Unity Primary Academy

Unity Primary Academy has moved on from its previous Requires improvement grade and is now judged good in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management, and early years, with personal development outstanding. Inspectors found a highly ambitious school where pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well, feel safe and behave well. Reading, early years and SEND support are particular strengths, and safeguarding is effective. The school is part of REAch2 Academy Trust and did not receive an overall effectiveness grade under current arrangements. Leaders have overhauled the curriculum so it is ambitious and interesting, and staff check recall and adapt work effectively. However, in some subjects the curriculum does not set out precisely what knowledge pupils should learn or when, so pupils do not always build on prior knowledge securely. Attendance has improved and is closely analysed, but some pupils still miss school too often and therefore miss the strong academic and personal development offer. Personal development is exceptional, with strong character education, British values, trips, sport, music and community work such as the community kitchen. Early years provision gives children a strong start, and pupils with SEND benefit from effective individualised support, including The Cove. Trustees and governors support and challenge the school well, staff value training and workload consideration, and parents speak positively.

Strengths

• Highly ambitious leadership and curriculum for all pupils, including those with SEND
• Pupils achieve well and develop a love of learning
• Calm, purposeful behaviour and positive relationships make pupils feel safe
• Exceptional personal development, including British values and character education
• Strong early years provision with skilled staff and a language focus
• Effective, individualised SEND support, including The Cove
• Prioritised reading and consistent phonics teaching with targeted help
• Ambitious overhauled curriculum with regular checks and recall opportunities
• Rich wider opportunities in art, sport, music and community activity
• Effective trustees and governors, with strong staff training and wellbeing support
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Attendance has risen through close analysis and work with families

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, the curriculum lacks precise knowledge sequencing, limiting secure prior-knowledge building
• Some pupils still miss school too often and do not benefit from the school's strong provision

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 Unity Primary Academy attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.0% 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, 4.9% of pupils at Unity 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 Unity Primary Academy had 21.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.8% 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, 22.2% of pupils at Unity Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.1% 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 Unity Primary Academy received £7,570 and spent £7,048 for each of its 435 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £99,000 (£228 per pupil).

Across all 65 schools of Reach2 Academy Trust, income was £7,346 and spending £7,105 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

Unity Primary Academy is part of Reach2 Academy Trust, which runs 65 schools. The nearest others:

• Camulos Academy Colchester
• Sir Martin Frobisher Academy Clacton-On-Sea
• Burrsville Infant Academy Clacton-On-Sea
• Kirby Primary Academy Frinton-On-Sea
• Sprites Primary Academy Ipswich
• Martlesham Primary Academy Woodbridge
• Newhall Primary Academy Harlow
• Pemberley Academy Harlow
• Kemsley Primary Academy Sittingbourne
• Langtons Junior Academy Hornchurch

What is Unity Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Unity Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Unity Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Unity Primary Academy was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Unity Primary Academy have?

Unity Primary Academy has 432 pupils on roll.

What age range does Unity Primary Academy cover?

Unity Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Unity Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Unity Primary Academy?

Unity Primary Academy is at Hickory Avenue, Greenstead, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3QJ.