Highwood Primary School

About Highwood Primary School

Highwood Primary School is a small state primary in Chelmsford that clearly appeals to local families. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 17 applications for just 7 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.43, meaning more than two families applied for every spot. All 7 first-preference applicants were offered a place, which suggests that while the school is popular, it is still accessible for those who prioritise it. The school has a capacity of 70 pupils and currently enrols 56, so there is some room to grow. ParentView data is not available in this profile, but the oversubscription figures alone indicate strong local confidence. Headteacher Marie Staley leads a mixed-gender, non-religious primary for children aged 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision.

Academically, Highwood holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2022, a grade it has maintained since at least its previous inspection in 2016. The inspection report gave Good marks across all five categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This consistency is reassuring for parents. At Key Stage 2, the local authority average for schools like Highwood is 62, though Highwood’s own KS2 results are not provided in this data. The school sits within Essex, which has 33 outstanding primaries out of 444 total, so Good is a solid and common rating. The school’s small size — just 56 pupils — means class sizes are likely very small, which can support individual attention.

The school offers a practical range of facilities including a library, gymnasium, dining hall, playing fields, art studios, an outdoor playground, and a forest school. Sports on offer include cricket, netball, swimming, tennis, and dance, while clubs cover chess, gardening, coding, and science. For families with children who have additional needs, Highwood lists SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate to profound learning difficulties, and autistic spectrum disorder. The school is oversubscribed but not prohibitively so, and its small, Good-rated environment may suit families looking for a close-knit primary with strong outdoor and enrichment opportunities. The 26.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals is above the national average, indicating a diverse intake.

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