High Ongar Primary School

High Ongar Primary School has demonstrated a solid performance overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in all inspection areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership. This is the first inspection since the school converted to an academy in 2018, and it shows a commitment to ensuring pupil well-being and high educational standards. Pupils are engaged and motivated, supported by effective pastoral care and a well-implemented curriculum that helps them thrive both academically and socially. The school is characterized by a positive atmosphere, where pupils feel safe and are encouraged to take on responsibilities.

Strengths

• Pupils are motivated and engaged in their learning.
• Strong emphasis on personal development and well-being.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• High-quality phonics and reading programs in place.
• Broad and ambitious curriculum that builds knowledge logically.

Areas for Improvement

• Some foundation subjects have not yet covered all required learning.
• Not all curriculum plans clearly outline the wider concepts needed for deeper understanding.

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 High Ongar Primary School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 20.7% 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, 5.9% of pupils at High Ongar 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 High Ongar Primary School had 17.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.2% 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, 16.2% of pupils at High Ongar Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% 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 High Ongar Primary School received £6,301 and spent £6,753 for each of its 136 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £152,000 (£1,121 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Bridge Academy Trust, income was £7,606 and spending £7,532 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 Ongar · Essex local authority: places and applications

High Ongar Primary School is part of Bridge Academy Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• The Ongar Academy Ongar
• Ongar Primary School Ongar
• Chipping Ongar Primary School Ongar
• Mildmay Primary School Chelmsford
• Oaklands Infant School Chelmsford
• Moulsham High School Chelmsford
• Notley High School and Sixth Form Braintree
• Acorn Infant Academy Witham
• Richard de Clare Community Academy Halstead
• The Ramsey Academy, Halstead Halstead

What is High Ongar Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for High Ongar Primary School is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was High Ongar Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

High Ongar Primary School was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does High Ongar Primary School have?

High Ongar Primary School has 111 pupils on roll.

What age range does High Ongar Primary School cover?

High Ongar Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are High Ongar Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is High Ongar Primary School?

High Ongar Primary School is at The Street, High Ongar, Ongar, Essex, CM5 9NB.