Churchfields Junior School Review 2026: High-achieving Key Stage 2 specialist with an exceptional music and reading culture

This is a large, four-form entry junior school where Key Stage 2 outcomes sit well above England averages, and where academic ambition is matched by unusually structured enrichment. The most recent inspection, in October 2024, judged all four key areas as Outstanding, with the newer framework reporting these as separate judgements rather than a single overall grade.

Churchfields is a junior-only setting, educating pupils from Year 3 to Year 6. It has deep roots in the local community, with a published history that traces the school back to 1874 and a recent 150-year milestone in 2024.

Leadership groups and specialist provision are not bolt-ons here, they are part of how the school runs day to day. The inspection report describes participation in leadership groups for all pupils, and highlights a distinctive reading system, The Reading Express, alongside weekly instrumental tuition for every child.

A school this size can sometimes feel anonymous, but the published picture here is of a tightly organised community with a clear set of expectations and shared language. The school’s stated values are expressed through a set of “Mr and Ms values”, including independence, appreciation, communication, determination, curiosity, collaboration, and resilience. The practical implication is that behaviour and learning are framed as habits to practise rather than rules to comply with, which can suit pupils who respond well to consistent routines and visible incentives.

Reading is a defining feature of the culture. The school describes the library as central to school life, with a fully trained librarian present daily from 9:00am to 12:05pm, and Year 5 and Year 6 pupils from the Bookworms leadership group helping run access before the day begins. That pupil-led responsibility matters. For many children, it makes the act of choosing books feel social and normal rather than a solitary task.

Music is treated similarly, as a whole-school entitlement rather than a selective extra. Weekly instrumental tuition for every pupil is a rare offer in the state sector, and the school also reports more than 250 individual instrument lessons each week, with tuition delivered during the school day by the Redbridge Music Service. For families, this signals that timetabling and staffing are built around specialist teaching rather than treating it as an occasional enrichment day.

The school’s history adds context for its identity. Founded in 1874, it evolved through earlier separate boys’ and girls’ departments before forming a mixed junior school in the inter-war period. That long timeline shows up today less as nostalgia and more as an established set of community expectations about behaviour, participation, and transition to local secondary schools.

The headline story is sustained, very high Key Stage 2 performance. In 2024, 91.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared to the England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 46.67% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared to 8% across England. Reading and mathematics scaled scores were both 109, with grammar, punctuation and spelling at 110, all substantially above typical national benchmarks.

Rankings align with those outcomes. Churchfields Junior School is ranked 714th in England and 8th in Redbridge for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

The inspection evidence helps explain the mechanism behind those results. Curriculum sequencing is described as deliberate, with pupils building knowledge cumulatively across subjects, and with reading positioned as a core driver of learning. The report also highlights that pupils who need additional reading help are identified quickly and matched to appropriate books, which matters for a junior school intake where pupils arrive with varying Key Stage 1 experiences.

For parents comparing local options, the most useful approach is to look at both attainment and how the school achieves it. FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you line up these Key Stage 2 indicators against other Redbridge juniors, particularly if you are weighing travel, wraparound care, and extracurricular fit alongside results.

The curriculum is presented as broad and ambitious, with strong emphasis on sequencing and revisiting knowledge over time. In English, the inspection report describes a progression from retrieving simple information in younger year groups to inference and evidence-based interpretation in older pupils. The implication is a steady build towards secondary-ready reading and writing, rather than a Year 6 sprint.

Reading is structured, not left to chance. The school’s Reading Express system is described as an adapted tube map where genres are organised like lines, helping pupils navigate reading choices and track breadth. Paired with a well-stocked library organised by genre, and visible pupil leadership roles, the reading culture is designed to create regular, varied reading rather than narrow exam practice.

Specialist teaching appears in several areas. Music has specialist weekly provision for all pupils, and the clubs programme includes technical options such as Lego Robotics using LEGO Education SPIKE, which blends building, coding, and problem-solving. Where this tends to land best is with pupils who enjoy structured challenge and like seeing skills build term by term.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is described as effective, with adaptations enabling pupils to learn alongside peers wherever possible. Families considering the school for a child with additional needs should still review the school’s published SEND information and ask targeted questions about in-class support and intervention, but the external evidence suggests a model focused on inclusion within mainstream teaching.

As a junior school, the primary transition point is Year 6 to Year 7. The school’s historical account notes that, from 1937, children over 11 were transferred to what later became Woodbridge High School, indicating a longstanding local pathway into nearby secondary education.

Pragmatically, families should treat Year 5 and Year 6 as the planning window. Secondary transfer applications are made through the local authority, and the right secondary school fit can depend on travel time, sibling links, and the child’s learning profile. Churchfields’ emphasis on reading, leadership roles, and structured enrichment tends to support a confident transition into larger secondary environments, particularly for pupils who benefit from clear routines and high expectations.

