Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy

Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy has shown notable improvement since its previous inspection, now rated as Good overall. The school provides a safe and inclusive environment where pupils demonstrate kindness, bravery, and respect, embodied in their school motto. With a focus on a broad and ambitious curriculum that encourages both academic and personal development, the school excels particularly in personal development, gaining an Outstanding rating in this area. While most aspects of the school’s performance are strong, there are areas where consistency in the quality of written work across foundations subjects needs attention to ensure that all pupils fully embed their learning.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and feel safe at school.
• Curriculum is broad and ambitious with strong subject links.
• Pupils of all ages participate in a wide range of sporting activities.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• High-quality phonics teaching results in early reading success.
• Exceptional personal development program fostering important values.
• Strong leadership with a shared vision among staff and governors.

Areas for Improvement

• Variation in the quality of written work in foundation subjects.
• Limited opportunities for pupils to apply and revisit learning in some subjects.

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 Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.0% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.9% 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, 17.1% of pupils at Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% 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 Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy received £7,212 and spent £6,993 for each of its 145 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £81,000 (£559 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Great Oak Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,021 and spending £6,873 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 Saffron Walden · Essex local authority: places and applications

Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy is part of Great Oak Multi Academy Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Great Chesterford Church of England Primary Academy Saffron Walden

What is Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in September 2023.

When was Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy was last inspected in September 2023.

How many pupils does Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy have?

Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy has 140 pupils on roll.

What age range does Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy cover?

Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy?

Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy is at High Street, Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 3LE.