Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School

Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School is a small Church of England primary school within the Life Education Trust. Inspectors found the school fulfilling the expected standard across most areas, with personal development and wellbeing judged as a strong standard. Safeguarding standards are met. Pupils are described as happy, confident and well supported in a warm, inclusive school community, and leaders have made significant changes in recent years, including to the curriculum, staffing and behaviour.

Strengths

• Personal development and wellbeing are a significant strength, with highly successful pastoral support.
• Pupils are confident, resilient and independent, and behaviour across the school is highly positive.
• Pupils feel safe and speak confidently about safety, relationships, health and online safety.
• The school has a strong inclusive culture that supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND well.
• The early years curriculum is well sequenced and children achieve well from their starting points.
• Leaders and governors understand the school well, manage change appropriately and are supportive of staff.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips, community activities and leadership roles.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not consistently check and adapt pupils' learning to deepen and stretch learning, particularly for high prior attainers.
• Teaching quality varies where recent curriculum changes are newer.
• Some pupils, including vulnerable pupils, still do not attend as well as they could.
• Attendance remains broadly in line with national averages rather than high.

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 Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.9% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Chappel CofE Controlled 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 Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School had 17.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.4% 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, 19.5% of pupils at Chappel CofE Controlled 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 Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School received £7,681 and spent £8,401 for each of its 89 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £136,000 (-£1,527 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Life Education Trust, income was £8,392 and spending £8,145 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

Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School is part of Life Education Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Fordham All Saints CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School Colchester
• Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Eight Ash Green and Aldham Colchester
• Langenhoe Community Primary School Colchester
• Ford End Church of England Primary School Chelmsford
• Roxwell Church of England Primary School Chelmsford
• Spring Meadow Primary School & Nursery Harwich
• Margaretting Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Ingatestone
• Dr Walker's CofE Primary School Ongar
• Dame Tipping Church of England Primary School Romford
• The Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls Romford

What is Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School have?

Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School has 82 pupils on roll.

What age range does Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School cover?

Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 63% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School?

Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School is at The Street, Chappel, Colchester, Essex, CO6 2DD.