School profile

Highfields Primary School

Primary · Community school · Manningtree, CO11 2BN

Outstanding

Map showing Highfields Primary School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

Key stage 2 2024/25

#3,670 of 15,057

Better than 75% of schools in England

Ranked by pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Highfields Primary School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 5 Jul 2016

Ofsted rating
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Early years
Outstanding
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhasePrimary
TypeCommunity school
Ages4 to 11
Pupils320
GenderMixed
Head teacherMrs Tara Marshall
Local authorityEssex
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 114769.

Key stage 2 results

2024/25

Year 6 results in national curriculum tests and teacher assessments. The expected standard is the level pupils should reach by the end of primary school.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Expected standard in reading, writing and maths74%, better than England, better than Essex63%63%
Higher standard in reading, writing and mathsScore of 110 or more in reading and maths, greater depth in writing.9%, similar to England, similar to Essex10%8%
Average reading scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.106, similar to England, similar to Essex106106
Average maths scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.106, similar to England, similar to Essex105105
Average grammar, punctuation and spelling scoreScaled score from 80 to 120; 100 meets the expected standard.109, better than England, better than Essex105105
Expected standard in reading81%, better than England, better than Essex77%76%
Expected standard in writing85%, better than England, better than Essex73%73%
Expected standard in maths83%, better than England, better than Essex76%75%
Pupils taking tests47--

Source: DfE, Compare school performance, Compare school performance 2024-2025.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils320
Girls164
Boys156
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.6.3%
First language not English1.6%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.315
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.0%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.37
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.10
Average class size28.9

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
91.6%
Other White
4.4%
White and Asian
1.9%
Other mixed
0.9%
White and Black African
0.3%
Indian
0.3%
Other Asian
0.3%
Other ethnic group
0.3%
Irish
0%
Traveller of Irish heritage
0%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher24.4
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.2
Teachers (FTE)13.1
Teaching assistants (FTE)12.92
Support staff (FTE)22.55
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2513.8
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2510.2
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/250
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253.6

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day.45
Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed.106
First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice.58
First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.45
Applications from another local authority (Reception)10

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Overall absence4%, better than England, better than Essex5.3%5.1%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.6.9%, better than England, better than Essex13.3%13.2%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.0.4%, better than England, better than Essex1.2%1%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate0.3%
Pupils with one or more suspensions0.3%
Permanent exclusion rate0%
Permanent exclusions0

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Highfields Primary School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miSecondaryManningtree High SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.5 miPrimaryLawford Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
1.4 miPrimaryBrooklands Primary SchoolAcademy converter
Good
1.5 miPrimaryStourview Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement

Frequently asked questions about Highfields Primary School

What is Highfields Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Highfields Primary School is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, last inspected on 5 Jul 2016.

How does Highfields Primary School rank in England?

Highfields Primary School ranks 3,670 of 15,057 schools in England for Key stage 2 2024/25 (better than 75% of schools).

What are Highfields Primary School's SATs results?

In 2024/25, 74% of pupils at Highfields Primary School met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 63%).

How hard is it to get into Highfields Primary School?

For Reception entry in 2026/27, Highfields Primary School made 45 offers from 106 applications (2.4 per offer), and 45 of 58 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Highfields Primary School?

Highfields Primary School has 320 pupils aged 4 to 11.

What is the capacity of Highfields Primary School?

Highfields Primary School had 315 school places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Highfields Primary School?

At Highfields Primary School, the average class had 28.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 24.4 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Highfields Primary School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Highfields Primary School missed 4% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 6.9% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.