Ivy Chimneys Primary School

Ivy Chimneys Primary School is a caring, inclusive primary school where pupils enjoy learning, behave well and feel safe. Inspectors found particularly strong early years provision, effective inclusion for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, and a well-planned personal development programme. Reading outcomes are notably strong and above national averages, and pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, leadership roles and community contributions. Safeguarding standards are met. Most areas of the school’s work are at the expected standard. Leaders understand the school’s context, identify the right priorities and support staff development and wellbeing well. Trustees and governors provide effective support and challenge, and relationships with families are very positive. Attendance is mostly good and support is improving attendance for some groups, although some pupils remain absent too frequently. The report identifies a few areas for further improvement: handwriting is not consistently corrected, especially in key stage 2; higher-attaining pupils are not always challenged to reach their maximum potential; and teachers do not always deepen pupils’ thinking or recognise when pupils are ready to move on. The school is part of the Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust and had a full inspection in September 2026.

Strengths

• Early years provision gives children a strong start, with excellent transition and rapid identification of needs.
• Inclusion is effective for pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils and those with other barriers to learning.
• Personal development is a strength, including the 'Becoming Me' programme, pastoral support and wellbeing strategies.
• Pupils behave well, show respect and care for one another.
• Reading achievement is notably strong and above national averages.
• Phonics is taught accurately and supports reading development.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, leadership roles and community contributions.
• Leaders understand the school’s context, set the right priorities and support staff development and wellbeing.
• Trustees and governors provide effective support and challenge.
• Relationships with families are very effective, and most parents speak highly of the school.
• Attendance is mostly good and support is improving attendance for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils remain absent too frequently, so attendance support remains a priority.
• Handwriting teaching does not consistently correct inaccuracies, especially in key stage 2.
• Higher-attaining pupils are not always challenged to reach their maximum potential.
• Teachers do not always deepen pupils’ thinking or recognise when pupils are ready to move on.

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 Ivy Chimneys Primary School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.1% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Ivy Chimneys 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 Ivy Chimneys Primary School had 22.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.5% 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, 7.1% of pupils at Ivy Chimneys Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% 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 Ivy Chimneys Primary School received £6,303 and spent £6,801 for each of its 331 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £66,000 (-£199 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, income was £7,618 and spending £7,577 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 · Essex local authority: places and applications

Ivy Chimneys Primary School is part of Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

• Theydon Bois Primary School Epping
• Hereward Primary School Loughton
• Epping Upland CofE Primary School Epping
• Lambourne Primary School Romford
• Oak View School Loughton
• Staples Road Primary School Loughton
• The Alderton Junior School Loughton
• Hillhouse CofE Primary School Waltham Abbey
• The Alderton Infant School and Nursery Loughton
• High Beech CofE Primary School Loughton

What is Ivy Chimneys Primary School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Ivy Chimneys Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ivy Chimneys Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Ivy Chimneys Primary School have?

Ivy Chimneys Primary School has 338 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ivy Chimneys Primary School cover?

Ivy Chimneys Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Ivy Chimneys Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ivy Chimneys Primary School?

Ivy Chimneys Primary School is at Ivy Chimneys Road, Epping, Essex, CM16 4EP.