Greensted Primary School & Nursery

About Greensted Primary School & Nursery

Of the 61 parents who responded to the Ofsted Parent View survey between September 2024 and September 2025, 79% said they would recommend Greensted Primary School & Nursery to other parents. That's a solid endorsement, though it's worth noting the school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 187 applications for just 59 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.17. Of the 80 first-preference applications, 55 were offered places. The parent survey also reveals some strong positives: 84% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 88% felt their child does well there. However, the picture is more mixed on SEND support: only 45% agreed or strongly agreed that children with special educational needs get the support they need, while 41% strongly disagreed. That's a significant minority to be aware of if your child has identified needs.

Academically, Greensted is a Good school overall, according to its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024. The inspection gave Outstanding ratings for early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes, while quality of education and leadership and management were rated Good. At Key Stage 2, 60% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is just below the Essex local authority average of 62%. The school's average scores were 104 in reading and 103 in maths, both slightly above the national average of 100. However, only 7% of pupils reached the higher standard in all three subjects, and the school ranks 225th out of 444 primary schools in Essex on this measure. Compared with its previous Outstanding rating in 2016, the school has slipped a notch overall, though the inspection judged it was not required to have a graded overall effectiveness rating this time.

The school is significantly over capacity with 505 pupils against a capacity of 420, and it includes a nursery for children aged three and up. Facilities include a sensory room, forest school, library, art studios, music rooms, sports hall and playing fields, with clubs ranging from eco club and science club to chess and choir. The school's SEND register covers seven categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. For families considering Greensted, the oversubscription means a realistic chance of a place depends on proximity or other admission criteria. The nearest Outstanding-rated alternative is St Anne Line Catholic Junior School, 3.1 km away. This school will suit families who value strong behaviour and personal development, but those with SEND children may want to investigate support arrangements more closely before applying.

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