Roseacres Primary School Review 2026: Strong Key Stage 2 outcomes in a small, growing community school

Roseacres Primary School is a one-form entry primary serving Takeley and the wider Bishop’s Stortford area, with a simple promise running through its public messaging: pupils are expected to believe they can achieve, and then to prove it through steady, well-supported work. The school opened in September 2015 and has grown quickly from its first intake to a full primary age range.

Academically, the headline picture is convincing. Roseacres sits above the England average on the core Key Stage 2 measures, and its scaled scores point to secure attainment across reading, mathematics, and grammar, punctuation and spelling. Its position in FindMySchool’s primary rankings places it comfortably within the top quarter of primary schools in England, which is the sort of performance profile parents tend to shortlist early.

Leadership has also moved recently. The current headteacher is Mrs Vicky Childs, with governance records showing an appointment start date of 01 September 2025.

Because Roseacres is relatively new, its identity is less about heritage and more about routines, relationships, and an intentional culture. The school frames itself as family-oriented, emphasising a caring community alongside ambition. That matters in practice for a one-form entry: with only one class per year group, children tend to know each other well, and staff get to recognise patterns early, whether that is a child thriving, wobbling, or simply needing an extra nudge.

There is also a clear trust context. Roseacres is part of The Learning Partnership Trust alongside Takeley Primary and Hatfield Heath Primary, with an emphasis on collaboration and shared practice across the group. For parents, the practical implication is that staff development, curriculum work, and operational systems may be shaped at trust level, not only within the school. In small primaries, that can be an advantage, as it can bring added capacity and shared expertise that a standalone school might struggle to resource.

Pastoral systems are easy to identify from published information. The designated safeguarding leads include the headteacher and deputy, and the school lists multiple deputy designated leads, which usually signals a preference for breadth of coverage rather than relying on a single individual. The staff structure published online also points to targeted inclusion capacity, including an Inclusion Lead and Learning Mentor, plus a trust SENCo role connected to the school.

Parents should be aware that the most recent Ofsted report (inspection dates 30 April to 01 May 2024) names a previous headteacher, which is common when a school appoints a new head after inspection. The current headteacher, Mrs Vicky Childs, is presented as the public face of the school on the website and in staffing information, and the governance appointment date indicates a September 2025 start.

The numbers underpinning Roseacres’ reputation are strongest at Key Stage 2. On the combined headline measure, 81% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 31% reached the higher threshold in reading, writing and mathematics, well above the England average of 8%.

Scaled scores add helpful texture. Reading sits at 107, mathematics at 108, and grammar, punctuation and spelling at 109, all of which indicate attainment above the typical national reference point used for scaled scoring.

FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking (based on official data) places Roseacres 2050th in England for primary outcomes and 12th locally within the Bishop’s Stortford area set used in the rankings. In plain English, that performance sits above the England average and comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

Science outcomes look secure as well, with 85% reaching the expected standard, compared with an England average of 82%.

(These performance statements reflect the structured results dataset provided for this review, and should be read alongside the school’s published context and cohort size.)

Roseacres presents itself as a school that wants pupils to build knowledge step-by-step rather than rush through content. The most detailed external description of teaching practice emphasises a curriculum that links subjects together, and regular checking of what pupils remember so that key knowledge sticks before moving on.

In day-to-day terms, that sort of approach usually benefits pupils who need repetition and careful sequencing, not only those already flying. It can also help parents understand what “progress” looks like beyond a single test score: if learning is structured around cumulative knowledge, gaps become easier to spot and easier to close.

Reading is positioned as a whole-school priority, not a bolt-on. Inspectors described an intentional culture around reading, including structured opportunities that make reading social and visible, such as Friday book club and cross-phase book club activity with other local schools. For pupils, the implication is straightforward: reading becomes normal daily behaviour, not something reserved for the strongest readers.

As a state primary, the main “destination” question is transition to secondary school and readiness for Year 7. Roseacres’ published materials focus more on the experience within the school than on naming feeder secondaries, which is typical for a primary serving a broad local area.

What can be said with confidence is that pupils are given structured chances to build independence and responsibility before leaving. Leadership opportunities for older pupils are explicitly referenced in the latest inspection narrative, including pupil roles that support younger children in school life. The practical value of this is that transition is not only academic; pupils who have practised responsibility, speaking up, and helping younger peers often cope better with the step up to a larger setting.

Parents who want a sharper picture of likely secondary pathways should treat this as a planning exercise tied to home address. In Essex, school-to-school transition is strongly shaped by admissions rules, and the best way to evaluate realistic options is to compare your address against secondary catchments and historic offer patterns. FindMySchool’s Map Search can help families sense-check distance-based assumptions early, before they become the basis of a housing decision.

