Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Rickling Green, Saffron Walden, CB11 3YG
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mrs Tracey Bratley
- Diocese
- Diocese of Chelmsford
- Federation
- Federation of Farnham & Rickling C of E
- Constituency
- North West Essex
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 105
- Pupils on roll
- 98
- URN
- 115130
- Local authority
- Essex
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01799543274
About this school
Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school in Saffron Walden. It teaches children aged 5 to 11 and has 98 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 12 November 2024, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 13 | 15 | 12 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 77% | 73% | 75% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 15% | 20% | 8% |
| Expected standard in reading | 92% | 80% | 100% |
| Expected standard in maths | 85% | 80% | 100% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 92% | 80% | 83% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 111.0 | 111.0 | 110.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 107.0 | 109.0 | 105.0 |
| Reading progress | +4.00 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -0.20 | - | - |
| Maths progress | +1.10 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Essex average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 77% | 58.9% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 73% | 59.5% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 75% | 60.7% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 4.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 3.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 104 |
| 2023/24 | 96 |
| 2024/25 | 91 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School compares
Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School ranked 97th of 388 primary schools in Essex for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 78% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 85% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 75% | 4% | 2.2% | 98 | — |
| Newport Primary School | 16% | 6.2% | 17.8% | 155 | 2.3 miles |
| Manuden Primary School | 80% | 5.1% | 1.8% | 106 | 2.4 miles |
| Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School | 70% | 4.6% | 18.3% | 213 | 2.6 miles |
| Clavering Primary School | 86% | 4.2% | 6.6% | 179 | 2.6 miles |
| Bentfield Primary School and Nursery | 71% | 6% | 11.7% | 208 | 2.6 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 2.2%
- English as an additional language
- 2.2%
- Overall absence
- 3.99%
- Persistent absence
- 6.52%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Newport Primary School2.3 miles
Primary · Newport
-
Manuden Primary School2.4 miles
Primary · Bishop's Stortford
-
Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School2.6 miles
Primary · Bishop's Stortford
-
Clavering Primary School2.6 miles
Primary · Saffron Walden
-
Bentfield Primary School and Nursery2.6 miles
Primary · Stansted
Other schools in Saffron Walden
Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School ranks 8th of the 11 ranked primary schools in Saffron Walden.
- Ashdon Primary School Primary
- Clavering Primary School Primary
- Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy Primary
- Great Chesterford Church of England Primary Academy Primary
- Great Sampford Community Primary School Primary
- Katherine Semar Infant School Primary
- Katherine Semar Junior School Primary
- R A Butler Infant School Primary
- R A Butler Junior School Primary
- Radwinter Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Primary
- St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Primary
- St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School teach?
- Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School teaches children aged 5 to 11. It is a primary school in Saffron Walden.
- Who is the headteacher of Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
- The headteacher of Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is Mrs Tracey Bratley, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School?
- Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has 98 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 11.
- Is Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School full?
- Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School has capacity for 105 pupils and 98 on roll (93%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Chelmsford.
- Does Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Is Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is part of the Federation of Farnham & Rickling C of E federation. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 77% in 2022/23 and 75% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School compare with other schools in Essex?
- Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School ranked 97th of 388 primary schools in Essex for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 78% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 85% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's absence rate?
- Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's overall absence rate is 4% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.