Ingrave Johnstone Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Review 2026: High-attaining village primary with a clear values culture

A small, one-form-entry village primary in Ingrave, near Brentwood, with a distinctly Christian ethos and a strong emphasis on its INGRAVE values (Initiate, Nurture, Grow, Resilience, Achieve, Value, Enjoy). The most recent inspection confirmed the school continues to be Good, with pupils described as exceptionally well behaved and confident speaking to staff when something is worrying them.

Academically, Key Stage 2 outcomes in 2024 were strong across reading, writing and maths combined, and the school’s wider attainment indicators show depth as well as breadth. In FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking (based on official data), it sits above England average and within the top quarter of primaries nationally, while also ranking strongly within the Brentwood local area. (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data.)

Leadership is stable, with Mr James Rogers listed as headteacher, and the government’s Get Information About Schools service records his appointment in March 2022.

The defining feature here is the way values are used as everyday language rather than wallpaper. The school’s Christian vision, “We can do everything together, loving and learning through God”, is presented as a practical framework for how pupils treat one another and how adults speak about learning.

The latest inspection describes a harmonious community where pupils treat each other with kindness and respect, and where pupils talk openly about feelings with staff, which makes it easier to put support in place quickly. That is important for families who want a small-school feel, where children are known well and pastoral care is visible in routines rather than confined to formal interventions.

It is also a school that takes pupil voice seriously in age-appropriate ways. The inspection notes leadership opportunities such as being a student councillor, which gives pupils a role in improving the school. For children who like responsibility, that can be a meaningful part of confidence-building in upper primary.

Key Stage 2 results for 2024 are a clear strength. In reading, writing and mathematics combined, 80% of pupils met the expected standard, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 25% achieved the higher threshold in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%. (These are outcomes for England comparisons.)

Looking across subjects, the attainment profile remains strong: 76% met the expected standard in reading, 85% in maths, 82% in grammar, punctuation and spelling, and 94% met the expected standard in science. Average scaled scores were 107 in reading, 107 in maths, and 108 in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

On the FindMySchool primary outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 2,894th in England and 6th within the Brentwood local area, placing it comfortably above England average and within the top 25% of primaries in England. (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data.)

For families comparing nearby schools, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you place these results alongside other Brentwood-area primaries, especially if you are weighing a village primary against larger town schools.

Teaching is described in the latest inspection as structured and purposeful across most subjects. The curriculum is set out as a carefully sequenced body of knowledge in many areas, with staff checking understanding regularly and putting extra help in place when pupils fall behind. That matters for children who need early gaps caught before they harden into wider confidence issues.

Early reading is treated as a priority from Reception. The inspection notes that children begin learning letters and sounds as soon as they join, with well-trained staff supporting phonics and providing high-quality help for pupils who need to catch up. In practice, that usually shows up in confident decoding, smoother transition from learning to read to reading to learn, and fewer children drifting in Key Stage 1.

The key development point is not about ambition, it is about consistency of documentation across every subject. The inspection identifies a minority of subjects still being refined, where curriculum documents do not always make it clear what knowledge must be taught and when, which can make it harder for teaching to build steadily over time. Parents of very academically driven children may want to explore how this work is progressing in the subjects flagged, and what consistency looks like year to year.

As a Brentwood-area primary, progression is shaped by Essex secondary admissions arrangements and the mix of non-selective, selective, and independent options locally. Two local secondaries, Shenfield High School and St Martin’s School, explicitly list Ingrave Johnstone CE Primary School among the primary schools referenced in their oversubscription arrangements, which signals that many families from this school do go on to those settings.

For families considering selective routes, the wider Brentwood area includes grammar-school options, alongside independent senior schools. This school’s strong attainment profile can support either pathway, but the best approach is to think early about what sort of secondary environment your child will enjoy, then work backwards from that choice.

In practical terms, Year 6 transition is likely to suit children who benefit from clear routines and adult guidance. The inspection indicates older pupils support one another and play well with younger children, which is usually a good sign for leadership and peer relationships as pupils prepare for secondary.

Reception admissions for September 2026 entry are coordinated through Essex, with the school’s own admissions page stating online applications open on 10 November 2025 and close on 15 January 2026.

Demand, however, is a real factor. In the most recent admissions demand snapshot there were 68 applications for 30 offers for the primary entry route, which is about 2.27 applications per place. First preference demand is also high, with first preferences slightly exceeding first preference offers. That combination usually indicates a school that many families actively target rather than list as a back-up.

