Purleigh Community Primary School

Purleigh Community Primary School has received a 'Good' rating in its first routine inspection since converting to an academy. Overall, the school showcases a robust educational framework where pupils thrive academically and socially, benefiting from a well-structured curriculum. The school's leadership maintains high expectations, ensuring effective teaching and personalized support for all students, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Notably, pupils display outstanding behavior, demonstrating respect and responsibility as they engage in their learning and contribute positively to the school community.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and management with effective support for staff.
• Outstanding behavior and positive attitudes among pupils.
• High ambitions for student achievement and well-designed curriculum.
• Effective phonics scheme leading to improved reading outcomes.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent review of key knowledge in some subjects leading to forgetting.

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 Purleigh Community Primary School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.2% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Purleigh Community 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 Purleigh Community Primary School had 23.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 15.0% of pupils at Purleigh Community Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.4% 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 Purleigh Community Primary School received £5,917 and spent £5,653 for each of its 206 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £202,000 (£981 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Quantum Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,221 and spending £7,291 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

Purleigh Community Primary School is part of Quantum Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Maylandsea Primary School Chelmsford
• St Luke's Park Primary School Wickford
• Larkrise Primary School Chelmsford
• Meadgate Primary School Chelmsford
• Great Baddow High School Chelmsford
• Tiptree Heath Primary School Colchester
• Maltese Road Primary School Chelmsford

What is Purleigh Community Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Purleigh Community Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Purleigh Community Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Purleigh Community Primary School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Purleigh Community Primary School have?

Purleigh Community Primary School has 206 pupils on roll.

What age range does Purleigh Community Primary School cover?

Purleigh Community Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Purleigh Community Primary School?

Purleigh Community Primary School is at Pump Lane, Purleigh, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 6PJ.