Lakelands Primary School

Lakelands Primary School has demonstrated outstanding performance in its first inspection, with a rich curriculum that inspires enthusiasm among pupils. The school fosters a happy and respectful community where pupils feel safe and engaged in their learning, making strong progress from their starting points. The inclusive approach ensures that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported effectively, contributing to their high achievement across subjects, particularly in reading and mathematics.

Strengths

• Exceptional quality of education with an ambitious, well-structured curriculum
• Effective teaching of phonics leading to strong reading skills
• Strong support and adaptation for pupils with SEND
• High expectations and aspirations for every pupil
• Caring relationships between staff and pupils
• Wide range of extracurricular activities enhancing personal development
• Positive feedback from parents regarding communication and support

Areas for Improvement

• Occasional instances of pupils drifting off task during lessons

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 Lakelands Primary School attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.4% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Lakelands 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 Lakelands Primary School had 25.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.6% 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, 8.8% of pupils at Lakelands Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.9% 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 Lakelands Primary School received £6,327 and spent £5,930 for each of its 269 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £462,000 (£1,716 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of The Chelmsford Learning Partnership, income was £6,917 and spending £6,857 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

Lakelands Primary School is part of The Chelmsford Learning Partnership, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• The Beaulieu Park School Chelmsford
• Barnes Farm Primary School Chelmsford
• The Boswells School Chelmsford
• The Tyrrells School Chelmsford
• Perryfields Infant School Chelmsford
• Woodville Primary School Chelmsford
• William de Ferrers School Chelmsford
• Rettendon Primary School Chelmsford
• Runwell Community Primary School Wickford
• Roding Valley High School Loughton

What is Lakelands Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Lakelands Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Lakelands Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Lakelands Primary School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Lakelands Primary School have?

Lakelands Primary School has 340 pupils on roll.

What age range does Lakelands Primary School cover?

Lakelands Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

Where is Lakelands Primary School?

Lakelands Primary School is at Wagtail Mews, Colchester, Essex, CO3 8AJ.