School Chooser

Springfield Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedCouncil409 pupilsChelmsfordEssex
School Chooser Score
34
Below
similar schools
Likely range 20 to 51, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 40% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, March 2026
Reached the expected level at 1152%England 63%
Attendance93.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families29%About the same as most schools in England
Parents would recommend95%96 Parent View responses
Places11 spare409 pupils, 420 places

Springfield Primary School is a council school in Chelmsford for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 409 pupils and room for 420. About 29 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 34 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 40% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in March 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Forsythia Close, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM1 6XW01245 461077springfield-pri.essex.sch.ukMrs Jacquelyn Pick headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 10 March 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
As expected
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
Strong
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
9 November 2021Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 1Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1152%
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 score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 59%59%20172018: 39%39%20182019: 60%60%20192023: 67%67%20232024: 54%54%20242025: 52%52%2025
Since 2017: -7%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017EssexEngland
Pupils tested638789605756
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths52%54%67%60%39%59%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths3%6%16%12%4%7%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0107.0106.0103.0104.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0105.0106.0105.0100.0102.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score106.0106.0107.0108.0104.0105.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard67%69%79%80%65%70%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard70%75%81%75%46%66%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)65%61%71%73%58%73%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.9+0.2-3.3-1.2
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.4-1.0-5.3-2.4
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged40%25%41%50%23%38%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged58%61%76%61%43%63%

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. 2 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
40%58%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
50%57%
Gap 7 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
70%52%
Gap 18 ptsEngland 4 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.

Nearly full419 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
100% 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 11% 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 4.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60140LA

What parents say

Would recommend the school95%England 87%
My child is happy here95%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe96%
Positive overall93%
My child is happy at this school
95%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
96%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
95%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
5% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
60%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
95%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
23% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
82%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
88%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
71%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
93%England 82%
I would recommend this school
95%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
93%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 96 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll409Census January 2026
Places42097% full
Pupils from low-income families29%29% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English26%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support21%86 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%10 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.111 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils27%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)29%£181,350 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls214 / 195
White British pupils58%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 26.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.6 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (34), language and communications needs (17), Autistic spectrum disorder (16), Specific learning difficulty (13), Other difficulty or disability (8), Hearing impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll409406430476436432
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals29%29%29%30%21%16%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language26%20%20%23%17%14%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support25%17%14%10%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school21.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils2.52024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.3%6.6%7.3%7.1%3.6%4.2%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.0%4.9%5.9%5.5%2.6%3.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.4%1.7%1.4%1.5%1.0%1.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence21.2%18.4%22.5%23.9%11.8%8.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate2.53.03.64.13.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers17.4full-time equivalent, 19 people
Pupils per teacher23.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers95%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants18.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,590
Teachers who left in the year17%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.92024/25

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£7,116England £7,738. Total £2.9m
Income per pupil£6,530England £7,697. Total £2.7m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,025England £3,480
Money in reserve6%Not much put by: £168k, £413 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£238kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£7,116spent 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 m14912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate52 per 1,000 people43% lower than the England average
Typical house price£400,000Chelmsford
Nearest bus stop260 mBelmonde Drive, 12 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
The Bishops' Church of England and Roman Catholic Primary SchoolChurch of England/Roman Catholic370 m437Good 202388Compare
Perryfields Infant SchoolAcademy700 m180Good 202283Compare
Perryfields Junior SchoolAcademy740 m301Outstanding 2024100Compare
The Beaulieu Park SchoolFree school770 m1,763Outstanding 202388Compare
The Tyrrells SchoolAcademy800 m420Good 201988Compare
Barnes Farm Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles539Good 202215Compare
Broomfield Primary SchoolFoundation1.3 miles417Good 202352Compare
Chancellor Park Primary School, ChelmsfordCouncil1.3 miles209Outstanding 202497Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Springfield 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.

Beats40%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 34 is 9 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 42 · highest 88100

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: 20 to 51. 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
-0.04
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 63 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.03
Ofsted report card, 0.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.05
DfE progress measure; 63 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.16
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%below
-0.09
2024/25; 392 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.04
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 63 pupils
What parents say5%above
+0.04
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 96 responses

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 Springfield Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. Springfield Primary School scores 34 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 40% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 20 to 51, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Springfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 10 March 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as strong.

How good are Springfield Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 52% 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 Springfield Primary School have?

409 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 97% full.

Is Springfield 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 Springfield Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Springfield Primary School?

95% of the 96 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 95% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Springfield Primary School?

The average class had 29.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 27% 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
Forsythia Close, Springfield, Chelmsford, CM1 6XW
Telephone
01245 461077
Website
www.springfield-pri.essex.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jacquelyn Pick
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Springfield North
Constituency
Chelmsford
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2003 (result of amalgamation)
URN
134065 · LAESTAB 8812020 · UKPRN 10074151
Formerly
Nabbotts Junior School, The Nabbotts Infant School

Where these figures come from