St Mary's Church of England Primary School
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St Mary's Church of England Primary School is a sponsored academy in Chelmsford for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 58 pupils and room for 98. About 33 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 43 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 74% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.
Main Road, Woodham Ferrers, Chelmsford, CM3 8RJ01245 320505stmaryssw.co.ukMrs Theresa Walker interim executive headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 2 July 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
16 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.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019† | 2018† | 2017† | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 16 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 9 | 2 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 69% | 43% | – | 7% | 0% | – | 64% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 0% | 0% | – | 0% | 0% | – | 10% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 106.0 | 99.0 | – | 98.0 | 97.0 | – | 105.9 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 102.0 | 103.0 | – | 95.0 | 95.0 | – | 104.8 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 100.0 | 100.0 | – | 97.0 | 95.0 | – | 105.3 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 75% | 43% | – | 50% | 44% | – | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 75% | 71% | – | 21% | 22% | – | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 69% | 43% | – | 57% | 33% | – | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | – | -4.2 | -0.4 | – | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | – | -6.7 | -2.2 | – | – | – |
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 St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Woodham Ferrers, the school this one replaced in July 2020. 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.
33 places were empty (34% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have grown by 41% since 2021/22.
How places were given out for September 2026. The last place was given under this rule: Criterion 5.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Primary | 14 | 20 | – | LA |
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.
Specialist SEND provision. Listed by the government as catering for social, emotional and mental health.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Essex with social, emotional and mental health provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (11), Autistic spectrum disorder (9), language and communications needs (5), Moderate learning difficulty (4), Other difficulty or disability (1).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 58 | 62 | 63 | 43 | 47 | 44 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 33% | 32% | 33% | 30% | 32% | 30% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 27% | 22% | 23% | 15% | 16% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 19% | 6% | 5% | 11% | 9% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.3% | 6.4% | 7.5% | 11.5% | 5.7% | 7.5% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.6% | 4.8% | 4.6% | 7.6% | 4.7% | 6.0% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.7% | 1.7% | 2.9% | 3.9% | 1.0% | 1.6% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 22.2% | 21.1% | 28.9% | 34.8% | 15.9% | 18.0% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 11.3 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 0.0 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Woodham Ferrers, the school this one replaced in July 2020. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
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.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodville Primary School | Academy | 1.1 miles | 412 | No overall grade 2024 | 75 | Compare |
| Elmwood Primary School | Foundation | 1.7 miles | 414 | Good 2023 | 23 | Compare |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF | Roman Catholic | 1.8 miles | 180 | Good 2024 | 74 | Compare |
| Trinity St Mary's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Woodham Ferrers | Church of England | 1.8 miles | 132 | Good 2023 | 14 | Compare |
| East Hanningfield Church of England Primary Academy | Academy | 1.9 miles | 109 | Good 2024 | – | Compare |
| Priory Primary School, Bicknacre | Council | 2.1 miles | 153 | Report card 2026 | 24 | Compare |
| Collingwood Primary School | Foundation | 2.1 miles | 208 | Report card 2026 | 38 | Compare |
| Rettendon Primary School | Academy | 2.7 miles | 98 | Good 2023 | – | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares St Mary's Church of England Primary School with the 46 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 46 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 43 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 43% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 14 to 78. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | below | -0.11 | 2025 results; 16 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.01 | Ofsted grade, 2.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.09 | Contextualised attainment (no DfE progress measure available); 16 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | +0.02 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | well below | -0.14 | 2024/25; 63 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.04 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 16 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Mary's Church of England Primary School a good school?
It is about average. St Mary's Church of England Primary School scores 43 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 74% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 14 to 78, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is St Mary's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated St Mary's Church of England Primary School good at its last full inspection on 2 July 2024.
How good are St Mary's Church of England Primary School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 69% 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 Mary's Church of England Primary School have?
58 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 98 places, so it is 59% full.
Is St Mary's Church of England Primary School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 33 places were empty in 2024/25 (34% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
Pupils were in school 91.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 22% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at St Mary's Church of England Primary School?
The average class had 19.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.
Does St Mary's Church of England Primary School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It is registered for social, emotional and mental health. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Main Road, Woodham Ferrers, Chelmsford, CM3 8RJ
- Telephone
- 01245 320505
- Website
- www.stmaryssw.co.uk
- Interim Executive Headteacher
- Mrs Theresa Walker
- Type of school
- Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 4-11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England, Diocese of Chelmsford
- Multi-academy trust
- Berlesduna Academy Trust (11 schools)
- Local authority
- Essex
- Ward
- Bicknacre and East and West Hanningfield
- Constituency
- Maldon
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 July 2020 (new provision)
- URN
- 147878 · LAESTAB 8812186 · UKPRN 10086007
- Formerly
- St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Woodham Ferrers
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Essex council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.