Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy
Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy is an academy converter in Braintree for pupils aged 4 to 11. It has a Church of England religious character. It has 71 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in October 2017 of its predecessor, Finchingfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
Ofsted inspection: January 2025.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 4-11 |
| Religion | Church of England |
| Address | Vicarage Road Finchingfield Braintree Essex CM7 4LD |
| Phone | 01371810423 |
| Reference Number | 147817 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 71 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 53.52%
Girls: 46.48% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 15.3% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 0% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 17.8 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 30 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 5 | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| 6 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 87.3% |
| White, Other | 2.8% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 2.8% |
| Mixed, Other | 2.8% |
| White & Black (African) | 1.4% |
| African | 1.4% |
This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Finchingfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, inspected in October 2017.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 26 Nov 2024 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 26 Nov 2024 | School inspection |
| 08 Apr 2020 | Academy conversion letter |
| 18 Oct 2017 | Short inspection |
| Previously as Finchingfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | |
| 30 Apr 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 09 Jan 2012 | Interim assessment |
| 18 Nov 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 17 Oct 2005 | Full inspection: |
| 27 Sep 1999 | Full inspection |
Ofsted Parent View
The latest published parent view scores are from 2019. Ofsted only publish scores if there have been more than 10 responses to the survey.
| Strongly Agree | Agree | Disagree | Strongly Disagree | Don't Know | Total Responses | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. My child is happy at this school. | 13 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 25 |
| 2. My child feels safe at this school. | 14 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| 3. The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved. | 10 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 25 |
| 4. My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively. | 15 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 5. The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year. | 11 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 25 |
| 6. When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly. | 7 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| 7. My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed. | ||||||
| 8. The school has high expectations for my child. | 9 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 25 |
| 9. My child does well at this school. | 11 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 25 |
| 10. The school lets me know how my child is doing. | 10 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 25 |
| 11. There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school. | 12 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 25 |
| 12. My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school. | 11 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 25 |
| 13. The school supports my child’s wider personal development. | 9 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 25 |
| 14. I would recommend this school to another parent. | 19 | 6 |
Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 9 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 0 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy had 53 pupils for 84 places. 31 places (36.9%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Braintree Primary B: West (Bardfield)” planning area
Essex counted 43 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 40 in 2029–30, down 7%.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 |
| Pupils | 66 | 57 | 51 | 42 | 53 |
| Unfilled | 21.4% | 32.1% | 39.3% | 50.0% | 36.9% |
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 Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 18.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 1.9% | 7.5% | 5.1% | 3.6% | 4.3% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 1.3% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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 Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy had 15.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 12.8 | 11.2 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 25.0% | 50.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 0.0% | 50.0% | 42.9% | – | 40.0% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 0.0 | 2.2 | 1.1 | – | 2.3 | – |
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, 26.8% of pupils at Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 5 | 0 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 5 | 0 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 4 | 0 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 2 | 1 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 1 | 0 |
| Multi-sensory impairment | 1 | 0 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 1 | 0 |
| Severe learning difficulty | 0 | 1 |
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 Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy received £11,492 and spent £11,055 for each of its 59 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £58,000 (£986 per pupil).
Across all 12 schools of Canonium Learning Trust, income was £7,113 and spending £6,734 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £120,000 | £131,000 | £70,000 | £38,000 | £58,000 |
| per pupil | £1,744 | £2,164 | £1,302 | £881 | £986 |
| In-year balance | £26,000 | £19,000 | -£16,000 | £283,000 | £26,000 |
| per pupil | £372 | £314 | -£288 | £6,572 | £438 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
Great Bardfield Primary School
Braintree Road, Great Bardfield, Braintree, Essex, CM7 4RN |
1.45 miles |
|
Wethersfield CofE VC Primary School
Silver St, Wethersfield, Wethersfield Primary School, Braintree, Essex, CM7 4BP |
1.64 miles |
|
Great Sampford Community Primary School
Finchingfield Road, Great Sampford, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 2RL |
3.17 miles |
|
Shalford Primary School
Church End, Shalford, Braintree, Essex, CM7 5EZ |
3.61 miles |
|
St Margaret's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Toppesfield
Church Lane, Toppesfield, Halstead, Essex, CO9 4DS |
4.41 miles |
|
Thaxted Primary School
Bardfield Road, Thaxted, Dunmow, Essex, CM6 2LW |
4.7 miles |
| Name | Distance |
All schools in Braintree · Essex local authority: places and applications
Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy is part of Canonium Learning Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:
- Stisted Church of England Primary Academy Braintree
- Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy Colchester
- St Andrew's Church of England Primary Academy, Marks Tey Colchester
- Woodham Walter Church of England Primary Academy Maldon
- Tolleshunt D'Arcy St Nicholas Primary Academy Maldon
- East Hanningfield Church of England Primary Academy Chelmsford
- St Peter's Church of England Primary Academy, West Hanningfield Chelmsford
- Langham Primary Academy Colchester
- Ardleigh St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy Colchester
- Stourview Church of England Primary Academy Mistley
What is Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in October 2017 of its predecessor, Finchingfield Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
When was Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?
Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy was last inspected in January 2025.
How many pupils does Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy have?
Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy has 71 pupils on roll.
What age range does Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy cover?
Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy for pupils aged 4 to 11.
Where is Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy?
Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy is at Vicarage Road, Finchingfield, Braintree, Essex, CM7 4LD.