Runwell Community Primary School

Runwell Community Primary School is an inclusive, ambitious primary school that generally serves its pupils well. The quality of education, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision are all strong, and pupils typically achieve well. Reading is a clear priority, with effective phonics teaching and a positive reading culture, while the early years provision gives children a positive start and prepares them well for the next stage. The school's provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is a particular strength, including well-considered individual support through the 'Bonsai' provision.

Strengths

• Inclusive and ambitious for all pupils
• Broad and balanced curriculum enhanced by local community projects
• Pupils typically achieve well
• Strong SEND provision, including the well-considered Bonsai provision
• Reading is a priority with effective phonics teaching and good catch-up support
• Positive reading culture across the school
• Children make a strong start in early years and achieve well
• Personal development provision is thoughtfully considered and strong
• Pupils learn how to stay safe, including online, and are prepared for life in modern Britain
• Leaders and governors have a clear shared vision and effective monitoring strategies
• Staff workload and well-being are considered, and teachers feel valued
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• A range of clubs, trips and pupil ambassador roles enrich school life

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, the key knowledge pupils should learn is not identified clearly enough
• In these subjects, pupils' knowledge does not build precisely over time and achievement is weaker
• The new behaviour policy is not yet having the desired impact
• Some pupils do not consistently meet behaviour expectations, disrupting learning
• Challenging behaviour occurs too often in some lessons
• The behaviour approach is not yet fully understood by some pupils and a significant group of parents
• Some pupils lose focus and find it difficult to sustain concentration in lessons
• Occasionally, pupils are upset by hurtful or unkind behaviour from peers

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 Runwell Community Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.0% 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, 6.0% of pupils at Runwell Community Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 3 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 Runwell Community Primary School had 20.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.3% 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, 14.9% of pupils at Runwell Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.9% 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 2023–24 Runwell Community Primary School received £5,695 and spent £6,283 for each of its 406 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £53,000 (£131 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of The Chelmsford Learning Partnership, income was £6,309 and spending £5,386 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Wickford · Essex local authority: places and applications

Runwell Community Primary School is part of The Chelmsford Learning Partnership, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Rettendon Primary School Chelmsford
• Woodville Primary School Chelmsford
• William de Ferrers School Chelmsford
• Barnes Farm Primary School Chelmsford
• The Tyrrells School Chelmsford
• The Boswells School Chelmsford
• Perryfields Infant School Chelmsford
• The Beaulieu Park School Chelmsford
• Roding Valley High School Loughton
• Lakelands Primary School Colchester

What is Runwell Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Runwell Community Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Runwell Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Runwell Community Primary School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Runwell Community Primary School have?

Runwell Community Primary School has 362 pupils on roll.

What age range does Runwell Community Primary School cover?

Runwell Community Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Runwell Community Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 53% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Runwell Community Primary School?

Runwell Community Primary School is at Canewdon Gardens, Runwell, Wickford, Essex, SS11 7BJ.