Parkwood Academy

Parkwood Academy is currently under review for its overall effectiveness and has been rated as requiring improvement. The school has shown some positive signs, particularly in regards to pupil behaviours and attitudes, with students reporting a caring atmosphere and strong relationships with staff. However, significant challenges remain, especially in areas related to the quality of education, early years provision, and leadership management, following a period of staffing instability. The school is making concerted efforts to enhance educational offerings, particularly in early reading, but these changes are still in the process of being effectively implemented across the curriculum.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, confident, and well-supported by staff.
• The school provides a broad curriculum with specific and detailed planning in mathematics.
• Strong focus on personal development and opportunities for roles and responsibilities.
• Pupils benefit from diverse extracurricular clubs.
• The safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Quality of education is inconsistent, particularly in reading and writing.
• Identifying gaps in children's knowledge is not swift enough, affecting their catch-up progress.
• Some subjects lack clear curriculum understanding among staff.
• Early years provision needs quicker identification of children requiring extra support.
• Trustees have not effectively monitored educational standards.

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 Parkwood Academy attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.8% 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, 3.8% of pupils at Parkwood 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 Parkwood Academy had 16.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.3% 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, 20.9% of pupils at Parkwood Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.6% 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 Parkwood Academy received £7,675 and spent £7,911 for each of its 204 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £62,000 (-£304 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of South Essex Academy Trust, income was £7,094 and spending £7,211 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

Parkwood Academy is part of South Essex Academy Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Bardfield Academy Basildon
• Kents Hill Infant Academy Benfleet
• Westwood Academy Benfleet
• Winter Gardens Academy Canvey Island

What is Parkwood Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Parkwood Academy is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Parkwood Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Parkwood Academy was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Parkwood Academy have?

Parkwood Academy has 196 pupils on roll.

What age range does Parkwood Academy cover?

Parkwood Academy for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Parkwood Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Parkwood Academy?

Parkwood Academy is at Melbourne Avenue, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 2DX.