Great Berry Primary School

Great Berry Primary is a good school that has made substantial progress since its last inspection 12 years ago, where it was rated as outstanding. The whole school community is characterized by a happy and welcoming environment, with pupils developing positive relationships with their peers and staff. While the curriculum effectively builds pupils' knowledge, there are areas for improvement, particularly in ensuring consistency and clarity in teaching approaches across all subjects. The school successfully meets the needs of its pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), providing them with appropriate support and learning opportunities.

Strengths

• Outstanding behaviour and attitudes among pupils.
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
• The school has a strong commitment to safeguarding.
• Effective support and adaptations for pupils with SEND.
• Pupils demonstrate high levels of pride and responsibility in their leadership roles.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in the teaching of phonics and some other subjects.
• Some pupils do not catch up quickly with their reading support.
• Limited opportunities for early years children to explore and take risks.

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 Great Berry Primary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.3% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Great Berry 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 Great Berry Primary School had 22.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.8% 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, 8.2% of pupils at Great Berry Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.6% 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 2024–25 Great Berry Primary School received £6,298 and spent £6,252 for each of its 426 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £192,000 (£451 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Cresco Multi Academy Trust, income was £6,927 and spending £6,851 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 Basildon · Essex local authority: places and applications

Great Berry Primary School is part of Cresco Multi Academy Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Lincewood Primary Academy Basildon
• Janet Duke Primary School Basildon
• Noak Bridge Primary School Basildon

What is Great Berry Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Great Berry Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Great Berry Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Great Berry Primary School was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Great Berry Primary School have?

Great Berry Primary School has 426 pupils on roll.

What age range does Great Berry Primary School cover?

Great Berry Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Great Berry Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Great Berry Primary School?

Great Berry Primary School is at Great Berry Primary School, Forest Glade, Langdon Hills, Basildon, Essex, SS16 6SG.