St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon

St Francis Catholic Primary School in Maldon is recognized as a good school that continues to excel in providing a welcoming and supportive environment for its pupils. The school boasts a caring atmosphere where students exhibit kindness and respect towards each other. With effective leadership, the curriculum is designed thoughtfully to ensure that pupils achieve well, particularly in subjects like reading and mathematics. Additionally, children in the early years flourish in an environment that emphasizes language development and personal support, allowing them to thrive academically. While there are notable strengths, such as high expectations in certain classrooms and a commitment to supporting pupils with special educational needs, there are some areas that require attention. The curriculum needs to be better defined in a few subjects to ensure all students are challenged appropriately. The school is already aware of this and is taking steps to enhance the teaching quality and address attendance issues among a small number of families. Overall, the school is on a positive trajectory but must maintain focus on consistency across all subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate kindness and respect towards one another.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• A well-structured early years setting that promotes language and personal development.
• Effective leadership and participation of pupils in leadership roles.
• High standards in reading and mathematics.
• Pupils engage actively in extracurricular activities.
• Improving behaviour among pupils with effective policy enforcement.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent curriculum detail in a few subjects.
• Some pupils complete work that is too easy for them.
• Attendance issues among a small number of pupils and families.

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, Maldon attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.6% 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, 3.6% of pupils at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon 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, Maldon had 20.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 16.3% of pupils at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.5% 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, Maldon received £7,204 and spent £6,393 for each of its 196 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £228,000 (£1,164 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 Maldon · Essex local authority: places and applications

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

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

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

St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon was last inspected in June 2024.

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

St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon has 196 pupils on roll.

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

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

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

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

Where is St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon?

St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon is at London Road, Maldon, Essex, CM9 6HN.