Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Holy Family Catholic Primary School is an academy converter in Witham for pupils aged 5 to 11. It has a Roman Catholic religious character. It has 201 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Holy Family Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2022. In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Attendance is among the best for primary schools in England, with 2.9% of sessions missed in 2024/25 compared with 5.2% nationally.
Ofsted inspection: November 2022. KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 5-11 |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Address | Maltings Lane Witham Essex CM8 1DX |
| Phone | 01376513418 |
| Reference Number | 148111 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 201 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 43.78%
Girls: 56.22% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 17.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 5.5% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 28.6 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 27.5 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 29.3 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 13 | 25 |
| 2 | 15 | 15 | 30 |
| 3 | 7 | 21 | 28 |
| 4 | 13 | 18 | 31 |
| 5 | 11 | 18 | 29 |
| 6 | 18 | 12 | 30 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 65.2% |
| White, Other | 8% |
| African | 7.5% |
| Mixed, Other | 6% |
| White & Asian | 3.5% |
| Indian | 3% |
| Irish | 2% |
| White & Black (African) | 1.5% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1% |
| Chinese | 1% |
Holy Family Catholic Primary School demonstrates overall good performance across various aspects of education, including the quality of education, behavior, personal development, leadership, and early years provision. The pupils are engaged, happy, and well-prepared for the next stages of their education. The school's nurturing environment fosters positivity and encourages students to be responsible citizens. Every pupil benefits from a broad and rich curriculum that supports their academic growth, with a strong emphasis on personal development and communication skills.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| > Quality of education | Good |
| > Behaviour & Attitude | Good |
| > Personal Development | Good |
| > Leadership & Management | Good |
| > Early Years Provision | Good |
| Last Report Date | 28 Sep 2022 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 28 Sep 2022 | School inspection: |
| 04 Sep 2020 | Academy conversion letter |
| 24 Jan 2019 | Short inspection |
| Previously as Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Witham | |
| 18 Mar 2015 | Full inspection: |
| 28 Feb 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 02 Dec 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 23 May 2005 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils enjoy a broad and rich curriculum.
- The school has a nurturing ethos that parents value.
- Students are well-prepared for their next educational stages.
- Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum.
- High expectations from staff lead to good pupil behavior and attitudes.
- Effective support for pupils with SEND.
- Strong prioritization of reading across the school.
Areas for Improvement
- Reading support for some key stage 2 pupils is not effectively matched to their phonics knowledge.
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 70% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 9% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 107 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 103 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 7.8 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | 5.1 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 3 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
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See how Holy Family Catholic Primary School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Reception admissions, 2026 entry
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| 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 | 30 | 6 |
| Third Preference | 31 | 5 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
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UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Holy Family Catholic Primary School had 200 pupils for 210 places. 10 places (4.8%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Braintree Primary H: South (Witham)” planning area
Essex counted 383 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 456 in 2029–30, up 19%.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 210 | 210 | 210 | 210 | 210 |
| Pupils | 204 | 205 | 205 | 202 | 200 |
| Unfilled | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 3.8% | 4.8% |
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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School attended 97.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.7% 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 | 2.6% | 3.0% | 3.9% | 3.6% | 2.7% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School 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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School had 21.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.0% 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 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 13.2 | 12.8 | 12.6 | 13.1 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 20.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | – | 41.7% | 8.3% | 33.3% | 23.1% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | – | 2.3 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | – |
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, 12.9% of pupils at Holy Family Catholic Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Specific learning difficulty | 9 | 0 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 8 | 0 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 2 | 4 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 5 | 0 |
| Physical disability | 2 | 0 |
| Moderate 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 Holy Family Catholic Primary School received £7,074 and spent £7,099 for each of its 198 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £84,000 (£424 per pupil).
Across all 7 schools of The Rosary Trust - A Catholic Multi Academy, income was £7,679 and spending £7,558 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2021 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £147,000 | £92,000 | £91,000 | £84,000 |
| per pupil | £710 | £447 | £450 | £424 |
| In-year balance | £36,000 | -£38,000 | -£1,000 | -£5,000 |
| per pupil | £174 | -£184 | -£5 | -£25 |
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 |
|
Howbridge Church of England Junior School
Howbridge Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 1BZ |
0.1 miles |
|
Howbridge Infant School
Dengie Close, Witham, Essex, CM8 1DJ |
0.1 miles |
|
Chipping Hill Primary School
Owers Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 1FR |
0.33 miles |
|
Witham Oaks Academy
Spa Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 1NA |
1.09 miles |
|
Acorn Infant Academy
Spa Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 1NA |
1.09 miles |
|
Templars Academy
Cressing Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 2NJ |
1.59 miles |
|
Hatfield Peverel Infant and Nursery School
Church Road, Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 2RP |
1.82 miles |
|
Hatfield Peverel St Andrew's Junior School
Church Road, Hatfield Peverel, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 2JX |
1.82 miles |
|
Elm Hall Primary School
Conrad Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 2SD |
1.91 miles |
|
Great Totham Primary School
Walden House Road, Great Totham, Maldon, Essex, CM9 8PN |
2.41 miles |
|
Rivenhall Church of England Primary School
Church Road, Rivenhall, Witham, Essex, CM8 3PQ |
2.7 miles |
|
Terling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
New Road, Terling, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 2PN |
2.99 miles |
|
White Notley Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Vicarage Avenue, White Notley, Witham, Essex, CM8 1RZ |
3.46 miles |
|
Silver End Academy
School Road, Silver End, Witham, Essex, CM8 3RZ |
3.69 miles |
|
Woodham Walter Church of England Primary Academy
The Street, Woodham Walter, Maldon, Essex, CM9 6RF |
4.02 miles |
|
Heybridge Primary School
Rowan Drive, Heybridge, Maldon, Essex, CM9 4TU |
4.28 miles |
|
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon
London Road, Maldon, Essex, CM9 6HN |
4.31 miles |
|
Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy
Docwra Road, Kelvedon, Colchester, Essex, CO5 9DS |
4.38 miles |
|
Maldon Court Preparatory School
Silver Street, Maldon, CM9 4QE |
4.41 miles |
|
Boreham Primary School
Juniper Road, Boreham, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 3DB |
4.42 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Lift Maltings
Spinks Lane, Witham, Essex, CM8 1EP |
0.41 miles |
|
Woodend Farm School
Woodend Farm, Hatfield Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 1EH |
0.96 miles |
|
Lift New Rickstones
Conrad Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 2SD |
1.91 miles |
|
Southview School
Conrad Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 2TA |
1.93 miles |
|
Chatten Free School
Rickstones Road, Rivenhall, Essex, CM8 3HH |
2.24 miles |
|
Plume School
Fambridge Road, Maldon, Essex, CM9 6AB |
4.63 miles |
All schools in Witham · Essex local authority: places and applications
Holy Family Catholic Primary School is part of The Rosary Trust - A Catholic Multi Academy, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:
- St Pius X Catholic Primary School Chelmsford
- Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School Chelmsford
- St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Colchester Colchester
- St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester Colchester
- St Clare's Catholic Primary School Clacton-On-Sea
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
What is Holy Family Catholic Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Holy Family Catholic Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2022.
When was Holy Family Catholic Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School was last inspected in November 2022.
How many pupils does Holy Family Catholic Primary School have?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School has 201 pupils on roll.
What age range does Holy Family Catholic Primary School cover?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.
What are Holy Family Catholic Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is Holy Family Catholic Primary School?
Holy Family Catholic Primary School is at Maltings Lane, Witham, Essex, CM8 1DX.
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