Because it is a voluntary aided Church of England school, faith and parish connection matter in the oversubscription criteria. The published admissions policy sets out priorities beginning with looked-after children, then children living in the parish of St Nicholas, Ingrave (with and without siblings), followed by siblings outside the parish, then children whose families are members of St Nicholas’ Church, Ingrave, or other Anglican churches in the Brentwood Deanery, then other Christian churches meeting the stated criteria, before proximity is used. The policy defines membership and worship patterns in detail, including a twice-monthly attendance expectation over at least two years for some categories.

If you live outside the catchment area and are applying for a Reception place for September intake, the school indicates a Supplementary Information Form is required in those circumstances, used alongside the local authority application.

Tours for prospective Reception families for September 2026 entry are scheduled for mid-October and mid-November 2025.

For families trying to judge realistic chances, it is worth using FindMySchool Map Search to check your distance and to understand whether you are inside the parish-defined area, as well as how sibling and church criteria may apply in your circumstances. (Distance cut-offs can shift meaningfully year to year.)

Pastoral support here is tightly linked to the school’s values culture. The latest inspection highlights that pupils feel safe, talk openly about feelings with staff, and that adults act to put support in place when a pupil is having a challenging time. That is the sort of everyday safeguarding culture parents usually want to hear about, because it suggests issues are noticed early rather than escalated late.

Behaviour standards also appear to be a strength. Pupils are described as behaving exceptionally well because they understand the rules and the inclusive culture, with staff modelling behaviour and giving pupils a clear way to articulate how they feel. For children who need calm and predictability, that can make a tangible difference to learning time and wellbeing.

The school’s PSHE programme is also referenced positively, including online safety, diversity and building positive friendships, aligned with the school’s Christian ethos. A link with a school in Kenya is mentioned as part of developing wider perspectives, which can work well for pupils who are curious about the wider world but still benefit from an age-appropriate framework for discussing difference and respect.

Extracurricular life is not treated as a generic add-on, it is used to extend interests and provide structured after-school options. The inspection notes clubs such as maths and coding are well attended, which is a good indicator of academic enrichment beyond the core timetable.

The published clubs list for Autumn 2025 also gives a clearer picture of what the weekly rhythm can look like in practice. Activities include multi-sports, dodgeball, street dance, separate Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 football sessions, and a before-school tennis option. Providers referenced include Winger Sports Academy and Lee Duncan Tennis.

Trips are used deliberately to bring curriculum content to life. The inspection gives the example of class trips such as the Tower of London. For families, the implication is that learning is not confined to worksheets and classroom talk, pupils are given concrete experiences that can anchor history and wider humanities learning.

The school day runs from 8.40am to 3.15pm, according to the school’s published opening times.

Wraparound care is available on site via an external provider, described by the school as Safari Club, connected with Little Legs Nursery. The school directs families to the provider for session times and costs.

Transport and parking specifics are not set out in detail in the school’s published practical pages, so families usually clarify the most workable routines during tours, particularly if you are balancing drop-off with commuting.

• Faith-based oversubscription criteria. As a voluntary aided Church of England school, admissions are not purely distance-led. The policy includes parish and church membership criteria, with defined patterns of worship and involvement. This will suit some families extremely well, but it does mean non-church families should read the criteria carefully before assuming proximity alone will secure a place.

• Competition for Reception places. Recent demand data indicates around 2.27 applications per place for the main entry route, with first preference demand also high. Families should plan realistically and consider a strong second preference within Essex admissions. (Distance information is not available for this school, so demand is the clearest published signal.)

• Curriculum work still in progress in some subjects. The latest inspection identifies a minority of subjects where curriculum documents are still being refined, which can affect how steadily knowledge builds over time. Parents may want to ask how this has been addressed since the inspection, especially if their child is academically quick and sensitive to repetition or inconsistency.

• Wraparound care is external. On-site provision exists, but it is run by an outside provider rather than the school. That can be convenient, but it also means booking, policies and session structures sit outside school administration.

This is a high-performing village primary with a strong, coherent values culture and a calm behavioural climate that supports learning. Key Stage 2 outcomes in 2024 were well above England averages in the core combined measure, and the school ranks above England average on FindMySchool’s primary outcomes ranking (based on official data).

It suits families who want a small, close-knit primary where Christian ethos is woven into daily expectations, and where behaviour and pupil voice are taken seriously. The main challenge is admissions, competition is real and criteria are more nuanced than simple distance.