School Chooser

Cherry Tree Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy384 pupilsNursery Free breakfast clubBasildonEssex
School Chooser Score
2
Well below
similar schools
Likely range 1 to 4
Out of 100. Better than 4% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, July 2025
Reached the expected level at 1138%England 63%
Attendance90.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families45%Far more than most schools
Places36 spare384 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher22.3School workforce census

Cherry Tree Primary School is a converter academy in Basildon for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 384 pupils and room for 420. About 44 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 2 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 4% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Church Road, Basildon, SS16 4AG01268 523017cherrytree-pri.essex.sch.ukMr Max Davie headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 1 July 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Requires improvement
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Requires improvement
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes
Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
28 June 2023UngradedSchool remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

60 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1138%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level2%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score102.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score100.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 58%58%20172018: 78%78%20182019: 70%70%20192023: 46%46%20232024: 47%47%20242025: 38%38%2025
Since 2017: -20%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†EssexEngland
Pupils tested605959565157
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths38%47%46%70%78%58%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths2%0%0%4%6%4%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score102.0104.0106.0108.0106.0101.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score100.0101.0101.0107.0105.0101.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score100.0105.0103.0109.0106.0103.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard55%64%80%79%84%70%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard53%51%47%73%80%70%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)52%68%64%80%78%75%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.2+2.1+2.3-1.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.8-0.7+1.8-2.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged30%44%31%55%70%52%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged43%50%63%91%94%65%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Cherry Tree Primary School, Basildon, the school this one replaced in April 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 3 of the 4 gaps are smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
30%43%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
38%39%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
30%38%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
4%2%
Gap 2 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Nearly full397 pupils for 410 places, 2024/25
97% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have fallen by 4% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

How places were given out for September 2026. The last place was given under this rule: Criterion 5.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary6088LA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll384Census January 2026
Places42091% full
Pupils from low-income families42%45% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English29%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support22%86 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%17 pupils with a plan
Average class size24.415 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)47%£269,700 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls205 / 179
White British pupils53%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 22.3 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.1 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (33), Autistic spectrum disorder (32), emotional and mental health (30), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Physical disability (2), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll384423438445439446
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals42%39%39%41%40%37%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language29%23%18%17%15%14%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support24%23%22%21%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%3%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance90.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school31.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.62024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19†England
Sessions missedOverall absence9.2%7.7%9.7%8.8%4.7%5.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.4%4.0%5.1%6.5%3.6%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.8%3.7%4.6%2.3%1.2%1.5%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence31.8%23.4%32.8%32.0%12.3%12.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.61.40.70.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

† These attendance figures are for Cherry Tree Primary School, Basildon, the school this one replaced in April 2019. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers16.6full-time equivalent, 17 people
Pupils per teacher22.3Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants23.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,856
Teachers who left in the year24%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher8.62024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,344England £7,128. Total £3.0m
Income per pupil£7,419England £7,587. Total £3.1m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,666England £3,405
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £189k, £457 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£31kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,344spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m44912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate129 per 1,000 people42% higher than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Basildon
Nearest bus stop160 mCherry Tree School, 6 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Fairhouse Community Primary SchoolAcademy560 m396Good 202343Compare
Bardfield AcademyAcademy810 m421Requires improvement 20244Compare
Kingswood Primary School and NurseryFoundation830 m444Good 202354Compare
Greensted Primary School & NurseryAcademy0.7 miles520No overall grade 202474Compare
Ryedene Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy0.8 miles461Not inspected58Compare
Vange Primary School and NurseryCouncil0.8 miles97Good 202218Compare
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, BasildonAcademy0.8 miles233Report card 202671Compare
The Willows Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles651Not inspected48Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Cherry Tree Primary School with the 48 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats4%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
Near the bottom of its group. Its score of 2 is 50 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 53 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 2 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 2% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 1 to 4. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.22
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 60 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%well below
-0.31
Ofsted grade, 1.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.22
DfE progress measure; 60 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.12
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.26
2024/25; 384 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.12
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 60 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Cherry Tree Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Cherry Tree Primary School scores 2 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 4% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 1 to 4, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Cherry Tree Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Cherry Tree Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 1 July 2025.

How good are Cherry Tree Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 38% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 2% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Cherry Tree Primary School have?

384 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 91% full.

Is Cherry Tree Primary School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at Cherry Tree Primary School?

Pupils were in school 90.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 32% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Cherry Tree Primary School?

The average class had 24.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Cherry Tree Primary School have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Church Road, Basildon, SS16 4AG
Telephone
01268 523017
Website
www.cherrytree-pri.essex.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Max Davie
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Berlesduna Academy Trust (11 schools)
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Nethermayne
Constituency
South Basildon and East Thurrock
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2019 (academy converter)
URN
143452 · LAESTAB 8813253 · UKPRN 10062430
Formerly
Cherry Tree Primary School, Basildon

Where these figures come from