School Chooser

St Luke's Park Primary School

Primary · ages 4-11MixedFree school176 pupilsWickfordEssex
School Chooser Score
26
Below
similar schools
Likely range 11 to 54, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 24% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, May 2025
Attendance93.3%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families18%Far fewer than most schools
Places34 spare176 pupils, 210 places
Pupils per teacher23.2School workforce census
Pupils on roll176Census January 2026

St Luke's Park Primary School is a free school in Wickford for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 176 pupils and room for 210. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 27 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 24% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.

Liberty Way, Runwell, Wickford, SS11 7LH01268 436050stlukesparkprimary.comMs Jen Kendall-Hobbs headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 7 May 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

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
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Open to all. There is no entrance test.

Plenty of spare places143 pupils for 210 places, 2024/25
68% full

67 places were empty (32% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in.

How places were given out for September 2026. The last place was given under this rule: Criterion 3.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary3054LA

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 roll176Census January 2026
Places21084% full
Pupils from low-income families18%18% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English3%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support19%33 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.04 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)17%£43,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls85 / 91
White British pupils82%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.7 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Other difficulty or disability (10), emotional and mental health (9), language and communications needs (8), Moderate learning difficulty (5), Specific learning difficulty (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census2026202520242023
Pupils on roll1761398645
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%17%19%18%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language3%3%2%2%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support21%17%27%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans3%2%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.3%
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 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission2.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/23England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.7%6.9%6.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.7%5.0%3.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence2.0%1.9%2.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.3%19.0%16.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.02.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions000

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.6full-time equivalent, 10 people
Pupils per teacher23.2Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£47,472
Teachers who left in the year18%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher15.32024/25

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£6,290England £7,128. Total £868k
Income per pupil£7,080England £7,587. Total £977k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,138England £3,405
Money in reserve4%Not much put by: £38k, £275 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£109kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,290spent 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 m15312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate64 per 1,000 people29% lower than the England average
Typical house price£400,000Chelmsford
Nearest bus stop80 mBruton Link, 3 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
Rettendon Primary SchoolAcademy0.7 miles98Good 2023Compare
Runwell Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.1 miles362No overall grade 202420Compare
Hilltop Junior SchoolAcademy1.3 miles352Good 202273Compare
Hilltop Infant SchoolAcademy1.3 miles237No overall grade 202497Compare
The Wickford Church of England SchoolAcademy1.4 miles135Outstanding 202397Compare
Wickford Primary SchoolCouncil1.8 miles472Good 202325Compare
North Crescent Primary SchoolAcademy2.0 miles216Good 202431Compare
Oakfield Primary SchoolCouncil2.3 miles391Good 202449Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Luke's Park Primary School with the 45 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 45 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats24%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 27 is 27 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 54 · highest 100100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 27 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 27% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 11 to 54. 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 years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
-0.10
Ofsted grade, 1.4 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.16
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.04
2024/25; 117 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
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 Luke's Park Primary School a good school?

The figures are weak. St Luke's Park Primary School scores 27 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 24% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 11 to 54, 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 Luke's Park Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Luke's Park Primary School not judged at its last full inspection on 7 May 2025.

How many pupils does St Luke's Park Primary School have?

176 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 210 places, so it is 84% full.

Is St Luke's Park Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 67 places were empty in 2024/25 (32% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Luke's Park Primary School?

Pupils were in school 93.3% 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 Luke's Park 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
Liberty Way, Runwell, Wickford, SS11 7LH
Telephone
01268 436050
Website
www.stlukesparkprimary.com
Headteacher
Ms Jen Kendall-Hobbs
Type of school
Free school (Free schools, free schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Multi-academy trust
Quantum Multi-Academy Trust (8 schools)
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Rettendon and Runwell
Constituency
Maldon
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 September 2022 (academy free school)
URN
149066 · LAESTAB 8812188 · UKPRN 10090888

Where these figures come from