Community school · Essex

Great Bardfield Primary School

4–11Ages
117Pupils
PrimaryPhase
114835URN

Braintree Road, Great Bardfield, Braintree, CM7 4RN · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Apr 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.2per place

0.2 below Essex median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Essex

43 applications for 20 places · 215th of 363 in Essex

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

45%met the expected standard

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 21 April 2026Published 7 June 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard
Inclusion		Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching		Expected standard
Achievement		Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour		Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years		Expected standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance		Expected standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

21 April 2026
Report card · 7 Expected standard
23 February 2022
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.2applications per place, Reception

0.2 below Essex median (2.4) close to England median (2.2)

43 applications · 20 places offered · 24 named it first

2026 2.2; Essex median median 2.4
2025 1.7; Essex median median 2.4
2024 2.1; Essex median median 2.4
2023 2.0; Essex median median 2.4
2022 2.2; Essex median median 2.4
2021 2.2; Essex median median 2.3
2020 2.3; Essex median median 2.4
2019 2.0; Essex median median 2.5
2018 2.1; Essex median median 2.5
2017 1.8; Essex median median 2.6
2016 2.2; Essex median median 2.8
2015 2.3; Essex median median 2.7
2014 2.2; Essex median median 2.8

More applications per place than the Essex median in 0 of 13 years.

This school
Essex median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	20	43	2.2	24	1.20
Sep 2025	20	34	1.7	20	1.00
Sep 2024	20	41	2.1	27	1.35
Sep 2023	18	36	2.0	17	0.94
Sep 2022	19	42	2.2	18	0.95
Sep 2021	20	44	2.2	25	1.25
Sep 2020	15	34	2.3	13	0.87
Sep 2019	18	36	2.0	16	0.89
Sep 2018	21	45	2.1	20	0.95
Sep 2017	18	33	1.8	17	0.94
Sep 2016	19	42	2.2	19	1.00
Sep 2015	19	44	2.3	14	0.74
Sep 2014	17	38	2.2	14	0.82

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 70% · Writing 50% · Maths 70% → all three 45% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard45%346th of 387 in Essex

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard70%

Essex 79% England 78%

Higher standard25%

Essex 33% England 33%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard50%

Essex 76% England 75%

Greater depth0%

Essex 13% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard70%

Essex 78% England 77%

Higher standard50%

Essex 24% England 24%

Average scaled score 109 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Essex median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	45%	0%	106	109
2023/24	79%	7%	108	105
2022/23	62%	5%	104	104

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Great Bardfield Primary SchoolThis school
This school

2026

2.2applications per place 45%met the SATs standard
Finchingfield St John the Baptist CofE Primary Academy
2.3 km · Essex

Standards maintained2024

1.8applications per place
Wethersfield CofE VC Primary School
3.2 km · Essex

Good2024

4.0applications per place 88%met the SATs standard
Shalford Primary School
5.1 km · Essex

Standards maintained2024

2.2applications per place 87%met the SATs standard
Great Sampford Community Primary School
5.9 km · Essex

Good2023

2.6applications per place 75%met the SATs standard
Stebbing Primary School
6.3 km · Essex

Remains Good2022

2.3applications per place 62%met the SATs standard
Thaxted Primary School
6.4 km · Essex

Good2024

2.3applications per place 64%met the SATs standard
Great Easton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
8.2 km · Essex

Good2024

3.0applications per place 41%met the SATs standard
Rayne Primary and Nursery School
9.0 km · Essex

2026

1.6applications per place 48%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Community school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 114835 · 881/2380
Capacity: 180 pupils · 117 on roll
Free school meals: 18.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Braintree Road, Great Bardfield, Braintree, CM7 4RN
Local authority: Essex · Braintree

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources