School Chooser

Elm Hall Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy228 pupilsNurseryWithamEssex
School Chooser Score
45
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 23 to 69
Out of 100. Better than 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, February 2024
Reached the expected level at 1148%England 63%
Attendance93.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families17%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull228 pupils, 223 places
Pupils per teacher21.4School workforce census

Elm Hall Primary School is a converter academy in Witham for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 228 pupils, 5 more than it has places for. About 17 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 45 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Conrad Road, Witham, CM8 2SD01376 516025elmhall.essex.sch.ukMr Michael Wood headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 6 February 2024, 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
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1148%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level3%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score103.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 80%80%20172018: 100%100%20182019: 81%81%20192023: 70%70%20232024: 77%77%20242025: 48%48%2025
Since 2017: -32%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†EssexEngland
Pupils tested293030161715
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths48%77%70%81%100%80%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%7%7%0%6%13%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0106.0105.0109.0107.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score103.0105.0106.0105.0109.0107.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0105.0107.0108.0112.0109.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard72%87%80%81%100%80%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard59%90%83%88%100%93%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)76%87%77%94%100%87%
Reading progressReading progress score+2.8+2.8+4.2+5.7
Maths progressMaths progress score+2.8+2.2+4.8+5.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged25%71%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged57%78%80%

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 Elm Hall Primary School, the school this one replaced in January 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. 1 of the 3 gaps 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
25%57%
Gap 32 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
36%56%
Gap 20 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%3%
Gap 3 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.

Full213 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
101% full

The school is full, with 3 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

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 Primary30121LA

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 roll228Census January 2026
Places223102% full
Pupils from low-income families16%17% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English10%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support19%44 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%14 pupils with a plan
Average class size27.26 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils17%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)17%£54,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls117 / 111
White British pupils70%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 29.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.3 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (21), emotional and mental health (13), Autistic spectrum disorder (11), Specific learning difficulty (6), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Other difficulty or disability (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll228213212211210210
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals16%18%19%21%21%18%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language10%9%7%5%6%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support15%18%14%14%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%4%4%5%5%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils10.32024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.6%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.4%6.1%6.2%6.3%4.9%3.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.8%4.6%5.0%5.1%4.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.6%1.4%1.2%1.3%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.6%15.7%18.4%16.9%15.1%8.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate10.36.68.13.81.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers10.4full-time equivalent, 12 people
Pupils per teacher21.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers92%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants10.8full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£51,213
Teachers who left in the year21%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.02024/25

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£6,042England £7,128. Total £1.3m
Income per pupil£6,606England £7,587. Total £1.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,981England £3,405
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £100k, £468 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£120kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,042spent 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 m21912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate66 per 1,000 people27% lower than the England average
Typical house price£345,000Braintree
Nearest bus stop100 mRickstones School, 10 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
Templars AcademyAcademy530 m412Good 202411Compare
Rivenhall Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles128Good 202335Compare
Witham Oaks AcademyAcademy1.1 miles290Good 202345Compare
Acorn Infant AcademyAcademy1.1 miles196No overall grade 202436Compare
Silver End AcademyAcademy1.8 miles344Report card 202611Compare
Howbridge Infant SchoolFoundation1.8 miles265Good 202339Compare
Howbridge Church of England Junior SchoolAcademy1.9 miles356Good 20238Compare
Holy Family Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles201Good 202283Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Elm Hall 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.

Beats35%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 45 is 13 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 57 · highest 97100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 45 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 45% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 23 to 69. 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%in line
+0.00
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 29 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.14
DfE progress measure; 29 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.15
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.04
2024/25; 184 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.03
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 29 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 Elm Hall Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Elm Hall Primary School scores 45 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 23 to 69, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Elm Hall Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Elm Hall Primary School good at its last full inspection on 6 February 2024.

How good are Elm Hall Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 48% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 3% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Elm Hall Primary School have?

228 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 223 places, so it is 102% full.

Is Elm Hall Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 3 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.

What is attendance like at Elm Hall Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Elm Hall Primary School?

The average class had 27.2 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 17% 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
Conrad Road, Witham, CM8 2SD
Telephone
01376 516025
Website
www.elmhall.essex.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Michael Wood
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Attain Academy Partnership (7 schools)
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Silver End & Cressing
Constituency
Witham
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 2019 (academy converter)
URN
146695 · LAESTAB 8812757 · UKPRN 10082215
Formerly
Elm Hall Primary School

Where these figures come from