Reception entry is coordinated by Essex local authority, and the school highlights the standard timeline for the September 2026 intake. Online admissions open week commencing 10 November 2025, the closing date is 15 January 2026, and offers are expected to be issued on 16 April 2026. The school also signals that it typically runs an open evening in the second half of the autumn term for prospective Reception families, with details advertised nearer the time.

Demand is strong. For the primary entry route in the most recent admissions dataset provided, there were 55 applications for 29 offers, which equates to roughly 1.9 applications per place. The subscription status is recorded as oversubscribed.

Mid-year admissions (Years 1 to 6) are handled differently. The school indicates that mid-year applications are made directly to the school using its own form, and that offers depend on space within the class size limit. For families moving into the area, that distinction matters: Reception is the cleanest entry point, while in-year places are inherently less predictable.

Pastoral support is easiest to judge when schools publish named roles, and Roseacres does. Alongside the safeguarding team and inclusion leadership structure, the school lists a MIND Health Practitioner on a weekly schedule, which suggests an attempt to make early help more accessible inside the school week rather than relying only on external referrals.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the latest Ofsted report, which is the baseline reassurance families should expect to see stated clearly. Beyond safeguarding, the inspection narrative also points to pupils feeling safe and knowing there are trusted adults to speak to if issues arise, which aligns with the school’s emphasis on a caring staff culture.

One nuance worth noting is the improvement point raised in the same report: some pupils did not learn as well as they could where teaching was not adapted sufficiently to need, with a specific focus on pupils with SEND. For parents of children with additional needs, this is a sensible line of enquiry for a visit: ask what has changed in classroom adaptation, how staff check impact, and how the trust SENCo and school inclusion roles work together in practice.

Roseacres does not publish a fixed, named list of clubs on its clubs page, instead describing a rotating offer that changes depending on provider, year group, and capacity. That is common for primaries, but it means parents should ask for the current term’s club menu rather than relying on a generic statement.

Even without a published club list, there are some specific wider-opportunity features that make the enrichment picture clearer. Pupil leadership is not only mentioned in general terms; the Ofsted narrative describes reading ambassadors who promote reading, including running lunchtime reading sessions for younger pupils. That is a concrete, child-facing responsibility that tends to suit pupils who enjoy helping, organising, and being visible role models.

The report also references workshops, with BMX biking given as an example, and describes career talks coming into school to broaden pupils’ understanding of future options and challenge stereotypes. For a primary, that is a meaningful approach: it helps children connect learning to real adult roles long before subject choices narrow later on.

Community life sits alongside enrichment. The school’s parent association, Roseacres Friends, is active in fundraising and event support, and school news items show the sort of small-scale, regular fundraising that typically feeds directly back into extras, experiences, or resources for pupils.

The school day runs from 8.40am to 3.15pm, with gates opening in the morning between 8.40am and 8.50am, and afternoon collection beginning at 3.10pm. Reception and Key Stage 1 finish at 3.10pm, and Key Stage 2 at 3.15pm.

Wraparound care details (breakfast club and after-school provision) are not clearly set out in the operating times information available online. Families who need childcare beyond the school day should ask the school directly about current provision, days, and how places are allocated.

For travel, Roseacres’ location in Takeley means many families will approach on foot or by car depending on where they live in the village and surrounding roads. Expect the usual peak-time congestion around drop-off and pick-up, and plan for safe walking routes if older pupils will eventually walk independently.

• Oversubscription at Reception. Demand is recorded as oversubscribed, with 55 applications for 29 offers in the latest admissions dataset used for this review. For families set on the school, it is wise to treat admission as competitive rather than assumed.

• SEN adaptation question to explore. External evaluation noted that some pupils did not learn as well as they could when learning was not adapted effectively enough, with SEND specifically referenced as an improvement focus. Parents of children with additional needs should ask how staff training and classroom practice have changed since that inspection.

• Clubs are termly rather than fixed. The school describes a changing clubs offer rather than a permanent menu. If clubs matter for childcare or a child’s motivation, ask to see the current and previous term’s offer to understand typical patterns.

• Leadership transition since inspection. The current headteacher appointment is recorded as starting 01 September 2025, after the most recent Ofsted inspection dates, so families may want to ask how priorities and routines have evolved under the new leadership.

Roseacres Primary School combines the appeal of a small, community-rooted primary with outcomes that sit above the England average on the measures most parents care about. The strongest fit is for families who want a one-form entry setting with clear routines, a visible reading culture, and leadership opportunities that help older pupils mature before Year 7. Admission is the obstacle; the education is likely to reward families who secure a place.