Maple Grove Primary School

Maple Grove Primary School is performing solidly overall. Inspectors found the school meeting expected standards across achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development, with safeguarding requirements met. The school is part of the Lion Academy Trust and serves a community with above-average levels of free school meals and well-above-average deprivation, which provides important context for its work. The school's strengths are considerable. Pupils are happy, feel safe and attend regularly. Behaviour has improved and relationships are warm and respectful. Leaders have built an ambitious curriculum, prioritise language and communication from the early years, and provide strong inclusion for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. Early years provision is particularly effective in preparing children for Year 1, and personal development and enrichment are central to the school's culture. Leaders know the school well, use clear priorities, and are supported by effective governance and well-planned staff training. There are still areas to improve. Assessment systems are not yet consistently accurate across the curriculum, and in some subjects teachers do not routinely check what pupils already know before introducing new content, so misconceptions are not always addressed promptly. Published 2024/25 outcomes were below national averages in reading and mathematics, and disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics results dipped sharply that year, although three-year averages remain above or close to national and leaders have acted quickly to address weaker areas.

Strengths

• Strong focus on language and communication from the early years
• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum with high expectations for all pupils
• High attendance and improving behaviour supported by a caring, inclusive culture
• Effective early years provision that prepares children well for Year 1
• Strong inclusion and timely support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils
• Leaders know the school well and use clear priorities to drive improvement
• Trustees and governors provide effective support and challenge
• Well-planned professional development builds staff knowledge and confidence
• Broad personal development programme and enrichment opportunities
• Pupils feel safe, happy and respected, with positive attitudes to learning
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve well over time, particularly in writing
• Positive outcomes in English and mathematics despite a recent dip

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment systems are not yet consistently accurate across the curriculum
• Teachers in some subjects do not routinely check prior learning before new content
• Misconceptions are not always identified and addressed promptly
• 2024/25 outcomes in reading and mathematics were below national averages
• Disadvantaged pupils' combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes fell sharply in 2024/25
• Pupils' confidence and understanding in some foundation subjects are still developing

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 Maple Grove Primary School attended 95.1% 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, 3.6% of pupils at Maple Grove 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 Maple Grove Primary School had 26.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 41.2% 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, 14.2% of pupils at Maple Grove Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.4% 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 Maple Grove Primary School received £7,661 and spent £7,452 for each of its 303 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £145,000 (£478 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Lion Academy Trust, income was £7,997 and spending £8,136 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

Maple Grove Primary School is part of Lion Academy Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Leigh Beck Junior School Canvey Island
• Limebrook Primary School and Nursery Maldon
• Barclay Primary School London
• Thomas Gamuel Primary School London
• Sybourn Primary School London
• Brook House Primary School London
• Warwick Academy Wellingborough
• Ruskin Infant School Wellingborough
• Ruskin Academy Wellingborough
• Olympic Primary Wellingborough

What is Maple Grove Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Maple Grove Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in February 2026.

When was Maple Grove Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Maple Grove Primary School was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does Maple Grove Primary School have?

Maple Grove Primary School has 295 pupils on roll.

What age range does Maple Grove Primary School cover?

Maple Grove Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Maple Grove Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Maple Grove Primary School?

Maple Grove Primary School is at High Road, Pitsea, Basildon, Essex, SS13 3AB.