School Chooser

St Giles' Church of England Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedChurch of England91 pupilsHalsteadEssex
School Chooser Score
16
Below
similar schools
Likely range 5 to 48, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 21% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, January 2023
Reached the expected level at 1167%England 63%
Attendance94.5%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families15%Far fewer than most schools
Places14 spare91 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher17.5School workforce census

St Giles' Church of England Primary School is a Church of England school (voluntary controlled) in Halstead for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 91 pupils and room for 105. About 15 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 16 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 21% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.

Church Street, Great Maplestead, Halstead, CO9 2RG01787 460481stgiles.chorusschools.ukMrs Jinnie Nichols headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 January 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”
Outstanding
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

9 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 1167%
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 score105.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 50%50%20172018: 91%91%20182019: 45%45%20192023: 42%42%20232024: 27%27%20242025: 67%67%2025
Since 2017: +17%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017EssexEngland
Pupils tested91112111118
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths67%27%42%45%91%50%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%8%0%27%0%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0102.0105.0101.0108.0105.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.099.099.0102.0107.0102.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.096.099.0100.0108.0105.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard67%55%75%64%91%67%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%45%42%64%91%56%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)89%73%83%82%91%72%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.2-3.1+2.8+1.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.6-2.3-0.1-0.9

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.

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.

Plenty of spare places86 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
82% full

19 places were empty (18% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. 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 Primary1532LA

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 roll91Census January 2026
Places10587% full
Pupils from low-income families15%15% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support21%19 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size22.84 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)14%£20,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls45 / 46
White British pupils88%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 20.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.5 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (7), emotional and mental health (5), Specific learning difficulty (2), language and communications needs (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1), Other difficulty or disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll9186929597101
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals15%12%11%10%7%9%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%1%0%1%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%16%14%16%11%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.5%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.5%5.5%5.3%6.6%2.8%3.1%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.6%4.4%4.3%5.8%2.1%2.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%1.1%1.0%0.8%0.7%0.6%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.3%13.4%10.7%18.1%2.3%0.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.20.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.2full-time equivalent, 7 people
Pupils per teacher17.5Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants3.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,098
Teachers who left in the year31%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.22023/24

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£9,842England £7,738. Total £1.9m
Income per pupil£9,590England £7,697. Total £1.9m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,781England £3,480
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £137k, £708 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£49kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£9,842spent 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 m212 months to June 2026, mostly public order
Local crime rate32 per 1,000 people65% lower than the England average
Typical house price£345,000Braintree
Nearest bus stop120 mChurch, 2 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
de Vere Primary SchoolAcademy1.8 miles203Good 202349Compare
St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Sible HedinghamChurch of England2.0 miles213No overall grade 202432Compare
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, HalsteadAcademy2.3 miles211Good 202249Compare
Holy Trinity Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, HalsteadChurch of England2.6 miles210Good 202345Compare
Richard de Clare Community AcademyAcademy2.7 miles370Report card 20268Compare
St John the Baptist Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School PebmarshChurch of England3.1 miles97Good 202358Compare
Gosfield Community Primary SchoolAcademy3.4 miles134Good 202321Compare
Colne Engaine Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy3.8 miles88Good 202313Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Giles' Church of England Primary School with the 47 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 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats21%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 16 is 22 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 38 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Giles' Church of England 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
St John the Baptist Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School PebmarshChurch of England3.1 miles97Good 202358Compare
Stisted Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy6.1 miles103Outstanding 202383Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 16 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 16% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 5 to 48. 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%below
-0.18
2024 and 2023 results; 11 pupils
Ofsted inspection19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.6 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.06
DfE progress measure; 11 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.08
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 78 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well below
-0.20
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 11 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 St Giles' Church of England Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Giles' Church of England Primary School scores 16 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 21% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 5 to 48, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is St Giles' Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Giles' Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 24 January 2023.

How good are St Giles' Church of England Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 67% 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 St Giles' Church of England Primary School have?

91 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 87% full.

Is St Giles' Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 19 places were empty in 2024/25 (18% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Giles' Church of England Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Giles' Church of England Primary School?

The average class had 22.8 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
Church Street, Great Maplestead, Halstead, CO9 2RG
Telephone
01787 460481
Website
stgiles.chorusschools.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Jinnie Nichols
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary controlled) (Voluntary controlled school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Chelmsford
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Gosfield & Greenstead Green
Constituency
Braintree
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
115068 · LAESTAB 8813009 · UKPRN 10072455

Where these figures come from