Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy

Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy is a small primary school within The Kemnal Academies Trust. Inspectors found the school to be meeting expected standards overall, with safeguarding met. Pupils achieve broadly in line with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics, and disadvantaged pupils often perform above national averages in combined measures, writing and mathematics. Pupils are polite, respectful and behave well; they feel safe, trust staff and benefit from a well-planned personal development programme. Early years and inclusion are particular strengths, with children achieving well from their starting points and pupils with SEND or vulnerabilities identified and supported quickly. Curriculum and teaching are generally effective, especially in phonics and writing, and leaders know the school well. Attendance is the main area needing attention. Overall absence and persistent absence are above national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils, and leaders' recently strengthened attendance work is too new to show full impact. Some pupils' achievement is held back by frequent absence. Mathematics is also a priority: implementation is not yet fully consistent, particularly in developing pupils' reasoning and explanation, and leaders are taking action. Some parents feel leaders could communicate more effectively, which leaders recognise and are addressing. Trustees provide appropriate support and challenge, and staff feel valued.

Strengths

• Pupils are polite, respectful, courteous and behave well.
• Pupils feel safe, trust staff and say bullying is rare and dealt with effectively.
• Early years provision is a high priority and children achieve well from their starting points.
• Staff identify pupils' needs quickly and provide effective support for SEND and vulnerable pupils.
• Phonics teaching is structured, consistent and effective.
• Pupils develop secure foundations in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Personal development is well planned, with broad enrichment, clubs and pupil leadership opportunities.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve above national averages in combined reading, writing and mathematics, and in writing and mathematics separately.
• Leaders and trustees know the school well, provide appropriate support and challenge, and staff feel valued.
• Safeguarding standards are met and there is an open culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence remains too high, including for disadvantaged pupils.
• Overall absence is above the national average.
• Leaders' attendance improvement work is at an early stage and its full impact is not yet evident.
• Some pupils' achievement is held back by frequent absence.
• Implementation of the mathematics curriculum is not yet fully consistent, particularly in developing pupils' reasoning and explanation.
• Some parents do not feel school leaders communicate with them as effectively as they could.

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 Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy attended 93.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 23.1% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Stapleford Abbotts 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 Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy had 18.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.5% 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, 10.4% of pupils at Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy 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 Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy received £6,737 and spent £6,795 for each of its 155 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £69,000 (£449 per pupil).

Across all 45 schools of The Kemnal Academies Trust, income was £8,501 and spending £8,452 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 Epping Forest · Essex local authority: places and applications

Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust, which runs 45 schools. The nearest others:

• Debden Park High School Loughton
• King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy Waltham Abbey
• Welling School Welling
• East Wickham Primary Academy Welling
• Shenstone School Crayford
• Hylands School Chelmsford
• Royal Park Primary Academy Sidcup
• Cleeve Park School Sidcup
• Cleeve Meadow School Sidcup
• Kemnal Technology College Sidcup

What is Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy have?

Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy has 135 pupils on roll.

What age range does Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy cover?

Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy?

Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy is at Stapleford Road, Stapleford Abbotts, Romford, Essex, RM4 1EJ.