Kirby Primary Academy

About Kirby Primary Academy

Kirby Primary Academy’s headline KS2 results sit well below the Essex local authority average, which is a key point for parents to weigh up. In the 2023/24 academic year, just 30% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a county average of 62%. That puts the school in the bottom 50 nationally for this metric and ranked 32nd out of 33 primary schools in Tendring. On individual subjects, the picture is mixed: 63% met expectations in writing and 57% in reading, but only 40% did so in maths. The proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects was just 3%, well below what many local primaries achieve. These figures suggest that while some children do well, the school faces a significant challenge in lifting overall attainment, particularly in maths and reading comprehension.

The school’s Ofsted journey shows clear improvement. In its most recent graded inspection, carried out in 2019, Kirby Primary Academy was rated Good overall, with leadership and management, early years provision, and behaviour all judged Good. That’s a notable step up from its previous inspection in 2016, when the school was rated Requires Improvement. An ungraded inspection in February 2025 confirmed that standards have been maintained. Parent feedback from the 2024/25 period is broadly positive: 83% would recommend the school, and strong majorities agree that their child is happy (82% strongly agree or agree) and feels safe (85%). However, there are areas of concern: only 58% of parents feel that concerns are dealt with properly, and on SEND support, 38% disagreed that their child gets the help they need, the highest negative response on the survey.

Kirby Primary Academy is a state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 4 to 11, with 209 pupils on roll, just one place below its capacity of 210. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, there were 73 applications for 30 places, with 33 first-preference applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.43. The school offers a Forest School, sports hall, ICT suite and chapel, plus clubs including coding, drama, choir, gardening, chess and eco club. Sports on offer include football, cricket, athletics, rounders and dance. SEND provisions cover dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health, speech and language needs, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. With 24.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake. This is a school that has improved its Ofsted rating but is still working to bring academic outcomes in line with the local average.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Kirby Primary Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents