School Chooser

William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School

Primary · ages 3-7MixedAcademyChurch of England185 pupilsNurseryHarlowEssex
School Chooser Score
35
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 15 to 63, so it could be “below”
Out of 100. Better than 23% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, September 2022
Attendance93.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families18%A bit fewer than most schools
PlacesFull185 pupils, 180 places
Pupils per teacher22.4School workforce census
Pupils on roll185Census January 2026

William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School is a converter academy in Harlow for boys and girls aged 3 to 7. It has 185 pupils, 5 more than it has places for. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 35 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 23% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Tawneys Road, Harlow, CM18 6PN01279 424122williammartinschools.org.ukMrs Gina Bailey headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 14 September 2022 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

Results

No published results yet for this school.

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.

A few spare places154 pupils for 180 places, 2024/25
86% full

About 26 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

How places were given out for September 2026. The last place was given under this rule: Criterion 7.

EntryPlacesApplied at allHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary6068LA

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 roll185Census January 2026
Places180103% full
Pupils from low-income families16%18% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English30%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support11%21 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%4 pupils with a plan
Average class size25.17 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)19%£46,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls109 / 76
White British pupils54%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (16), emotional and mental health (7), Moderate learning difficulty (1), Specific learning difficulty (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll185191209197191193
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals16%23%25%23%19%20%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language30%30%27%27%18%17%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support14%9%7%9%6%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%1%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.3%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils3.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.1%7.6%7.2%7.8%4.4%6.4%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%5.2%5.5%6.7%3.7%5.2%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.7%2.4%1.7%1.1%0.7%1.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.3%27.4%21.4%25.9%13.2%12.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate3.76.73.12.10.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers7.8full-time equivalent, 9 people
Pupils per teacher22.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers89%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.1full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£55,548
Teachers who left in the year12%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.82024/25

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£6,600England £7,128. Total £1.2m
Income per pupil£7,962England £7,587. Total £1.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£2,670England £3,405
Money in reserve21%A lot put by: £310k, £1,674 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£252kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,600spent 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 m53212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate100 per 1,000 people10% higher than the England average
Typical house price£330,000Harlow
Nearest bus stop20 mBush Fair Centre, 10 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
William Martin Church of England Junior SchoolAcademy500 m234Good 202221Compare
Pear Tree Mead AcademyAcademy510 m460Good 202358Compare
Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, HarlowAcademy640 m412Good 202362Compare
Purford Green Primary SchoolAcademy710 m229Not inspected75Compare
Latton Green Primary AcademyAcademy880 m199Good 202375Compare
Abbotsweld Primary AcademyAcademy970 m307Good 202363Compare
Potter Street AcademyAcademy0.8 miles202Not inspected82Compare
Longwood Primary AcademyAcademy0.8 miles423Good 202368Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery 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.

Beats23%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 35 is 30 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 65 · highest 97100

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 William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery 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
Holy Trinity Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England7.7 miles198Good 202362Compare
Our Lady Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic13.6 miles204Report card 202670Compare
Barn Croft Primary SchoolCouncil14.0 miles170No overall grade 202582Compare
South Harringay Junior SchoolCouncil15.3 miles234Outstanding 202397Compare
Campsbourne Junior SchoolCouncil15.3 miles219Good 202381Compare
Scargill Infant SchoolAcademy15.5 miles224Good 202156Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 35 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 35% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 15 to 63. 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 inspection18% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.02
Ofsted grade, 4.0 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%below
-0.15
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
-0.06
2024/25; 120 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 William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School a good school?

It is about average. William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School scores 35 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 23% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 15 to 63, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School good at its last full inspection on 14 September 2022.

How many pupils does William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School have?

185 pupils aged 3 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 180 places, so it is 103% full.

Is William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 26 places were empty in 2024/25 (14% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School?

Pupils were in school 93.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 13% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at William Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery School?

The average class had 25.1 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
Tawneys Road, Harlow, CM18 6PN
Telephone
01279 424122
Website
www.williammartinschools.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Gina Bailey
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-7, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Chelmsford
Multi-academy trust
The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust (21 schools)
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Bush Fair
Constituency
Harlow
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 May 2018 (academy converter)
URN
145602 · LAESTAB 8813133 · UKPRN 10067548
Formerly
William Martin CofE VC Infant and Nursery School, Harlow

Where these figures come from