Richard de Clare Community Academy
About Richard de Clare Community Academy
Parents considering Richard de Clare Community Academy will find a school that is clearly in demand locally. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 64 applications for 55 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.16 applicants per place. Of those, 42 families listed it as their first preference, and all 42 were offered a spot. That’s a solid signal from local parents, though it’s worth noting the school doesn’t publish a formal parent satisfaction survey percentage. The headteacher, Lucinda Bellett, leads a mixed primary for ages 3 to 11 in Braintree, Essex, with nursery provision available. The school has capacity for 466 pupils and currently enrols 364, so there is some room to grow. Around 32.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average and suggests a diverse intake. The school is non-religious and serves a broad community.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
15 Mar 2022Source: Ofsted, 16 May 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
5Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
9Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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