Ivy Chimneys Primary School

About Ivy Chimneys Primary School

Ivy Chimneys Primary School sits within the Essex local authority, where it ranks 3rd out of 30 primary schools in the Epping Forest district. That places it in the top 10 per cent of its immediate area. Among its closest peers in the county, the top-ranked schools are Stambridge Primary School and St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester, both with a perfect ranking score of 100, followed by Great Totham Primary School on 95. Ivy Chimneys itself scores 81 on the same metric, which measures the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2. Nationally, the school sits in the top 10 per cent of all primaries, ranked 1,288 out of 13,686. The headteacher is Rebecca Sigston, and the school is a mixed, state-funded primary for children aged 4 to 11, with no religious character. It currently has 331 pupils on roll, just shy of its capacity of 345.

In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2013, the school was rated Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good. An ungraded inspection in June 2022 confirmed that the school remains Good. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 81 per cent of pupils achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths — well above the Essex local authority average of 62 per cent. In reading, 91 per cent reached the expected level and 44 per cent achieved a higher standard. In maths, 91 per cent met the expected standard and 21 per cent reached the higher standard. Writing saw 88 per cent at expected and 9 per cent at a higher level. The average reading score was 108 and the average maths score was 105. Only 2 per cent of pupils reached the higher standard across all three subjects. The school does not have a sixth form, and there is no nursery provision.

The school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 121 applications for 45 places, with 38 first-preference offers made — an oversubscription ratio of 2.69. Facilities include playing fields, a library, a sports hall, music rooms, an ICT suite and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, netball, cricket, rounders and gymnastics, while clubs include science, film and gardening. The school has a broad range of SEND provisions, supporting pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary school is Hereward Primary School, 3.5 km away. With strong academic outcomes and a clear focus on inclusion, Ivy Chimneys suits families who want a well-regarded local primary with good results and a supportive environment for children with additional needs.

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