Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery, Chelmsford
Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Chelmsford, part of The Brickfields Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 30th-highest of the 46 schools in Chelmsford with published results, and 8,950th of 14,452 across England. It was 91% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery in detail
Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery in its own words
In its own words: "The school day at Lawford Mead Primary School begins with registration at 8.45am and ends at 3.15pm. Gates open for drop off at 8.35am and we recommend children enter the school grounds by 8.40am. We track the pages you visit on this site using Google Analytics ."
Vision and values (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (72% in reading, 70% in maths).
Getting a place at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 42 families put Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery as their first choice and 89 named it as one of their preferences, for 44 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 Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery are Newlands Spring Primary and Nursery School (0.6 miles, Good, 73% reading, 78% maths); Parkwood Academy (0.6 miles, Requires improvement, 72% reading, 69% maths); Kings Road Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 76% reading, 66% maths); and St Pius X Catholic Primary School (0.9 miles, 85% reading, 82% maths).
Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Newlands Spring Primary and Nursery SchoolParkwood AcademyKings Road Primary SchoolSt Pius X Catholic Primary School
The trust
Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery is one of 4 schools run by The Brickfields Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
43 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery (as of September 2025): 81% would recommend the school, 93% say their child is happy there and 54% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (93%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (54%).
Who goes there
37.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chelmsford Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Trent Road Shops (outside), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 158 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery issued 8 suspensions, 2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery are St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford (1 mile); King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford (1.1 miles); Chelmsford County High School for Girls (1.2 miles); and Hylands School (1.2 miles).
St John Payne Catholic School, ChelmsfordKing Edward VI Grammar School, ChelmsfordChelmsford County High School for GirlsHylands School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2020, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a welcoming, ambitious environment where children genuinely enjoy learning and feel safe. Staff are highly trained and attentive to individual needs, ensuring pupils with different starting points - including those learning English as an additional language - progress well. The school goes far beyond academics, helping children become confident, respectful citizens through meaningful leadership roles, diverse learning experiences, and a wealth of enrichment activities.
Key Strengths
- Strong phonics teaching and reading instruction with expertly trained staff and effective support for pupils who need extra help
- Well-designed curriculum with carefully ordered knowledge that pupils build on over time
- Excellent provision for pupils' wider development, including diversity, respect, tolerance, and democratic participation
- Sensitive, highly trained staff who know children exceptionally well and provide appropriate support for pupils with SEND
- Inclusive clubs and extensive enrichment opportunities that help pupils explore their talents and interests
Areas for Improvement
- High rates of persistent absence for some disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND - the school needs to develop additional strategies to improve attendance so all pupils benefit from school opportunities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff creating an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Public speaking club, Lego club, origami club, art club, cooking club, singing in national and local festivals, sports, musical instrument lessons, magistrate workshops, parliament week, house captain and school councillor roles, subject champion roles, play leader roles
Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. Pupils display highly positive behaviour, a passion for learning, and embody the school's 'we are proud' values of integrity and respect.
At a Glance
37.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
43 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 72% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 71% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 66% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
25.5
Avg class size
25.0
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
15
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery.
- Allstar Community Academy - Lawford MeadAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery 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: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 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 Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery
Will you get a place at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery for 2017 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
91%
Near capacity
382 pupils
420 places
38 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(2)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
75
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
21.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
413
Total Pupils
204
Boys
209
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
18.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,249
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,556
Per pupil
£2426k
Total funding
£230k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.4%
Overall absence
23.2%
Persistent absence
370
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
Questions parents ask about Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery
What are SATs results like at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery?
Of the pupils at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 71% did so in maths.
What is Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery's Ofsted rating?
Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery?
Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery was not full in 2025: it ran at 91% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery?
Classes at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery average 25.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery?
Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery has around 413 pupils on roll. 38% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery?
8.4% of sessions were missed at Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery in 2024/25. 23.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery 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.
Does Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Allstar Community Academy - Lawford Mead (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery?
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: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 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 Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery?
Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery is at Trent Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 2JH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)