Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School

Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School has been inspected again and continues to be recognized as a good school. The headteacher has led significant improvements in the curriculum, which has remained broad and well-planned despite challenges brought on by the pandemic. Pupils show enthusiasm for their learning, particularly in reading and writing, and the school promotes a safe and supportive community where kindness and respect are emphasized. The staff enables pupils, including those with special educational needs, to flourish in their education.

Strengths

• Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and take pride in their work.
• The curriculum is well-planned, providing meaningful learning experiences.
• Strong emphasis on reading and writing leads to many pupils developing a love for reading.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs is effective and well-implemented.
• Pupils demonstrate exemplary behavior and a strong sense of community.

Areas for Improvement

• Staff's subject knowledge in some foundation curriculum areas needs further development.
• Governance lacks sufficient checks on curriculum quality and other strategic aspects.

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 Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.6% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Our Lady Immaculate Catholic 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 Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School had 24.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.6% 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, 12.5% of pupils at Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School received £6,802 and spent £6,423 for each of its 217 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £196,000 (£905 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of The Rosary Trust - A Catholic Multi Academy, income was £7,679 and spending £7,558 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 Chelmsford · Essex local authority: places and applications

Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School is part of The Rosary Trust - A Catholic Multi Academy, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• St Pius X Catholic Primary School Chelmsford
• Holy Family Catholic Primary School Witham
• St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Colchester Colchester
• St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester Colchester
• St Clare's Catholic Primary School Clacton-On-Sea
• St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

What is Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School have?

Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School has 216 pupils on roll.

What age range does Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School cover?

Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School?

Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School is at New London Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 0RG.