Noak Bridge Primary School

Noak Bridge Primary School is a caring, inclusive school where pupils achieve generally well and feel safe and supported. Pupils reach strong outcomes by the end of key stage 2, particularly in reading and combined reading, writing and mathematics, and they benefit from a broad curriculum, effective teaching and timely support. Inclusion is a notable strength: pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported, disadvantaged pupils are closely monitored, and personal development and wellbeing are promoted effectively. Behaviour is positive, relationships are warm and bullying is extremely rare. Leadership and governance are reflective and improvement-focused, with effective trust support through the CRESCO Multi Academy Trust. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school's caring ethos and inclusive culture. Early years provision is nurturing and well designed, though staff should consistently build meaningful interactions with all children throughout routines and informal times. The main areas for further work are the achievement of disadvantaged pupils, whose outcomes remain below national averages across several measures, and attendance for disadvantaged pupils, which remains the school's key improvement priority. Leaders are also rightly continuing to focus on phonics and times tables so that attainment is equally strong across all areas.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve strong key stage 2 outcomes, especially in reading and combined reading, writing and mathematics.
• Early reading is established successfully, helping younger pupils access the wider curriculum.
• Pupils behave well, show kindness and respect, and bullying is extremely rare.
• Effective assessment and timely interventions help pupils catch up quickly.
• Pupils with SEND are well supported and fully included alongside their peers.
• Early years provision is welcoming, nurturing and thoughtfully designed across the areas of learning.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and priorities.
• Governance and trust support provide effective oversight and constructive challenge.
• The personal development programme builds pupils' wellbeing, safety awareness and respect for diversity.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school's caring ethos and inclusive culture.

Areas for Improvement

• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment remains below national averages across key measures, with a substantial disadvantage gap.
• Attendance for disadvantaged pupils remains the school's key area for improvement.
• Achievement in phonics and times tables needs continued focus to ensure equally high attainment across all areas.
• Early years staff should consistently engage all children in meaningful interactions during routines and informal times.
• Pupils' understanding of democracy and pupil representation is less developed than their knowledge of safety, wellbeing and inclusion.

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 Noak Bridge Primary School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.4% 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 Noak Bridge 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 Noak Bridge Primary School had 19.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.6% 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, 14.5% of pupils at Noak Bridge Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Noak Bridge Primary School received £6,473 and spent £6,320 for each of its 211 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £494,000 (£2,341 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Cresco Multi Academy Trust, income was £6,927 and spending £6,851 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 Basildon · Essex local authority: places and applications

Noak Bridge Primary School is part of Cresco Multi Academy Trust, which runs 4 schools. The nearest others:

• Janet Duke Primary School Basildon
• Lincewood Primary Academy Basildon
• Great Berry Primary School Basildon

What is Noak Bridge Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Noak Bridge Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Noak Bridge Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Noak Bridge Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Noak Bridge Primary School have?

Noak Bridge Primary School has 207 pupils on roll.

What age range does Noak Bridge Primary School cover?

Noak Bridge Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Noak Bridge Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Noak Bridge Primary School?

Noak Bridge Primary School is at Coppice Lane, Basildon, Essex, SS15 4JS.