Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Manningtree

Ofsted's report card from its 16 June 2026 inspection grades Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Overall, pupils achieve well."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a clear approach to identify when a pupil's attendance becomes a concern."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders understand where the curriculum is working well and where to target improvements."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise children getting off to a good start in the early years."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders identify the needs of pupils who face barriers to their learning or wellbeing accurately."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of what the school does well and where to improve further the quality of education."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have designed an appropriate personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the work teachers set pupils, and the support they provide, is more precisely matched to pupils' prior knowledge and starting points"; "Leaders should ensure that teaching across subjects consistently supports pupils to improve their handwriting, grammar, punctuation and spelling"; "Leaders, including those responsible for governance, should ensure that they use their monitoring and oversight to identify where to adjust their strategies and priorities for future school improvement".

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are proud to be a Church of England School and offer a caring and encouraging environment for each and every individual who make up our school community. We warmly welcome visitors to our vibrant, happy and successful school if you would like to find out more. We use Facebook(@LawfordCEPrimary) and Instagram (LawfordPrimary) to pass on information and news."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include tennis and dance.

The school runs after-school care.

Coming up: an open evening on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at 6pm and an open day on Thursday 5 November 2026 at 9am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2025, 88% of Year 6 pupils at Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 91% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 78% in reading and 84% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 37 families put Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School as their first choice and 92 named it as one of their preferences, for 41 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School are Highfields Primary School (0.5 miles, Outstanding, 81% reading, 83% maths); Stourview Church of England Primary Academy (1.8 miles); Brooklands Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 85% reading, 85% maths); and Dedham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 93% maths).

Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.

6.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (88%) and Mixed (7%).

In 2026, 40 pupils (11.5%) received SEN support and 4 (1.1%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Manningtree Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Milton Road (opposite), 120 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 28 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, other theft and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).

In 2024/25, Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.