R A Butler Junior School, Saffron Walden
R A Butler Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Saffron Walden, part of Saffron Academy Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 11 schools in Saffron Walden with published results, and 814th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 107% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Capacity
- Full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
R A Butler Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at R A Butler Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 88% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at R A Butler 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 R A Butler Junior School are R A Butler Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden (0.1 miles, Good, 97% reading, 94% maths); St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 90% maths); and Katherine Semar Infant School (0.7 miles, Outstanding).
R A Butler Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.
R A Butler Infant SchoolSt Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron WaldenSt Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolKatherine Semar Infant School
The trust
R A Butler Junior School is one of 9 schools run by Saffron Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
11.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
R A Butler Junior School had 16 teachers in 2026, one for every 24 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Audley End Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bell School (opposite), 230 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood R A Butler Junior School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
R A Butler Junior School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
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; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, 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 88% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 87% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
32.0
Avg class size
32.0
KS2
12
Total classes
11 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with R A Butler Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near R A Butler Junior School.
- R A B Late Play ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- Club Excel at Dame Bradbury's School900m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to R A Butler Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. R A Butler 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
- 19
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 6
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 13 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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
107%
Over capacity
384 pupils
360 places
24 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Saffron Walden
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Saffron Walden
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(4)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
78
SEN Support
21
EHC Plans
25.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
384
Total Pupils
215
Boys
169
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
24.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,053
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2044k
Total funding
£68k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.0%
Overall absence
2.1%
Persistent absence
386
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
R A Butler Junior School
Questions parents ask about R A Butler Junior School
What are SATs results like at R A Butler Junior School?
Of the pupils at R A Butler Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is R A Butler Junior School's Ofsted rating?
R A Butler Junior School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for R A Butler Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When R A Butler 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 R A Butler Junior School?
R A Butler Junior School was full in 2025, at 107% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at R A Butler Junior School?
Classes at R A Butler Junior School average 32 pupils (2025/26). 11 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to R A Butler Junior School?
R A Butler Junior School has around 384 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at R A Butler Junior School?
3% of sessions were missed at R A Butler Junior School in 2024/25. 2.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to R A Butler Junior School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming R A Butler 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.
Does R A Butler Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: R A B Late Play Club (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near R A Butler Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 19 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 6 serious and 13 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 R A Butler Junior School?
R A Butler Junior School is at South Road, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 3DG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)