Great Sampford Community Primary School

About Great Sampford Community Primary School

Great Sampford Community Primary School is a small state primary in the Uttlesford district of Essex, a local authority that includes 444 primary schools. Within this landscape, the school sits at rank 221, placing it in the middle of the pack. The top-performing peers in the area are St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester, Stambridge Primary School, and Great Totham Primary School, all of which achieved the highest possible ranking scores. Great Sampford itself is a mixed, non-religious school for children aged 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision. It is a notably small school, with just 87 pupils against a capacity of 105, and it is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 31 applications for 12 places, with all 12 first-preference applicants receiving offers. The headteacher is Amy Reis, and the school is not a boarding facility.

In its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, the school was rated Good overall, and it has held that rating since its previous inspection in 2013. Every graded category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — was judged Good. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 60% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. This is slightly below the Essex local authority average of 62%. In individual subjects, 60% reached the expected level in reading and maths, while 80% did so in writing. Higher-attaining pupils were less common: 20% achieved a higher standard in reading, but none did in maths or writing. Average scaled scores were 102 in reading and 99 in maths. No progress scores are available for any subject, so it is not possible to compare pupil progress against national benchmarks.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, playing fields, music rooms, an outdoor playground, and a chapel. Sports provision covers athletics, swimming, cricket, and cross country, and there are clubs for drama, gardening, science, book club, and choir. The school has identified five areas of SEND support: specific learning difficulty (dyslexia), moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and hearing impairment. With just 5.7% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is less disadvantaged than many schools nationally. Given its small size, strong oversubscription, and Good Ofsted record, this school is likely to suit families who value a close-knit, community-focused primary with a broad range of clubs and sports, and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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