Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy

About Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy

Stapleford Abbotts Primary Academy, a state primary in the Epping Forest borough of Essex, posts a mixed set of headline metrics when set against the local authority average. Its key stage 2 results show 58% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is four percentage points below the Essex LA average of 62%. That places the school in the bottom half of primary schools in the local authority, ranked 241st out of 444. However, the picture is more nuanced when you look at individual subjects. In reading and maths, 67% of pupils met the expected standard in each, and in writing that figure rose to 75%. The school also achieved a reading average score of 104 and a maths average score of 101, both above the national baseline of 100. So while the combined headline figure lags the LA average, the school is performing solidly in core subjects taken individually.

Ofsted last inspected the school in January 2022 and rated it Good across all five categories: overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The early years provision was also rated Good. This represents a consistent performance, as the school had also been rated Good in its previous inspection in 2013. At key stage 2, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and maths was zero, which is a notable gap. However, 17% of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading and writing individually, and 8% did so in maths. The school has no official sixth form and no exam results beyond key stage 2, so its academic story is entirely about primary outcomes. With 28.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage, which may contextualise some of its results.

The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, with 15 applications for 9 places and 8 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.67. It offers a nursery provision for children aged two and above, and its facilities include a Forest School, art studios, a gymnasium, sports hall and dining hall. Sports on offer include football, cricket, swimming and athletics, and clubs include art, film and gardening. The school has a broad range of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a practical choice for families in the Epping Forest area who want a Good-rated primary with strong individual subject scores, a nursery on site, and a wide SEND support offer, even if the combined headline results sit below the county average.

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