Christchurch Church of England Primary School

Christchurch Church of England Primary School is achieving a strong standard of education, with particularly notable strengths in safeguarding and pupil behaviour. Leaders have established a culture where safeguarding is paramount, ensuring that pupils feel safe and supported. The school is responsive to attendance issues, and there has been a marked improvement in students' behaviour, with pupils showing positive attitudes towards learning and engaging well during lessons and social times. However, the school faces challenges in pupil achievement, particularly among disadvantaged learners, with inconsistent academic outcomes in national tests that fall below national averages. Despite recent curriculum improvements and initiatives to support special educational needs students, gaps in knowledge persist among some pupils. Moving forward, the leadership team is focused on refining teaching strategies and strengthening communication with parents to enhance overall educational outcomes.

Strengths

• Strong safeguarding culture ensuring pupils feel safe
• Improvements in attendance and behavior observed
• Coherent and well-designed early years curriculum
• Effective engagement with parents and carers from the start of the Reception Year
• Positive personal development initiatives and clubs for pupils
• Teachers are well-trained to support pupils with SEND

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent achievement over time, particularly for disadvantaged pupils
• Gaps in knowledge among pupils not being closed quickly enough
• Inconsistencies in teaching writing and mathematics
• Lack of clear approach to teaching writing from Year 1 to Year 6
• Need for improved engagement strategies with parents

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 Christchurch Church of England Primary School attended 93.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.5% 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, 4.9% of pupils at Christchurch Church of England 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 Christchurch Church of England Primary School had 20.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.0% 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, 14.7% of pupils at Christchurch Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% 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 Christchurch Church of England Primary School received £8,390 and spent £8,125 for each of its 122 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £37,000 (£306 per pupil).

Across all 21 schools of The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust, income was £7,530 and spending £7,249 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

Christchurch Church of England Primary School is part of The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust, which runs 21 schools. The nearest others:

• St Leonard's Church of England Primary School Southminster
• St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, Tillingham Southminster
• St Cedd's Church of England Primary School Southminster
• Howbridge Church of England Junior School Witham
• St Margaret's Church of England Academy, Bowers Gifford Basildon
• Rivenhall Church of England Primary School Witham
• St James the Great Church of England Primary School Colchester
• St Osyth Church of England Primary School Clacton-On-Sea
• Bulphan Church of England Academy Bulphan
• Colne Engaine Church of England Primary School

What is Christchurch Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Christchurch Church of England Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Christchurch Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Christchurch Church of England Primary School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Christchurch Church of England Primary School have?

Christchurch Church of England Primary School has 109 pupils on roll.

What age range does Christchurch Church of England Primary School cover?

Christchurch Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Christchurch Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 33% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Christchurch Church of England Primary School?

Christchurch Church of England Primary School is at The Street, Latchingdon, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 6JS.