Empingham Church of England Primary School Review 2026: High-performing village primary with a clear RISE ethos

Small schools live or die by clarity of purpose, and Empingham Church of England Primary School has one. Its RISE language, embedded across everyday routines and learning expectations, gives pupils a consistent structure from Reception through Year 6. That matters in a setting where children are known individually and roles overlap, from classroom teaching to subject leadership.

Academic outcomes are a headline strength. In 2024, 96.7% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, far above the England average of 62%. Average scaled scores were 110 in reading and 107 in mathematics, again comfortably ahead of national benchmarks. On the FindMySchool ranking (built from official outcomes data), the school is ranked 874th in England and 2nd locally (Oakham area), which places it well above the England average (top 10%).

Entry is competitive despite the small scale. Reception demand data indicates an oversubscribed picture, with 25 applications for 10 offers (2.5 applications per place).

The school is part of The Rutland Learning Trust, and leadership is provided by Executive Headteacher Mrs Sally Gooding, who took up the executive headship in August 2017.

This is a village primary that leans into closeness, rather than trying to imitate a larger school. Relationships are treated as a core operating system, not a bolt-on. Pupils are encouraged to take responsibility early, and the culture is built around consistent expectations and calm classrooms.

The school’s stated ethos is anchored in “Together, we RISE to the challenge”, supported by a set of learning behaviours (ready, resilient, respectful, reflective, resourceful, responsible) and a wider emphasis on inclusion and social responsibility. That clarity helps families understand what the school is trying to build: children who can manage routines, stick with challenge, and contribute positively to the group.

Faith is present in a recognisable Church of England way. The school highlights a set of Christian values including Endurance, Hope, Friendship, Forgiveness, Trust and Compassion, and presents these as part of daily language rather than occasional ceremony. For families who want church links without a highly formal religious culture, this kind of values-led framing is often a good fit.

One practical indicator of day-to-day tone is how behaviour and motivation are handled. A points-and-rewards approach is used, including “dojo” points and a “dojo shop” style reward system, which encourages participation and gives younger pupils a concrete way to understand expectations.

Inspection note (single explicit attribution)

The 18 July 2023 Ofsted inspection stated that the school continues to be a good school and that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Empingham’s 2024 Key Stage 2 outcomes place it among the stronger state primaries in England, both on raw attainment and on depth.

Expected standard, combined (RWM)

In 2024, 96.7% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. That gap is large enough to suggest consistent whole-school strength rather than a one-off cohort effect.

Higher standard and depth

At the higher standard, 36.7% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. Writing depth is also a feature, with 30% assessed at greater depth in writing.

Scaled scores and wider attainment

Average scaled scores were 110 in reading and 107 in mathematics, and grammar, punctuation and spelling averaged 110. The combined reading, GPS and maths score total was 327.

At subject level, the proportions reaching the expected standard are exceptionally high across reading, mathematics, GPS and science (each recorded at 100% for 2024). This is the pattern parents want to see in a small school, consistency across the curriculum rather than strength in one area and fragility elsewhere.

Rankings context (FindMySchool)

Ranked 874th in England and 2nd in the Oakham local area for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official performance data), the school sits well above the England average (top 10%).

A useful way to interpret this is that strong attainment is not limited to meeting minimum thresholds. A substantial share of pupils are working beyond them, which tends to translate into confident transitions into Key Stage 3, particularly in reading stamina and mathematical fluency.

Curriculum ambition is a clear throughline, with an emphasis on sequencing knowledge carefully so that pupils remember the important building blocks. Early years provision is positioned as foundational rather than purely pastoral, with a strong emphasis on early literacy and on learning behaviours that support later academic work.

Reading has several identifiable features that go beyond a generic “love of books” claim. Pupils start phonics promptly in the early years, with additional support for those who need repetition to retain new sounds. The school also uses reading cafés and “mystery readers” as structured opportunities to make reading social and aspirational. The implication for families is practical: these kinds of routines tend to boost reading mileage across the whole cohort, not just among children who already read at home.

In a small school, subject leadership capacity can be a pressure point. Here, curriculum leadership is explicitly shared across two schools under the executive headteacher model, which broadens expertise and helps manage workload for staff who would otherwise be carrying multiple specialist roles alone.

As a Rutland primary, most pupils move on to secondary schools serving Oakham, Stamford, and surrounding areas, with exact destinations typically shaped by home address and the local authority’s coordination arrangements. What matters more than naming a destination list is readiness, and the school’s profile suggests pupils leave with strong foundations in literacy and mathematics.

