Schools by area › Essex › St Margaret's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Toppesfield
St Margaret's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Toppesfield
Primary · Mixed · Ages 4–11 · Voluntary controlled
Church Lane, Toppesfield, Halstead CO9 4DS · st-margaretscofe.essex.sch.uk · 01787 237354
Overview
- Ofsted
- Good
- 2019 framework · inspected Nov 2022
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 57%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Essex 63%, England 62%
- Last distance offered
- 4.30 mi
- 6.92 km · Reception, September 2025 entry · Essex Council
- Demand for places
- 0.6
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 63
- 64% of 98 places
- Local authority
- Essex
- Nursery class
- No
- Free school meals
- 7.9%
- First language not English
- 9.5%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2025, the last place offered on distance went to a home 4.30 mi (6.92 km) from the school. Source: Essex Council’s document.
For Reception in September 2026, 6 families put the school first and 10 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
Demand for places
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 10 | 6 | 0.6 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 5 | 4 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 10 | 9 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 100% |
Last distance offered
| Reception | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| September 2025 | 4.30 mi6.92 km | |
Results
In 2024/25, 57% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 0% the higher standard. Across Essex it was 63%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ▼57% | 62% | ||
| ▼0% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ●104 | 106 | ||
| ▼99 | 105 | ||
| ▼99 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
St Margaret's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Toppesfield was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 8 November 2022, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Good
- Inspected
- 8 Nov 2022
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Early years | Good |
Previously: Concerns, ungraded inspection, Oct 2019
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Oct 2019Ungraded inspectionConcerns
Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Jan 2016Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Leadership and management Good Early years Outstanding Safeguarding Effective Jan 2014Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement
What parents said
69% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (16 replies, to 4 September 2023).
- Recommend
- 69%
- Replies
- 16
- 22% · 4 Sept 2023
based on the 81% who raised concerns
based on the 31% who had a child bullied