Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is performing at the expected standard overall. Inspectors found that pupils achieve well, with outcomes in line with or above national averages over time, and pupils with SEND make appropriate progress from their starting points. Attendance is low, persistent absence is well below national averages, behaviour is good, and pupils benefit from a strong early years provision, a broad enrichment offer and effective pastoral support. Safeguarding standards are met. The school has grown significantly since its previous inspection and now has two classes in each year group from Reception to Year 4. Leaders have an accurate view of the school's strengths and areas for improvement, and governors hold leaders to account. However, some teaching is not consistently precise enough in matching work and support to pupils' prior knowledge and starting points, and handwriting, grammar, punctuation and spelling are not reinforced consistently across subjects. Monitoring and oversight systems, including those for evaluating SEND support, are not yet fully embedded. Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes in combined reading, writing and mathematics and in writing are below national averages, with wide disadvantage gaps.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well overall, with outcomes in line with or above national averages over time.
• Pupils with SEND make appropriate progress from their starting points.
• Attendance is low and persistent absence is well below national averages.
• Pupils behave well, cooperate with each other and lessons are typically free from disruption.
• Bullying is rare and dealt with swiftly and effectively when it occurs.
• The curriculum is clearly sequenced and typically taught well by knowledgeable staff.
• Early years provision gives children a strong start through an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum.
• Leaders identify barriers to learning and wellbeing accurately, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupil premium funding is used effectively to reduce barriers for disadvantaged pupils.
• Staff use consistent strategies to support pupils who need extra help, including for emotional regulation.
• Leaders work effectively with the local authority and alternative provision providers.
• Governors keep a close eye on the school and provide appropriate support and challenge.
• Leaders build effective relationships with staff, professionals, parents and carers.
• The PSHE curriculum helps pupils understand safety, online safety and healthy relationships.
• Pastoral and wellbeing support is a high priority and helps pupils build confidence and resilience.
• The enrichment offer is broad, varied and benefits disadvantaged pupils as well as others.
• Pupils show respect for differences and value learning about and celebrating them.
• The school has maintained a close-knit community feel despite significant growth.

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff do not consistently match work and support precisely to pupils' prior knowledge and starting points.
• Teaching across subjects does not consistently reinforce handwriting, grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• When teaching is less consistent, pupils do not secure or deepen their knowledge as well as they might.
• Monitoring and oversight systems are less embedded in some areas, making precise adjustment of strategies harder.
• New SEND evaluation systems need further embedding so staff can adjust support more skillfully.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment in combined reading, writing and mathematics and in writing is below national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils' gaps are wide in combined reading, writing and mathematics, writing, reading and mathematics.

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 Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.8% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Lawford 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 Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School had 25.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.4% 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, 11.5% of pupils at Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.1% 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 Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School received £5,575 and spent £5,373 for each of its 349 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £281,000 (£804 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).

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in July 2026.

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

Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

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

Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has 349 pupils on roll.

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

Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is at The Avenue, Lawford, Manningtree, Essex, CO11 2FR.