St Nicholas Church of England Primary School, RAYLEIGH
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Rayleigh, part of Berlesduna Academy Trust. It has a Church of England religious character. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 8th-highest of the 8 schools in RAYLEIGH with published results, and 14,167th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School in detail
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "The schools operate within a Federation with an Executive Headteacher (Mrs S Willis), an Executive Assistant Headteacher (Mr N Jones), Finance Manager (Mrs J Riley) and Office Manager (Mrs J Sinfield), working between the two schools."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 55% of Year 6 pupils at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 36% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put St Nicholas Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 55 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Nicholas Church of England Primary School are Down Hall Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 94% reading, 87% maths); Glebe Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 84% reading, 69% maths); Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 88% reading, 89% maths); and Edward Francis Primary School (1 mile, Good, 76% reading, 62% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Nicholas Church of England Primary School.
Down Hall Primary SchoolGlebe Primary SchoolOur Lady of Ransom Catholic Primary SchoolEdward Francis Primary School
The trust
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School is one of 11 schools run by Berlesduna Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
11.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rayleigh Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Trenders Avenue (opposite), 340 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 55 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Nicholas Church of England Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Nicholas Church of England Primary School are The Sweyne Park School (0.5 miles) and The FitzWimarc School (1.1 miles).
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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in December 2023. Before that, as St Nicholas' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Rawreth (URN 115090), it was rated Good in November 2010.
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)
2024/25 academic year
Class Sizes
28.2
Avg class size
5
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Nicholas Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Nicholas Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Nicholas Church of England Primary 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 St Nicholas Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Nicholas Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Nicholas Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Nicholas Church of England Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School for 2024 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
98%
Near capacity
140 pupils
143 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - RAYLEIGH
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for RAYLEIGH
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: Oversubscribed
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
22
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
20.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
141
Total Pupils
68
Boys
73
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
23.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£43,890
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,197
Per pupil
£786k
Total funding
£21k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.0%
Overall absence
16.8%
Persistent absence
125
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 Nicholas Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Nicholas Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 55% reached the expected standard in reading and 36% did so in maths.
What is St Nicholas Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in December 2023. Before that, as St Nicholas' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Rawreth (URN 115090), it was rated Good in November 2010.
What is the catchment area for St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Nicholas Church of England Primary 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 St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
Classes at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School average 28.2 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School has around 141 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
7% of sessions were missed at St Nicholas Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 16.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming St Nicholas Church of England Primary School 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.
How many road collisions happen near St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School is at Priory Chase, RAYLEIGH, Essex, SS6 9NE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)