Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Manningtree

Good
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.5km)Possible (~2.1km)Unlikely (~2.7km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Katharine Usher
Pupils:349 / 360 capacity
LA:Essex
Phone:01206393585
Address:The Avenue, Lawford, Manningtree, CO11 2FR
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:115297
UKPRN:10070975
Diocese:Diocese of Chelmsford
Constituency:Harwich and North Essex
Urban/Rural:Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

Lawford is a warm, close-knit community where your child will feel they belong and be well cared for. Staff are knowledgeable and provide strong support in reading, writing and maths, with particularly excellent early years provision. The school offers exciting opportunities to develop talents through a wide range of clubs and activities, from fencing to Latin, ensuring every child can thrive.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics with strong progress for those with SEND
  • Behaviour is excellent with low bullying and a supportive, kind school community
  • Early years provision is ambitious and well-sequenced, with staff skilled at extending children's learning
  • Leaders effectively support disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND through targeted training and strategies
  • Broad enrichment offer including fencing, squash, gardening, Latin and arts helps pupils develop talents and interests

Areas for Improvement

  • Staff do not consistently apply pupils' understanding of handwriting, grammar, punctuation and spelling across different subjects
  • Some teaching does not consistently match work to pupils' prior knowledge, so learning is not deepened as effectively as it could be
  • Systems to check on school quality and impact are less embedded in some areas, making it harder for leaders to adapt strategies with precision
  • Support for pupils with SEND needs further refinement to ensure staff can more skilfully adjust their approaches

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed, making pupils safer and helping them feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Fencing, squash, gardening, Latin, arts and crafts, trips to Royal National Lifeboat Institute

Lawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is rated as meeting expected standard overall. The school achieves well with pupils performing in line with and sometimes above national averages, and has established a safe, inclusive community where pupils behave well and feel they belong.

At a Glance

6.3%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+10ppMaths+7ppWriting+4pp

Reading has improved from 78% to 88%. Maths has improved from 84% to 91%. Writing has improved from 72% to 76%.

Class Sizes

27.8

Avg class size

25.3

Infant (KS1)

30.8

KS2

11

Total classes

3 classes with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Social & online

Getting There

Bus Stops

Milton Road (opp)
118m · 2 min walk
Claude Oliver Cl (opp)
196m · 3 min walk
Lawford Place (o/s)
211m · 3 min walk
Waldegrave Way (adj)
282m · 5 min walk
Edgefield Avenue (opp)
376m · 6 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

97%

Near capacity

349 pupils

360 capacity

11 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Manningtree

High pressure
New homes approved:258
Projected new pupils:65

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Manningtree

Admissions Demand - Essex

Low demand0.87x oversubscription

Places available

17,913

Applications

15,619

Got 1st preference

90.3%

Got preferred school

98.4%

Primary admissions across Essex (2025/26)

Inspection History(106)

Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good
Date not published by Ofsted
Good

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.7046%

Overall absence

5.81395%

Persistent absence

258

Enrolments

Authorised3.10354%
Unauthorised0.60106%
Persistent (10%+)5.81395%
Severe (50%+)0.3876%

Absence trend

2.89989%
18/19
1.7498%
20/21
5.27032%
21/22
4.07712%
22/23
3.5682%
23/24
3.7046%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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