Great Leighs Primary School, Chelmsford
Great Leighs Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Chelmsford. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 32nd-highest of the 46 schools in Chelmsford with published results, and 9,159th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Great Leighs Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils at Great Leighs Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 63% in reading and 73% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Great Leighs Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 21 families put Great Leighs Primary School as their first choice and 47 named it as one of their preferences, for 25 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Great Leighs Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Great Leighs Primary School are White Court School (2.3 miles, Good, 86% reading, 83% maths); Notley Green Primary School (2.8 miles, Good, 80% reading, 81% maths); Little Waltham Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (2.9 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); and Terling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (2.9 miles, Good, 71% reading, 57% maths).
Great Leighs Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.
White Court SchoolNotley Green Primary SchoolLittle Waltham Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolTerling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Who goes there
11.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (84%) and Mixed (8%).
Staffing
Great Leighs Primary School had 13 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Cressing Rail Station, about 3.4 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Aragon Road (opposite), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 17 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, vehicle crime and violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Great Leighs Primary School issued 13 suspensions, 6.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from January 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2014 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
11.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 63% to 79% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 73% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 64% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.1
Avg class size
27.3
Infant (KS1)
28.8
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Great Leighs Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Great Leighs Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Great Leighs Primary School is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 4
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Great Leighs Primary School
Will you get a place at Great Leighs Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Great Leighs Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Great Leighs Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Great Leighs Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Great Leighs Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
205 pupils
210 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chelmsford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chelmsford
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
23
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
16.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
197
Total Pupils
110
Boys
87
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
15.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,604
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,117
Per pupil
£1134k
Total funding
£32k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.9%
Overall absence
10.2%
Persistent absence
187
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Great Leighs Primary School
What are SATs results like at Great Leighs Primary School?
Of the pupils at Great Leighs Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 79% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is Great Leighs Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Great Leighs Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Great Leighs Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Great Leighs Primary School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Great Leighs Primary School?
Great Leighs Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Great Leighs Primary School?
Classes at Great Leighs Primary School average 28.1 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Great Leighs Primary School?
Great Leighs Primary School has around 197 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Great Leighs Primary School?
4.9% of sessions were missed at Great Leighs Primary School in 2024/25. 10.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Great Leighs Primary School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Great Leighs Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Great Leighs Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 4 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 3 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Great Leighs Primary School?
Great Leighs Primary School is at Aragon Road, Great Leighs, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 1RP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)