Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery
Harlow, CM20 3BW · Essex · primary school
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389th of 391 primary schools in Essex we can score, 444 in total — the rest without enough published data. Local and same-phase on purpose: a national table mostly measures who attends.
Its results hold up when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds — 0.6/10 against 1,380 of them, against 0.8/10 nationally. So this is not simply a reflection of who attends. Both figures are results only, without the inspection grade. A lower figure here means a stronger comparison group, not a weaker school.
How this is worked out
| Measure | Percentile | Weight | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected standard (RWM) 2024/25 | 38.0 · 7 | 62% | 0.41 |
| Higher standard (RWM) 2024/25 | 0.0 · 10 | 38% | 0.40 |
Each measure is read as a position among comparable schools, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. Full method.
Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery overview
How it's doing
In 2024/25, 38.0% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths, compared to the national median of 64%. The higher standard was reached by 0.0% of pupils, against a national median of 7%. Its results are much the same when the comparison narrows to schools whose pupils have similar backgrounds, so the gap is not explained by intake (0.6 out of 10 against similar schools, 0.8 out of 10 against all schools).
Beyond the classroom
Pupils participate in netball, rounders, cricket, tag rugby, football, athletics, dodgeball, and swimming, with an after-school club available.
Getting in
The published school roll is 443 pupils against a stated capacity of 468. These whole-school figures do not establish entry-year vacancies or the likelihood of an offer. Confirm entry-year availability and admissions criteria with the school or local authority.
Worth asking on a visit
How does the school support pupils who are below the expected standard in core subjects? What specific strategies are used to raise attainment in maths? How does the after-school club integrate with the wider curriculum?
What Ofsted said about Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery
Overview
Pupils are “rightly proud to be part of this inclusive community” where “positive relationships are central to everything.” The school delivers a “Good” quality of education, with an “ambitious and carefully designed” curriculum that supports confident learners. Leaders provide effective challenge and support, ensuring staff well-being and high-quality professional development.
Strengths
- The curriculum is taught in a “logical order,” ensuring new learning builds on previous knowledge, with staff using “appropriate assessment strategies” to check understanding.
- Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported, allowing them to “access the same curriculum as their peers” and achieve well.
- Phonics is taught “effectively by well-trained staff,” with books carefully matched to sounds to help pupils read with “increasing fluency.”
- Pupils enjoy a “wide range of extra-curricular activities” and educational trips, which help them “build confidence” and develop leadership skills.
- Staff benefit from “high-quality professional development” and feel their workload and well-being have been “carefully considered by leaders.”
Areas to improve
- In some subjects, understanding is not “systematically checked before new content is introduced,” leading to “superficial understanding” of key knowledge.
- Too few pupils develop “sufficient enjoyment in reading,” resulting in insufficient confidence by the end of key stage two; the school must emphasise “strong reading habits.”
Safeguarding
The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”
Results over time
Expected standard (reading, writing, maths), the years we hold.
| Year | Expected standard (reading, writing, maths) |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 53% |
| 2023/24 | 53% |
| 2024/25 | 38% |
| England | 64% |
Source: DfE Explore Education Statistics. “England” is the median of the 14,326 state schools in England we hold a 2024/25 figure for — a school-level median, not the DfE's pupil-weighted national figure.
Your offer chance
—Based on official applications/offers, distance and catchment where we have it. Bands only — never a percentage.
Sibling, faith, looked-after and other criteria can override distance. Always confirm with the school or local authority.
Next dates
- Primary (Reception) application deadline15 Jan 2027
- Primary National Offer Day16 Apr 2027
- Primary (Reception) application deadline15 Jan 2028
- Primary National Offer Day17 Apr 2028
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