Woodville Primary School

About Woodville Primary School

Woodville Primary School in Chelmsford was judged Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2024, with a consistent Good rating across every category inspected — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This marks a change from its previous inspection in 2008, when it was rated Outstanding overall. The most telling exam metric for this primary school is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which sits at 74%. That is comfortably above the Essex local authority average of 62% for primary schools, placing Woodville in the top 25% of schools nationally for this measure. The school also performs well on individual subjects: 87% of pupils hit the expected standard in reading, 89% in writing and 79% in maths. Higher-attaining pupils are less numerous, with 11% reaching the higher standard across all three subjects, though 30% achieved higher in reading and 23% in maths.

Within the Chelmsford local authority, Woodville ranks 11th out of 41 primary schools on the combined expected standard metric, putting it in the top quarter locally. Its average scaled scores are solid — 106 in reading and 105 in maths — though the school does not publish progress scores for any subject, so it is not possible to see how much value it adds relative to pupils' starting points. The parent view survey, based on 106 responses collected between September 2024 and September 2025, shows strong overall satisfaction: 79% of parents would recommend the school. However, there are some areas of concern. On the question of whether concerns are dealt with properly, 28% of parents disagreed or strongly disagreed, and 24% disagreed that SEND children receive the support they need. The school has a range of SEND provisions on paper, including support for dyslexia, speech and language needs, and autistic spectrum disorder, but the parent feedback suggests some families feel these are not always delivered effectively.

Woodville is a state primary for mixed genders aged 5 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, there were 115 applications for 59 places, a ratio of nearly two applicants per place, and 57 of those 59 places went to first-preference families. The school has a capacity of 420 and currently houses 407 pupils, so it is running close to full. Facilities include a sports hall, sensory room, outdoor playground, art studios, library and music rooms, and the school offers a modest selection of clubs — gardening, science club and drama — alongside sports such as athletics, football, netball and gymnastics. With 8.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school is less deprived than many in the area. Woodville will suit families who value strong academic outcomes in a well-regarded local primary, but those with children who have SEND may want to probe further on how support works in practice.

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