School Chooser

Vange Primary School and Nursery

Primary · ages 3-11MixedCouncil97 pupilsNurseryBasildonEssex
School Chooser Score
18
Below
similar schools
Likely range 6 to 47, so it could be “well below”
Out of 100. Better than 38% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, November 2022
Reached the expected level at 1146%England 63%
Attendance90.1%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families30%A bit more than most schools
Places8 spare97 pupils, 105 places
Pupils per teacher17.6School workforce census

Vange Primary School and Nursery is a council school in Basildon for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 97 pupils and room for 105. About 30 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit more than at most schools. We give it 18 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 38% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

London Road, Vange, Basildon, SS16 4QA01268 552160vange.essex.sch.ukMs Jo Chesterton Sarah Carswell headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 16 November 2022, 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

13 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 1146%
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 score108.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score106.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 40%40%20172018: 36%36%20182019: 54%54%20192023: 40%40%20232024: 27%27%20242025: 46%46%2025
Since 2017: +6%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017EssexEngland
Pupils tested131515131415
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths46%27%40%54%36%40%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%8%0%0%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score108.0102.0101.0103.0103.0101.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score106.0102.0103.0104.0100.0100.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0101.0104.0105.0104.0102.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard77%53%53%62%71%60%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard92%40%60%92%43%60%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)62%40%67%62%57%47%
Reading progressReading progress score-1.8-0.4-3.6-6.0
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.4-0.4-6.0-5.2
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged29%0%13%43%38%50%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged67%50%71%67%33%33%

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. 1 of the 2 gaps is 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
29%67%
Gap 38 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%0%
No gapEngland 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.

A few spare places93 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
89% full

About 12 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. 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 Primary1518LA

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 roll97Census January 2026
Places10592% full
Pupils from low-income families28%30% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English21%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support32%31 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan5%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size22.34 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)29%£38,750 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls58 / 39
White British pupils66%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (9), language and communications needs (9), Autistic spectrum disorder (7), emotional and mental health (5), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2), Vision impairment (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll97111103113108111
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals28%33%31%32%40%35%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language21%16%14%12%8%8%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support28%21%23%22%22%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans5%2%2%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.1% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance90.1%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school25.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils38.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.0%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence9.9%9.5%7.8%9.7%5.9%5.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence6.9%5.6%3.9%6.7%4.3%3.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.0%4.0%3.9%3.1%1.6%2.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence25.7%33.0%27.4%40.9%20.7%17.4%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate38.71.98.99.35.4
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.3full-time equivalent, 7 people
Pupils per teacher17.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants6.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,507
Teachers who left in the year52%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.12024/25

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£7,705England £7,738. Total £801k
Income per pupil£8,179England £7,697. Total £851k
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,676England £3,480
Money in reserve21%A lot put by: £178k, £1,708 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£49kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,705spent 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 m5312 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate129 per 1,000 people42% higher than the England average
Typical house price£360,000Basildon
Nearest bus stop100 mSchool, 6 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
Ryedene Primary and Nursery SchoolAcademy0.8 miles461Not inspected58Compare
Kingswood Primary School and NurseryFoundation0.8 miles444Good 202354Compare
Cherry Tree Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles384No overall grade 20252Compare
Bardfield AcademyAcademy0.8 miles421Requires improvement 20244Compare
Chapel Hill Primary School & NurseryFree school1.1 miles356Not inspectedCompare
Fairhouse Community Primary SchoolAcademy1.2 miles396Good 202343Compare
Greensted Primary School & NurseryAcademy1.3 miles520No overall grade 202474Compare
Lee Chapel Primary SchoolAcademy1.4 miles1,062Outstanding 202399Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Vange Primary School and Nursery 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.

Beats38%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 18 is 8 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 0 · middle 26 · highest 93100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 18 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 18% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 47. 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
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 13 pupils
Ofsted inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 3.8 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
-0.05
DfE progress measure; 13 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.07
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.22
2024/25; 101 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.09
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 Vange Primary School and Nursery a good school?

The figures are weak. Vange Primary School and Nursery scores 18 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 38% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 47, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Vange Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Vange Primary School and Nursery good at its last full inspection on 16 November 2022.

How good are Vange Primary School and Nursery's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 46% 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 Vange Primary School and Nursery have?

97 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 105 places, so it is 92% full.

Is Vange Primary School and Nursery oversubscribed?

Probably not. 12 places were empty in 2024/25 (11% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Vange Primary School and Nursery?

Pupils were in school 90.1% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 26% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Vange Primary School and Nursery?

The average class had 22.3 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
London Road, Vange, Basildon, SS16 4QA
Telephone
01268 552160
Website
www.vange.essex.sch.uk
Headteacher
Ms Jo Chesterton Sarah Carswell
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Nethermayne
Constituency
South Basildon and East Thurrock
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
114811 · LAESTAB 8812261 · UKPRN 10070812

Where these figures come from