St Nicholas Church of England Primary School
Priory Chase, Rayleigh, SS6 9NE
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 5 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Trust
- BERLESDUNA ACADEMY TRUST
- Executive Headteacher
- Mrs Samantha Willis
- Diocese
- Diocese of Chelmsford
- Sponsor
- Berlesduna Academy Trust
- Constituency
- Rayleigh and Wickford
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 145
- Pupils on roll
- 141
- URN
- 149617
- Local authority
- Essex
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01268786874
About this school
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School is a Church of England primary academy in Rayleigh. It teaches children aged 5 to 11 and has 141 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Confirmed by a short inspection, not a full one
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 19 November 2019, where inspectors confirmed the school remains Good. 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.
This inspection took place when the school was registered as St Nicholas' Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Rawreth (URN 115090).
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 22 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 32% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 14% |
| Expected standard in reading | 55% |
| Expected standard in maths | 36% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 59% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 103.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 100.0 |
Trends over time
How St Nicholas Church of England 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 | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | — | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.7% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 145 |
| 2024/25 | 140 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How St Nicholas Church of England Primary School compares
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School ranked 374th of 388 primary schools in Essex for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 7% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 26% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 32% | 7% | 11.4% | 141 | — |
| Down Hall Primary School | 81% | 4.9% | 17.5% | 272 | 0.5 miles |
| Glebe Primary School | 60% | 5.6% | 20.3% | 403 | 0.7 miles |
| Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Primary School | 70% | 4.3% | 9.2% | 420 | 0.7 miles |
| Edward Francis Primary School | 57% | 4.2% | 9.4% | 423 | 1.0 miles |
| Rayleigh Primary School | 78% | 4% | 17.9% | 463 | 1.2 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)
- 11.43%
- English as an additional language
- 0%
- Overall absence
- 6.98%
- Persistent absence
- 16.8%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Down Hall Primary School0.5 miles
Primary · Rayleigh
-
Glebe Primary School0.7 miles
Primary · Rayleigh
-
Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Primary School0.7 miles
Primary · Rayleigh
-
Edward Francis Primary School1.0 miles
Primary · Rayleigh
-
Rayleigh Primary School1.2 miles
Primary · Rayleigh
Other schools in Rayleigh
St Nicholas Church of England Primary School ranks 8th of the 8 ranked primary schools in Rayleigh.
- Down Hall Primary School Primary
- Edward Francis Primary School Primary
- Glebe Primary School Primary
- Grove Wood Primary School Primary
- Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Primary School Primary
- Rayleigh Primary School Primary
- Wyburns Primary School Primary
- The FitzWimarc School Secondary
- The Sweyne Park School Secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does St Nicholas Church of England Primary School teach?
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School teaches children aged 5 to 11. It is a primary school in Rayleigh.
- Who is the executive headteacher of St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
- The executive headteacher of St Nicholas Church of England Primary School is Mrs Samantha Willis, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was St Nicholas Church of England Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected St Nicholas Church of England 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 big is St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School has 141 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 11.
- Is St Nicholas Church of England Primary School full?
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School has capacity for 145 pupils and 141 on roll (97%), so it is close to full. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is St Nicholas Church of England Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. St Nicholas Church of England Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Chelmsford.
- Does St Nicholas Church of England Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records St Nicholas Church of England Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Who runs St Nicholas Church of England Primary School?
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School is part of BERLESDUNA ACADEMY TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How does St Nicholas Church of England Primary School rank locally?
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School ranked 374th of 388 primary schools in Essex for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 7% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 26% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is St Nicholas Church of England Primary School's absence rate?
- St Nicholas Church of England Primary School's overall absence rate is 7% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are St Nicholas Church of England Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, St Nicholas Church of England 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 10 July 2026.