The Cathedral Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Chelmsford, Chelmsford

Good
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~526m)Possible (~751m)Unlikely (~976m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Gemma Smith
Pupils:314 / 315 capacity
LA:Essex
Phone:01245354459
Address:Victoria Road, Chelmsford, CM1 1PA
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Good

Overall

URN:115289
UKPRN:10072413
Diocese:Diocese of Chelmsford
Constituency:Chelmsford
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school creates a truly inclusive community where every child is known, supported and encouraged to achieve. Pupils develop excellent communication skills, strong character values like kindness and responsibility, and deep understanding across all subjects. The school's focus on the whole child means pupils leave well-prepared for secondary school with confidence, resilience and a genuine love of learning.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve above-average outcomes in national tests and show excellent progress across the curriculum
  • Behaviour and attendance are exceptional, with pupils showing high levels of respect, self-discipline and enthusiasm for learning
  • The school provides a safe, nurturing environment where pupils feel valued and develop strong confidence and self-belief
  • Staff are skilled at identifying and supporting pupils with additional needs, including those with SEND
  • Leaders respond quickly to changes in school context and pupil needs

Areas for Improvement

  • Adaptations for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with English as an additional language are not yet as effective as they could be
  • Governor oversight and questioning about progress for some groups of pupils needs to be more rigorous
  • The impact of professional learning related to supporting disadvantaged pupils and those with English as an additional language is not yet fully embedded

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Board games club, music lessons, sports clubs, cultural opportunities, competitions, concerts, public speaking programme, buddy system, play leaders programme

The Cathedral Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a strong school where pupils achieve highly, behave exceptionally well, and thrive in a safe, inclusive community. Leaders have created a caring environment where all pupils are supported to flourish and develop important life skills.

At a Glance

7.3%

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+3ppWriting-6pp

Reading has improved from 84% to 94%. Maths has remained stable at around 94%. Writing has declined from 80% to 74%.

Class Sizes

28.3

Avg class size

26.6

Infant (KS1)

30.0

KS2

10

Total classes

1 class with more than 30 pupils

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Chelmsford Rail Station (entrance)
513m · 8 min walk

Bus Stops

Riverside Ice and Leisure (o/s)
142m · 2 min walk
YMCA (opp)
233m · 4 min walk
Riverside Inn (o/s)
247m · 4 min walk
Cathedral (Stop Cc)
344m · 6 min walk
Boswells Drive (opp)
354m · 6 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

100%

Over capacity

314 pupils

315 capacity

1 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Chelmsford

High pressure
New homes approved:4,225
Projected new pupils:1,056

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Chelmsford

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(18)

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

House Prices

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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

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

3.90044%

Overall absence

7.22022%

Persistent absence

277

Enrolments

Authorised3.12269%
Unauthorised0.77775%
Persistent (10%+)7.22022%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

2.50723%
18/19
2.0059%
20/21
4.91883%
21/22
3.9678%
22/23
4.06827%
23/24
3.90044%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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