Heybridge Primary School

Heybridge Primary School is performing well, maintaining a 'Good' overall effectiveness rating since its last inspection. Pupils demonstrate enthusiasm towards their learning, benefitting from a curriculum that is ambitious and carefully planned from early years through to Year 6. There are notable strengths in reading, where dedicated support helps struggling pupils gain confidence and fluency. While most stakeholders recognize the positive environment and engagement at the school, some concerns have arisen regarding consistent teacher subject knowledge and communication with parents, necessitating attention from leadership to address these issues.

Strengths

• Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and enjoy their lessons.
• The school promotes a strong reading culture with well-planned texts for all ages.
• Pupils demonstrate good behavior and take on responsibilities.
• Support for pupils with SEND has improved significantly, leading to positive outcomes.
• The school has effective safeguarding arrangements.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in teacher subject knowledge affecting curriculum delivery.
• Persistent absence remains an issue for a core group of pupils.
• Communication with a significant minority of parents requires improvement.

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 Heybridge Primary School attended 93.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.5% 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, 4.1% of pupils at Heybridge Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 Heybridge Primary School had 21.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.7% 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, 6.5% of pupils at Heybridge 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 2024–25 Heybridge Primary School received £6,733 and spent £6,818 for each of its 396 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £178,000 (£449 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of The Kemnal Academies Trust, income was £8,501 and spending £8,452 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 Maldon · Essex local authority: places and applications

Heybridge Primary School is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust, which runs 45 schools. The nearest others:

• Maldon Primary School Maldon
• Hylands School Chelmsford
• Willow Brook Primary School and Nursery Colchester
• Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy Romford
• Napier Community Primary and Nursery Academy Gillingham
• Rainham School for Girls Gillingham
• Debden Park High School Loughton
• King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy Waltham Abbey
• Shenstone School Crayford
• Welling School Welling

What is Heybridge Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Heybridge Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Heybridge Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Heybridge Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Heybridge Primary School have?

Heybridge Primary School has 428 pupils on roll.

What age range does Heybridge Primary School cover?

Heybridge Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 64% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Heybridge Primary School?

Heybridge Primary School is at Rowan Drive, Heybridge, Maldon, Essex, CM9 4TU.