School Chooser

Christchurch Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil1,084 pupilsNurseryIlfordRedbridge
School Chooser Score
80
Above
similar schools
Likely range 69 to 87
Out of 100. Better than 62% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, November 2022
Reached the expected level at 1179%England 63%
Attendance93.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families21%A bit fewer than most schools
Places70 spare1,084 pupils, 1,154 places
Pupils per teacher22.4School workforce census

Christchurch Primary School is a council school in Ilford for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 1,084 pupils and room for 1,154. About 21 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 80 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 62% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Wellesley Road, Ilford, IG1 4LQ020 8478 5560christchurchprimary.co.ukMiss Kirsty Steedman headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 1 November 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1179%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level14%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score112.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 82%82%20172018: 87%87%20182019: 90%90%20192023: 78%78%20232024: 83%83%20242025: 79%79%2025
Since 2017: -3%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017RedbridgeEngland
Pupils tested142143147146148149
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths79%83%78%90%87%82%76%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths14%15%15%26%26%17%16%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0109.0107.0111.0110.0110.0107.7105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score112.0111.0110.0113.0112.0111.0107.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score112.0112.0111.0114.0112.0112.0108.7105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard82%92%80%95%91%93%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard92%97%94%96%93%94%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)88%86%84%90%91%83%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.1+4.3+3.7+3.8
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.1+5.1+6.0+5.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged65%79%86%87%74%74%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged82%84%76%90%91%84%

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.

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. Every gap at this school is 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
65%82%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
81%76%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
80%79%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
12%14%
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 full1,031 pupils for 1,050 places, 2024/25
98% 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 stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Redbridge council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll1,084Census January 2026
Places1,15494% full
Pupils from low-income families20%21% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English86%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support7%77 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%43 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.437 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils5%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)18%£277,450 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls553 / 531
White British pupils2%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 27.6 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 29.2 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (89), Moderate learning difficulty (13), emotional and mental health (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Physical disability (2), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll1,0841,1171,1331,1291,1531,149
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals20%14%13%14%12%11%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language86%88%88%87%86%87%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support7%3%4%5%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%3%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school20.5%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.42024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.2%5.4%6.8%5.4%3.6%4.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.0%4.2%5.6%4.5%3.1%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.3%1.1%1.2%0.9%0.5%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence20.5%14.9%22.3%13.8%7.0%9.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.40.30.00.50.1
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers46.9full-time equivalent, 53 people
Pupils per teacher22.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants52.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£64,147
Teachers who left in the year10%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher5.02024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£6,487England £7,738. Total £7.0m
Income per pupil£6,364England £7,697. Total £6.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,281England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £111k, £103 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£133kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,487spent 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 m92212 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate94 per 1,000 peopleabout the England average
Typical house price£500,000Redbridge
Nearest bus stop220 mChristchurch Road (IG1), 9 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
Winston Way AcademyAcademy610 m616Good 202377Compare
Seven Kings SchoolCouncil770 m2,189Not inspected92Compare
St Aidan's Catholic Primary AcademyAcademy910 m213Good 202231Compare
SS Peter and Paul's Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy980 m338Not inspected85Compare
Ark Isaac Newton AcademyAcademy0.7 miles1,777Not inspected95Compare
Cleveland Road Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles899Outstanding 202499Compare
Gordon Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles398Good 202489Compare
Newbury Park Primary SchoolCouncil0.9 miles752No overall grade 202458Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Christchurch Primary School with the 50 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 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats62%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 80 is 9 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 71 · highest 99100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Christchurch Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Seven Kings SchoolCouncil770 m2,189Not inspected92Compare
Gearies Primary SchoolCouncil1.1 miles884No overall grade 202493Compare
Sandringham Primary SchoolCouncil2.2 miles995Outstanding 202387Compare
Shaftesbury Primary SchoolAcademy2.4 miles640Report card 202597Compare
Elmhurst Primary SchoolAcademy2.7 miles980Report card 202699Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 80 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 80% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 69 to 87. 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%well above
+0.32
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 142 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.09
DfE progress measure; 142 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
-0.01
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.09
2024/25; 976 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%above
+0.08
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 142 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 Christchurch Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Christchurch Primary School scores 80 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 62% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 69 to 87, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Christchurch Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Christchurch Primary School good at its last full inspection on 1 November 2022.

How good are Christchurch Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 79% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 14% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Christchurch Primary School have?

1,084 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,154 places, so it is 94% full.

Is Christchurch 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 Christchurch Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 20% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Christchurch Primary School?

The average class had 28.4 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 5% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

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

Contact and details

Address
Wellesley Road, Ilford, IG1 4LQ
Telephone
020 8478 5560
Website
www.christchurchprimary.co.uk
Headteacher
Miss Kirsty Steedman
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Redbridge
Ward
Valentines
Constituency
Ilford North
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 1998
URN
131847 · LAESTAB 3172072 · UKPRN 10073648
Formerly
Christchurch Junior School, Christchurch Infants' School

Where these figures come from