Howbridge Church of England Junior School, Witham
Howbridge Church of England Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Witham, part of The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 6th-highest of the 9 schools in Witham with published results, and 11,035th of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Capacity
- 93% full
- Attendance
- Below England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Howbridge Church of England Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils at Howbridge Church of England Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 64% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 56% in reading and 51% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Howbridge Church of England Junior School
Across Essex, 90% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Essex lodged 375 appeals against primary school offers; 241 reached a hearing and 31 succeeded (12.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Howbridge Church of England Junior School are Howbridge Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Holy Family Catholic Primary School (0.1 miles, Good, 87% reading, 70% maths); Chipping Hill Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 80% reading, 83% maths); and Witham Oaks Academy (1.1 miles, Good, 83% reading, 81% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Howbridge Church of England Junior School.
Howbridge Infant SchoolHoly Family Catholic Primary SchoolChipping Hill Primary SchoolWitham Oaks Academy
The trust
Howbridge Church of England Junior School is one of 21 schools run by The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 49% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
All 21 schools in The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust
Who goes there
8.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (82%), Mixed (6%) and Black (5%).
In 2026, 64 pupils (18%) received SEN support and 7 (2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Witham (Essex) Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Howbridge Estate (opposite), 210 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Howbridge Church of England Junior School issued 63 suspensions, 17.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
28.1%
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 56% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 51% to 64% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 50% to 67% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.7
Avg class size
29.7
KS2
12
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Howbridge Church of England Junior School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Howbridge Church of England Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Howbridge Church of England Junior 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
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 9 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
2 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
358 pupils
384 places
26 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Witham
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Witham
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.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
64
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
19.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
356
Total Pupils
192
Boys
164
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
23.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,744
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,010
Per pupil
£2008k
Total funding
£144k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.2%
Overall absence
21.3%
Persistent absence
385
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Howbridge Church of England Junior School
Questions parents ask about Howbridge Church of England Junior School
What are SATs results like at Howbridge Church of England Junior School?
Of the pupils at Howbridge Church of England Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 72% reached the expected standard in reading and 64% did so in maths.
What is Howbridge Church of England Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Howbridge Church of England Junior School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2019 it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Howbridge Church of England Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Howbridge Church of England Junior 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 Howbridge Church of England Junior School?
Howbridge Church of England Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 384 places.
How big are the classes at Howbridge Church of England Junior School?
Classes at Howbridge Church of England Junior School average 29.7 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Howbridge Church of England Junior School?
Howbridge Church of England Junior School has around 356 pupils on roll. 28% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Howbridge Church of England Junior School?
7.2% of sessions were missed at Howbridge Church of England Junior School in 2024/25. 21.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Howbridge Church of England Junior School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Howbridge Church of England Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Howbridge Church of England Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 9 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 2 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 Howbridge Church of England Junior School?
Howbridge Church of England Junior School is at Howbridge Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 1BZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)