School Chooser

High Beech CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedAcademyChurch of England105 pupilsLoughtonEssex
School Chooser Score
34
Below
similar schools
Likely range 9 to 76, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, June 2023
Reached the expected level at 1129%England 63%
Attendance95.2%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families18%A bit fewer than most schools
PlacesFull105 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher18.1School workforce census

High Beech CofE Primary School is a converter academy in Loughton for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 105 pupils and every place is taken. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 34 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Mott Street, High Beech, Loughton, IG10 4AP020 8508 6048highbeechschool.org.ukMrs Kate Mortimer headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 28 June 2023, 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”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

7 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1129%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score103.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score101.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 73%73%20172018: 43%43%20182019: 62%62%20192023: 62%62%20232024: 50%50%20242025: 29%29%2025
Since 2017: -44%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure2025202420232019†2018†2017†EssexEngland
Pupils tested7813131415
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths29%50%62%62%43%73%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%13%0%0%7%7%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score103.0104.0108.0103.0104.0105.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score101.0100.0101.0103.0102.0106.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.0100.0105.0105.0104.0106.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard57%63%77%69%71%87%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard43%50%62%77%50%80%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)43%50%69%92%93%93%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.4-1.7-2.0-1.6
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.3-2.8-4.2-0.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged33%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged86%

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 High Beech Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places91 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
87% full

About 14 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. 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 4.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary1546LA

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 roll105Census January 2026
Places105100% full
Pupils from low-income families18%18% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support23%24 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan6%6 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.01 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)16%£26,350 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls56 / 49
White British pupils70%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (11), Autistic spectrum disorder (6), language and communications needs (5), Specific learning difficulty (4), Moderate learning difficulty (2), Severe learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll10592949390103
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%16%22%19%17%17%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%9%10%8%8%7%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support13%19%12%10%7%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans8%6%8%6%5%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.2% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.2%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school9.4%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.8%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.9%6.1%6.6%5.7%3.2%4.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.0%4.7%5.9%4.7%2.8%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.8%1.4%0.7%1.0%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence9.4%17.1%13.9%14.1%5.6%6.7%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.02.10.00.02.9
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.8full-time equivalent, 7 people
Pupils per teacher18.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants4.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,694
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher0.92024/25

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£8,348England £7,128. Total £768k
Income per pupil£8,728England £7,587. Total £803k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,815England £3,405
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £12k, £135 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£35kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,348spent 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 m1712 months to June 2026, mostly drugs
Local crime rate160 per 1,000 people76% higher than the England average
Typical house price£515,000Epping Forest

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
Leverton Primary SchoolFoundation1.4 miles436Not inspected26Compare
Staples Road Primary SchoolAcademy1.6 miles626Good 202268Compare
Hillhouse CofE Primary SchoolAcademy1.7 miles341Good 202218Compare
Yardley Primary SchoolAcademy1.9 miles551Outstanding 2023100Compare
Upshire Primary Foundation SchoolFoundation2.0 miles198No overall grade 20254Compare
Waltham Holy Cross Primary AcademyAcademy2.0 miles598Good 202464Compare
Prince of Wales Primary SchoolCouncil2.0 miles506Report card 202623Compare
St Mary's Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic2.3 miles209Good 202383Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares High Beech CofE Primary School with the 49 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 49 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 34 is 8 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 41 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 34 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 34% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 9 to 76. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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
-0.07
2023 results; 13 pupils
Ofsted inspection20% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.2 years old
Progress pupils make20%below
-0.10
DfE progress measure; 13 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.07
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.04
2024/25; 85 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%in line
-0.02
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 13 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 High Beech CofE Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. High Beech CofE Primary School scores 34 out of 100. That is below 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 9 to 76, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is High Beech CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated High Beech CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 28 June 2023.

How good are High Beech CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 29% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does High Beech CofE Primary School have?

105 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 100% full.

Is High Beech CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 14 places were empty in 2024/25 (13% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at High Beech CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 95.2% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 9% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at High Beech CofE Primary School?

The average class had 29.0 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class 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
Mott Street, High Beech, Loughton, IG10 4AP
Telephone
020 8508 6048
Website
www.highbeechschool.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Kate Mortimer
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Chelmsford
Multi-academy trust
Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust (16 schools)
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Waltham Abbey South & Rural
Constituency
Epping Forest
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 2019 (academy converter)
URN
145600 · LAESTAB 8813124 · UKPRN 10080963
Formerly
High Beech Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Where these figures come from