Somers Heath Primary School

Somers Heath Primary School is currently performing well, achieving strong standards in various key areas, particularly in personal development and safeguarding. The school boasts a broad and ambitious personal development program, which actively includes all students, providing them with necessary emotional and social support. Notably, the school's focus on special educational needs ensures that all pupils can participate in enriching activities, fostering a strong sense of responsibility and community among students. Academic outcomes are above national averages, with pupils well-prepared for their future education.

Strengths

• Strong personal development program tailored to students' needs.
• High standards of safeguarding across the school.
• Effective engagement with parents in personal development initiatives.
• Above national average outcomes in end of key stage 2 tests.
• Positive school culture where pupils feel supported and safe.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in the teaching of handwriting across the school.
• Some targets for special educational needs lack precision, limiting progress.

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 Somers Heath Primary School attended 94.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.0% 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, 2.2% of pupils at Somers Heath Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 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 Somers Heath Primary School had 27.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 46.7% 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, 10.6% of pupils at Somers Heath Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.6% 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 Somers Heath Primary School received £6,474 and spent £6,532 for each of its 438 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £426,000 (£974 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Catalyst Academies Trust, income was £6,930 and spending £6,646 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 South Ockendon · Thurrock local authority: places and applications

Somers Heath Primary School is part of Catalyst Academies Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Dilkes Academy South Ockendon
• Aveley Primary School South Ockendon
• Benyon Primary School South Ockendon
• Quarry Hill Academy Grays

What is Somers Heath Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Somers Heath Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Somers Heath Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Somers Heath Primary School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Somers Heath Primary School have?

Somers Heath Primary School has 415 pupils on roll.

What age range does Somers Heath Primary School cover?

Somers Heath Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Somers Heath Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Somers Heath Primary School?

Somers Heath Primary School is at Foyle Drive, South Ockendon, Essex, RM15 5LX.