £6,274 for each of its 203 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £127,000 (£627 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 Braintree · Essex local authority: places and applications

What is St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree is Good, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree last inspected by Ofsted?

St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree have?

St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree has 203 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree cover?

St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree?

St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree is at Gilchrist Way, Gilchrist Way, Braintree, Essex, CM7 2SY.