Preparation for transition is supported by curriculum breadth and by opportunities that build confidence. The end-of-year production for Year 6 is one example of how performance, speaking, and teamwork are used to develop poise before pupils move to larger settings.

For families comparing options, a helpful approach is to look at both the primary’s outcomes and its likely feeder pathways. FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you view nearby primaries side-by-side, then short-list secondaries that match your child’s needs and travel constraints.

Admissions sit in the usual tension for a small rural primary: limited places, fluctuating cohort sizes, and strong local preference.

Demand and competitiveness

For Reception entry data the school is oversubscribed, with 25 applications for 10 offers, a ratio of 2.5 applications per place. This aligns with a pattern where a small planned admission number can make entry feel tight even in villages where children’s numbers vary year to year.

Route and key deadlines (2026 entry)

The published timetable for the 2026 to 2027 entry round lists 15 January 2026 as the national closing date for on-time applications, with the national offer date for primary schools on 16 April 2026. Appeals deadlines and hearing windows are also set out, with on-time appeals closing on 23 May 2026 and hearings scheduled between 16 June 2026 and 4 September 2026.

Appeals and waiting list

If refused, families can appeal and request a waiting list place, with timescales described for both normal round and in-year applications.

Open events

For open mornings, dates tend to cluster in late autumn (often November and early December) in Rutland’s admissions pattern, but families should check the school’s current calendar for the live year’s schedule.

If your decision depends on how close you live, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to calculate your likely distance to the gate precisely, then compare it against recent local admissions patterns. Even when a school does not publish a single “last distance offered” figure, distance still commonly matters in the allocation process.

Pastoral systems are easier to feel in a small school because there is less anonymity. Empingham signals this in several practical ways.

First aid and safeguarding routines are clearly operationalised. One small but telling example is the “green bumped head wristband” process, which is designed to ensure handover from school to home is unmissable, including for children attending after-school provision.

The staffing structure also indicates layered support. Alongside teaching assistants, the school lists nurture support and “Feelings First” roles, which suggests targeted work on emotional literacy and regulation rather than relying solely on sanctions when children struggle. For families with children who need predictable routines and quick adult recognition, this kind of structure can be reassuring.

For a small primary, enrichment needs to be specific to be credible. Here, there are several named strands.

Pupil leadership and responsibility

The school uses roles such as sports leaders and receptionists, and runs the “osprey ambassadors” initiative. These create age-appropriate leadership that is concrete, not tokenistic. Environmental action also has a named vehicle via a “green team”, with activities such as litter picks, “power down” days and Earth Day work.

Clubs and structured provision

After-school provision includes published daily activities, and a cooking club is explicitly referenced, with capacity adjustments and a small additional charge for ingredients. That kind of detail matters because it tells families the club is not simply supervision; it is programmed activity with predictable structure.

Curriculum-linked visits and experiences

Class topics indicate purposeful enrichment. For example, pupils in the Year 3 and 4 class reference a visit to Leicester’s New Walk Museum linked to Ancient Egypt work in history. These experiences tend to support vocabulary development and knowledge retention, which aligns with the school’s strong attainment profile.

The school day is published as opening from 8.40am to 3.20pm, with registration at 8.50am and lunch from 12.15pm to 1.15pm.

Wraparound care is available. Breakfast club runs from 7.45am to 8.40am at £5, and after-school club runs from 3.20pm to 4.20pm at £5 or to 5.30pm at £9.

As a rural village school, most families will rely on walking within Empingham or short car journeys from nearby villages. Parking and drop-off arrangements can become a bottleneck at peak times in small-lane settings, so it is worth asking how the school manages arrivals and whether staggered arrangements are used in bad weather.

• Small cohort size. With a roll well below capacity, year groups can be small. That often means strong adult knowledge of each child, but it can also mean fewer friendship options for some pupils and fewer same-age peers for highly niche interests.

• Admissions competition. Reception demand data shows more applications than offers, which can make entry uncertain even for local families. If you are moving into the area, do not assume a place without checking the current year’s allocation pattern.

• Faith character is real. The Church of England ethos is values-led and visible. Families who prefer a wholly secular framing should read the school’s ethos pages carefully and ask how worship and church links are handled across the year.

• Curriculum refinement in progress. Curriculum plans are described as being reviewed and refined across subjects, which is positive work, but it also signals that some areas may be in development rather than fully settled.

Empingham Church of England Primary School combines the advantages of a small village setting, clear values language, and academic outcomes that compare very strongly with England averages. It is best suited to families who want a close-knit primary with high expectations, structured reading practice, and a Church of England ethos that is integrated into daily life. The main constraint is admission, competition for places is the limiting factor.