Academy sponsor led · Essex

Ridgewell Church of England Primary School

4–11Ages
55Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
144645URN

Church Lane, Ridgewell, Halstead, CO9 4SA · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Feb 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

1.5per place

0.8 below Essex median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Essex

20 applications for 13 places

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

77%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 24 February 2026Published 5 May 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard	Needs attention
Inclusion		Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching			Needs attention
Achievement			Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour		Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years			Needs attention
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance			Needs attention

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

24 February 2026
Report card · 3 Expected standard, 4 Needs attention
11 January 2022
Graded inspection: 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

1.5applications per place, Reception

0.8 below Essex median (2.4) 0.6 below England median (2.2)

20 applications · 13 places offered · 12 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 1.5; Essex median median 2.4
2025 1.8; Essex median median 2.4
2024 2.1; Essex median median 2.4
2023 3.6; Essex median median 2.4
2022 2.2; Essex median median 2.4
2021 2.7; Essex median median 2.3
2020 2.0; Essex median median 2.4
2019 1.7; Essex median median 2.5
2018 1.8; Essex median median 2.5
2017 1.6; Essex median median 2.6; as the previous school
2016 1.8; Essex median median 2.8; as the previous school
2015 1.8; Essex median median 2.7; as the previous school
2014 2.1; Essex median median 2.8; as the previous school

This school
Essex median

Dashed bars: as Ridgewell Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (URN 115142), the previous school.

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	13	20	1.5	12	0.92
Sep 2025	8	14	1.8	8	1.00
Sep 2024	9	19	2.1	7	0.78
Sep 2023	7	25	3.6	6	0.86
Sep 2022	5	11	2.2	5	1.00
Sep 2021	3	8	2.7	3	1.00
Sep 2020	7	14	2.0	7	1.00
Sep 2019	7	12	1.7	7	1.00
Sep 2018	10	18	1.8	9	0.90
Sep 2017 *	11	17	1.6	10	0.91
Sep 2016 *	15	27	1.8	16	1.07
Sep 2015 *	14	25	1.8	13	0.93
Sep 2014 *	12	25	2.1	10	0.83

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 85% · Writing 77% · Maths 85% → all three 77% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard77%65th of 387 in Essex

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard85%

Essex 79% England 78%

Higher standard54%

Essex 33% England 33%

Average scaled score 107 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard77%

Essex 76% England 75%

Greater depth15%

Essex 13% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard85%

Essex 78% England 77%

Higher standard46%

Essex 24% England 24%

Average scaled score 108 (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	77%	15%	107	108
2023/24	25%	8%	103	102
2022/23	54%	15%	107	107

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

Ridgewell Church of England Primary SchoolThis school
This school

2026

1.5applications per place 77%met the SATs standard
St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Great Yeldham
2.9 km · Essex

Good2023

2.2applications per place 87%met the SATs standard
St Margaret's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Toppesfield
3.4 km · Essex

Good2022

1.3applications per place 57%met the SATs standard
Clare Community Primary School
5.5 km · Suffolk

Standards maintained2025

1.4applications per place 50%met the SATs standard
Belchamp St Paul Church of England Primary School
5.6 km · Essex

Good2024

2.0applications per place
Steeple Bumpstead Primary School
6.1 km · Essex

Good2022

1.8applications per place 71%met the SATs standard
de Vere Primary School
6.5 km · Essex

Good2023

1.9applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
Coupals Primary Academy
6.9 km · Suffolk

Remains Good2023

1.9applications per place 77%met the SATs standard
Kedington Primary Academy
6.9 km · Suffolk

Remains Good · improving2024

1.8applications per place 84%met the SATs standard

School details

Type: Academy sponsor led
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 144645 · 881/2161
Trust: The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 105 pupils · 55 on roll
Free school meals: 32.7% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 August 2017
Replaced: Ridgewell Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (URN 115142)
Address: Church Lane, Ridgewell, Halstead, CO9 4SA
Local authority: Essex · Braintree

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