St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree, Braintree
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Braintree. It has a Catholic religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 16 schools in Braintree with published results, and 1,154th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than 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
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree in detail
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I would like to extend the very warmest of welcomes to you all! As Headteacher, I am incredibly proud and privileged to lead St Francis Catholic Primary School alongside our dedicated team of professionals, supportive parents and wonderful children."
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Coming up: an admissions event on Monday 9 November 2026, an open day on Tuesday 10 November 2026 at 9.15am, an open day on Wednesday 11 November 2026 at 9.30am and an open day on Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 9.15am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree reached the expected standard in reading and 90% 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 (93% in reading, 89% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree
For September 2026 entry, 23 families put St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree as their first choice and 52 named it as one of their preferences, for 28 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 St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree are John Bunyan Primary School and Nursery (0.2 miles, Good, 71% reading, 65% maths); St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (0.5 miles, Requires improvement, 67% reading, 66% maths); Great Bradfords Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 76% reading, 67% maths); and Great Bradfords Infant and Nursery School (0.8 miles, Good).
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
John Bunyan Primary School and NurserySt Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolGreat Bradfords Junior SchoolGreat Bradfords Infant and Nursery School
Who goes there
11.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 15 pupils (7.4%) received SEN support and 4 (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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Braintree Rail Station, about 1020 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tabor High School (opposite), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 227 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, St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree issued 2 suspensions, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree are Tabor Academy (0.4 miles), Notley High School and Sixth Form (1.2 miles) and Alec Hunter Academy (1.4 miles).
Tabor AcademyNotley High School and Sixth FormAlec Hunter Academy
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
St Francis is an inclusive school where pupils are happy. They love coming to school and are proud to talk about the values and virtues they learn. Pupils feel part of a community where everyone is valued. Relationships with staff are positive and nurturing. Parents praise the support their children receive. Pupils contribute well to the community. For instance, elected members of 'Laudato Si' take their role seriously, working with leaders to make decisions, representing their peers, improving the school environment and caring for the world around them.
Pupils are safe, and say without hesitation, that they feel safe at school. They learn to be kind to each other. Pupils behave very well in lessons and at breaktimes. Classrooms and corridors are calm places to be. Children in the early years learn the routines that help them to be successful in school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The curriculum meets pupils' needs. This is because leaders systematically improve it. For instance, they review how well a subject identifies the key knowledge pupils should learn. Pupils make connections between the different things they learn. For example, they use learning in mathematics to help them understand integers on a timeline in history and to measure accurately in art. This helps pupils to know and remember more.
However, in some instances teachers do not adapt learning as effectively so as to consider what pupils already know. Teachers sometimes set work that is too easy. Pupils do not always move on to learning new, more complex knowledge when they are ready to do so. When this occurs, pupils do not make as much progress as they should.
From Ofsted's June 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
11.3%
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 remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.8
Avg class size
26.5
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
5
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree
St Francis Flyer 2nd October 2026
2 Oct 2026
St Francis Flyer 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
St Francis Flyer 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
St Francis Flyer 10th July 2026
10 Jul 2026
St Francis Flyer 12th June 2026
12 Jun 2026
St Francis Flyer 8th May 2026
8 May 2026
From St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree.
- Camp 4 Champs - St Michael's980m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree 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
- 23
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 8
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 15 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
9 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 St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree
Will you get a place at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree for 2014 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
100%
Full
210 pupils
210 places
No spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Braintree
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Braintree
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
15
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
9.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
203
Total Pupils
96
Boys
107
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
20.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,255
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,244
Per pupil
£1195k
Total funding
£29k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
4.4%
Persistent absence
183
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
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree
Questions parents ask about St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree
What are SATs results like at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree?
Of the pupils at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 90% did so in maths.
What is St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree's Ofsted rating?
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024.
What is the catchment area for St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree?
No fixed boundary. When St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree?
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree?
Classes at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree average 28.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree?
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree has around 203 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree?
3.3% of sessions were missed at St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree in 2024/25. 4.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree 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 St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree: Camp 4 Champs - St Michael's (980m away, 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 St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 23 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 8 serious and 15 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 9 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 St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree?
St Francis Catholic Primary School, Braintree is at Gilchrist Way, Braintree, Essex, CM7 2SY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)