Home Farm Primary School

Home Farm Primary School has demonstrated strong overall performance, with pupils consistently achieving above average attainment in national assessments. The school's nurturing and supportive environment fosters respect and motivation among students, as they take pride in their achievements and engage positively with one another. Leaders prioritize attendance and behavior, ensuring that the culture is one of respect and safety, where bullying is not tolerated. The teachers effectively identify and support the individual needs of pupils, ensuring that all learners, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum designed to prepare them for future learning. This is the school's first report under the new inspection framework, affirming its commitment to high standards and effective governance.

Strengths

• Strong foundational knowledge in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• High pupils' attendance rates consistently above the national average.
• Effective behavior management with a positive school culture.
• Targeted support for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs.
• Ambitious curriculum that is regularly reviewed and refined.
• Strong collaboration with secondary schools to enhance teacher expertise.
• Well-designed early years curriculum promoting independence and problem-solving.

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 Home Farm Primary School attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.6% 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, 1.7% of pupils at Home Farm 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 Home Farm Primary School had 21.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.5% 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, 12.6% of pupils at Home Farm Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.4% 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 Home Farm Primary School received £6,126 and spent £5,787 for each of its 424 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £385,000 (£909 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of Alpha Trust, income was £7,215 and spending £7,158 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 Colchester · Essex local authority: places and applications

Home Farm Primary School is part of Alpha Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Colchester County High School for Girls Colchester
• The Trinity School Colchester
• The Gilberd School Colchester
• Manningtree High School Manningtree

What is Home Farm Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Home Farm Primary School is Strong standard, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was Home Farm Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Home Farm Primary School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does Home Farm Primary School have?

Home Farm Primary School has 422 pupils on roll.

What age range does Home Farm Primary School cover?

Home Farm Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Home Farm Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Home Farm Primary School?

Home Farm Primary School is at Shelley Road, Lexden, Colchester, Essex, CO3 4JL.