Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

About Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a small state primary in the Essex village of Rickling, sitting within the Uttlesford district. Among the 34 primary schools in Uttlesford, it ranks 15th based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2, placing it in the top quarter nationally. Its closest peers in the local authority rankings are Stambridge Primary School, St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School in Colchester, and Great Totham Primary School, all of which score higher on the same metric. The school has a Church of England character and is led by headteacher Tracey Bratley. With 91 pupils on roll against a capacity of 105, it is not yet full, though it was oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 32 applications for just 10 places. Just 2.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the national average, reflecting the relatively affluent catchment.

In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2015, the school was rated Good overall, with Good marks for leadership and management, early years provision, and behaviour and attitudes. This was an improvement on its previous inspection in 2013, when it was judged to Require Improvement. A subsequent ungraded inspection in November 2024 confirmed that standards had been maintained. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 73% of pupils achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, comfortably above the Essex local authority average of 62%. The school performed particularly well in reading, where 80% met the expected standard and 67% reached the higher standard, and in maths, where 80% met the expected standard and 53% achieved the higher standard. Average scaled scores were 111 in reading and 109 in maths. However, progress scores are not available for any subject, so it is not possible to assess how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points.

The school offers a range of facilities including an art studio, library, sports hall, ICT suite, outdoor playground, playing fields, and a chapel. Sports provision covers netball, cross country, tennis, gymnastics, cricket, football and rounders, while clubs include drama, book club and choir. The school has identified SEND provisions for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 21 respondents in the 2024/25 period were broadly positive: 81% would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy (91%), feels safe (86%), and that the school has high expectations (72%). However, a notable minority disagreed on some points: 19% disagreed that concerns are dealt with properly, and 14% disagreed that bullying is dealt with quickly and effectively. This is a small village school with a strong academic record in a competitive local area, best suited to families who value a Church of England ethos and can secure one of its limited places.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents