Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School

About Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School

Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School sits in the Essex local authority, in the Uttlesford district, and it has carved out a strong reputation among primary schools in the area. In the most recent rankings based on Key Stage 2 expected standards in reading, writing and maths, it placed 1st out of 34 schools in Uttlesford and 12th out of 444 primary schools across the whole of Essex. That puts it in the top five per cent nationally. Its closest peers at the top of the local table include St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School in Colchester, Stambridge Primary School and Great Totham Primary School, all of which achieved the highest possible ranking scores. The school is led by headteacher Nicky Brogan and caters for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It is a mixed, state-funded primary with no religious character, and it currently has 186 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210.

Academically, the school’s performance at Key Stage 2 is well above the local average. In the 2023/24 academic year, 88 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with the Essex local authority average of 62 per cent. The average reading score was 110 and the average maths score was 107, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. A fifth of pupils achieved the higher standard in all three subjects, with 52 per cent reaching that level in reading and 36 per cent in maths. The school was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024, with Good grades across all areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The early years provision was also rated Good. This represents a consistent picture: the previous inspection in 2015 also awarded an overall Good rating, with the same grade for leadership and management.

The school is clearly popular with local families. For the 2025/26 intake, it received 66 applications for 30 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 2.2 applications per place. All 29 first-preference applicants were offered a place. The school offers a range of facilities including a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, ICT suite and a forest school, plus clubs such as science, gardening, film, art, chess and coding. Sports on offer include rounders, cricket, swimming and netball. For children with additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health support. Parent View responses from 61 families show that 72 per cent would recommend the school, though responses on SEND support were more mixed, with 30 per cent agreeing and 30 per cent disagreeing that the school gives SEND children the support they need. This is a school that suits families who prioritise strong academic outcomes and a broad range of activities, and who are prepared for a competitive admissions process.

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