Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy

Kelvedon St Mary’s Church of England Primary Academy demonstrates a good overall effectiveness with notable strengths in behaviour, attitudes, and personal development, which are rated outstanding. The school has a vibrant learning environment where pupils enjoy a broad and ambitious curriculum. The teachers provide varied lessons that foster a positive atmosphere, helping pupils achieve well and develop essential life skills. The leadership team is committed to continuous improvement, with effective support for both pupils and staff, ensuring a caring and inclusive school community. This is the school's first inspection under the current framework since its previous outstanding judgment eight years ago, marking a significant context for current evaluations.

Strengths

• Outstanding behaviour and attitudes from pupils.
• Pupils achieve well and enjoy a broad and ambitious curriculum.
• Strong, positive relationships between pupils and staff.
• Effective early years provision that prepares children well for Year 1.
• Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• High importance placed on reading, with confident and fluent readers emerging.
• Strong enrichment opportunities through clubs and pupil leadership roles.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent implementation of the curriculum in some subjects.
• Staff sometimes lack guidance and training to meet leaders’ high expectations.
• Work is not always well matched to pupils' existing knowledge and understanding.

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 Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.7% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy 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 Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy had 24.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.6% 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, 15.3% of pupils at Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 10 pupils.

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 Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy received £6,958 and spent £6,611 for each of its 431 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £425,000 (£986 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Canonium Learning Trust, income was £7,113 and spending £6,734 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 Colchester · Essex local authority: places and applications

Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy is part of Canonium Learning Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• St Andrew's Church of England Primary Academy, Marks Tey Colchester
• Stisted Church of England Primary Academy Braintree
• Tolleshunt D'Arcy St Nicholas Primary Academy Maldon
• Woodham Walter Church of England Primary Academy Maldon
• East Hanningfield Church of England Primary Academy Chelmsford
• Langham Primary Academy Colchester
• Ardleigh St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy Colchester
• Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy Braintree
• St Peter's Church of England Primary Academy, West Hanningfield Chelmsford
• Stourview Church of England Primary Academy Mistley

What is Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy have?

Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy has 464 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy cover?

Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy?

Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy is at Docwra Road, Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex, CO5 9DS.