Churchfields Junior School follows the London Borough of Redbridge admissions process. A key point for families at the linked infant school is that transfer is not automatic. The school states that pupils at Churchfields Infants’ School can transfer at the end of Key Stage 1, provided parents apply for a place by the January deadline each year using the local authority online system.

For September 2026 entry, Redbridge’s published guidance states that the on-time application deadline is 15 January, with the option to submit a late application after that date. National offer timing for on-time primary-phase applications is referenced as 16 April. Families should confirm the junior transfer timetable on the Redbridge admissions pages, because deadlines and offer dates are the most common failure points in junior transfer applications.

The school’s size and popularity mean families should avoid relying on informal assumptions about “guaranteed” routes. If you are considering an in-year move (for example, after a house move), Redbridge provides a separate in-year application route.

The school publishes a clear focus on mental health and wellbeing, positioning its role as helping pupils manage change and stress, learn how to maintain positive mental health, and know where to seek help. The existence of a pupil leadership group dedicated to wellbeing, the Wellbeing Ambassadors, underlines that this is designed to be peer-visible rather than purely adult-led.

Safeguarding structures are also made explicit on the school website, with named roles and an emphasis on established external safeguarding mechanisms. While families will naturally judge this in conversation with staff, the published documentation suggests a school that treats safeguarding as systematic and procedural rather than informal.

Pastoral strength also shows up through participation expectations. The inspection report describes leadership group participation for all pupils, which supports social development and responsibility, and can particularly help pupils who gain confidence through defined roles.

The enrichment offer is unusually detailed and, importantly, specific. On the clubs programme, families will find both traditional and specialist options. Examples include Fencing led by Fighting Fit Fencing, Lego Robotics using LEGO Education SPIKE, NFL Flag Football, and Musical Theatre. The key implication is breadth with structure: clubs are not just recreational, they are designed as skill-building programmes with specialist leaders and clear focus areas.

Pupil leadership appears as a pillar of wider life. The school lists multiple leadership groups, including Digital Leaders, Eco Committee, Bookworms, Newshounds, Time Travellers, and Wellbeing Ambassadors. This matters because it creates routes for pupils who may not define themselves primarily through sport to still hold status and responsibility in school life.

Educational visits add another layer. The inspection report cites visits to the British Museum, the Barbican, and the Ragged School Museum. The school also publishes a programme that includes civic destinations such as City Hall and the Houses of Parliament for leadership groups, and a seven-day Year 6 residential at Rhos y Gwaliau Outdoor Education Centre in June each year. These experiences tend to suit pupils who enjoy learning that moves beyond the classroom, and they also provide practical preparation for the independence expected at secondary school.

Sport and physical health are treated as a whole-school priority. The school states it runs 12 sports clubs across the year, and highlights a summer-term, covered and heated swimming pool erected on the playground, with instruction aiming for confident 25m swimming and safe self-rescue. It also reports cycling initiatives including taking 120 children annually to the Velopark in Stratford for BMX learning, and extensive scooter and bike storage, alongside a reported majority walking, scooting, or cycling to school.

Published timings are clear. Breakfast Club runs from 7:45am to 8:40am; playground gates open at 8:40am; registration is at 8:55am; and the school day ends at 3:30pm. After-school activities are listed from 3:30pm to 4:30pm, and the school states a typical week totals 32 hours and 55 minutes.

For travel, the school places strong emphasis on active journeys, including cycling promotion and on-site storage for large numbers of scooters and bikes. Parking guidance is also referenced, with designated times for free parking at a nearby car park; families should check current arrangements directly as these can change with local traffic measures.

• Junior transfer is not automatic. Families at the linked infant school still need to apply for a Year 3 place by the January deadline each year. Missed deadlines are one of the most avoidable causes of stress in the junior transfer process.

• High attainment can feel pressurised for some pupils. Outcomes and expectations are very high, and pupils who prefer a slower pace may need careful support to feel confident rather than compared.

• Specialist enrichment can create busy weeks. With clubs, leadership groups, music tuition, and trips, the timetable can become full. Families may want to plan balance, particularly for pupils who need downtime after school.

• Some enrichment may carry additional costs. While there are no tuition fees, items such as instrumental lessons or certain clubs can have charges; families should review the school’s published information and ask what support is available for eligible pupils.

Churchfields Junior School combines very high Key Stage 2 performance with a distinctive model of structured enrichment, especially in music, reading, and pupil leadership. It will suit pupils who respond well to clear routines, high expectations, and opportunities to take responsibility through defined roles. The practical challenge is admissions logistics, particularly the need for timely Year 3 applications, even for families already in the linked infant school.