Schools & FE · Report card

Coppice Primary School

Inspected 7 Jul 2026 · published 17 Sept 2026 · URN 102837

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Kate Fallan (lead), Christopher Birtles, Jonathan Newby, Martin Kelsey-Hatton

What we read, and from where

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Achievement verified
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Expected standard
Early years verified
Expected standard
Inclusion verified
Expected standard
Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Strong standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
7 Jul 2026
Inspectors verified
Christopher Birtles, Jonathan Newby, Kate Fallan, Martin Kelsey-Hatton
Postcode verified
IG7 4AL
Name on report verified
Coppice Primary School
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
102837

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Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementExpected
Attendance and behaviourExpected
Curriculum and teachingExpected
Early yearsExpected
InclusionExpected
Leadership and governanceExpected
Personal development and wellbeingStrong

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+92Very positivemore positive than 93% of reports of this type

Reads more warmly than most reports of this type.

Praisepositivehighly effectiveambitiousconsistentlyhigh expectationsenjoysecureclear

Criticismconcernspersistent absence

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1822w+95
Leadership226w+84
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve85w+43

Strengths

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Concerns

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No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 16
Words of findings: 2,183; longer than usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 38, typical 43
Average sentence: 16 words
Next steps: 3; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 3%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 57%Leadership 7%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 3%About the inspection 32%

Full report text

Coppice Primary School

Address: Coppice Primary School, Manford Way, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 4AL Unique reference number (URN): 102837

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have designed a personal development offer that is highly attuned to the pupils at this school. They regularly review its effectiveness and provide additional opportunities to broaden pupils’ experiences and deepen their understanding of the wider world as a result. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders ensure the personal, social and health education curriculum clearly sets out what pupils need to learn, including as part of sex and relationship education. Sensitive teaching delivered by well- trained staff helps pupils to become increasingly knowledgeable about the changes to their bodies as they grow. They learn about positive relationships, and the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The curriculum is also supplemented by meaningful opportunities to teach and remind pupils about their responsibilities and rights, such as the right to be safe, for

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

instance. Consequently, pupils develop a detailed understanding about how to keep themselves safe, online and in their daily lives.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils take part in a wide range of activities to develop an understanding of fundamental British values. For example, after learning about the rule of law, pupils in Year 6 visit the local crown court. Pupils across the school vote democratically for advocates, whose responsibilities include representing their class at important meetings. Pupils also develop a sophisticated understanding of social issues. For example, members of the school’s Youth Voice Champions have successfully raised awareness of child poverty and worked alongside leaders to address issues affecting the school community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have established highly effective pastoral systems that enable pupils to thrive socially and emotionally. Through wide-reaching partnerships with external agencies, leaders ensure that pupils access a wide range of timely support for their mental health and wellbeing.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from an increasingly broad range of clubs, trips and visits. Leaders' relentless focus on reducing barriers ensures that all pupils can take part. Pupils develop empathy and social responsibility through raising money for charities, campaigning on environmental issues and taking part in ‘make do and mend’ projects. A wide range of sporting and musical opportunities also enables pupils to develop and extend their interests and talents.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils attain broadly in line with national averages in the end-of-key-stage-2 assessments. Across the school, pupils develop secure foundations in reading, writing and mathematics. From the early years onwards, pupils acquire an ambitious vocabulary, which they use with increasing confidence and accuracy in their spoken language.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders’ clear focus on strengthening the teaching of reading is having a positive impact. Outcomes in the phonics screening check continue to improve, and attainment in reading is rising across key stage 2. Disadvantaged pupils achieve particularly well in reading by the end of Year 6, reflecting leaders’ success in ensuring that disadvantaged pupils now attain as well as non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils’ work across the curriculum is generally of high quality and pupils are proud of what they produce. Typically, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, build knowledge which helps them to make secure progress across the school.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have a robust approach to improving attendance. They systematically analyse information to understand in depth any barriers to positive attendance. Leaders then develop and put in place bespoke support to reduce persistent absence. They intervene quickly if issues arise. Close working relationships with external agencies contribute to this work. As a result, overall attendance is improving over time for all groups. Leaders consistently communicate the importance of regular attendance through a range of means. For example, they recognise high and improved attendance with certificates for pupils and emails home to parents and carers. Positive and trusting relationships with families are also helping to strengthen attendance further.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

In lessons and around the school, pupils show respect for staff and for each other. Explicit teaching about emotions and managing feelings helps pupils to demonstrate positive behaviour choices in different situations. Highly effective pastoral care means that if pupils need support with behaviour, staff are always there to help. Pupils are clear that bullying is rare, and that it is dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils understand and follow the 'Coppice code' and see the importance of listening to others’ points of view. When they move from one activity to another, pupils typically behave sensibly and calmly. During social times, they play cooperatively and engage positively with the activities and equipment available for them.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious and broad curriculum. It is organised so that pupils learn ideas in a logical order. Staff are clear about what knowledge and skills pupils need to build up over time. Leaders regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and understand where development is needed.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure there is an emphasis on the core areas of reading, writing and mathematics. This starts in the early years, where, for example, games and songs in the Nursery class introduce children to important early knowledge. Phonics teaching is typically secure. Developing oracy is also a priority across the school. Teaching supports pupils to increasingly use ambitious words in their spoken language and written work.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teaching is generally effective and enables pupils to build and connect their knowledge over time. For example, pupils use their understanding of shape and pattern from studying the artist Orla Kiely in Year 3 to create effective spray-painting stencils in Year 6. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. High-quality professional learning for staff is helping to strengthen consistency in teaching strategies across the school. Staff have high expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. At times, however, adaptations to teaching are not as closely matched to pupils’ needs as is necessary. Some teaching progresses before pupils have been able to think deeply and secure their understanding. Consequently, some misconceptions are not identified at the earliest opportunity, and some pupils do not build knowledge as progressively as they could.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have developed a well-sequenced early years curriculum. They have high expectations and a clear focus on supporting children to develop communication and language. Staff model new words and encourage children to respond in full sentences. In Nursery, teaching helps children to become aware of sounds. By the end of Reception, phonics teaching means that children are typically using sounds to decode words and read appropriate books with increasing accuracy. Teaching also enables children to build foundational knowledge in early mathematics and writing. For example, children have fun using numbers while playing shopping games. In Reception, they enjoy creating stories and recording their ideas using their early writing knowledge. Structured routines and sensitive support from staff help children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to develop their communication and feel settled. Children, including those with SEND, make

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Early years Expected standard

steady progress from their starting points and are well cared for.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the curriculum enables children to explore, be curious and apply what they have learned, both indoors and outside. For example, outdoors, children develop strength and physical co-ordination on the climbing equipment. Children also have opportunities to develop early scientific knowledge. For instance, they learn about the importance of water and light to grow healthy fruits and vegetables when exploring the wildlife area or watering the plants in the raised beds.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff work closely between the early years and Year 1. This ensures that the curriculum and teaching support children, including children with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, to be typically prepared for their next steps.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have developed an inclusive and welcoming culture across the school. They act early to reduce potential barriers they know some pupils face, regularly monitoring the effectiveness of the support provided. Well-established systems ensure that pupils who are new settle in quickly. Leaders work closely with external professionals and the local authority to offer pupils and their families support when it is needed.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders draw on specialist advice and work with staff to identify pupils’ individual needs quickly and accurately. Positive relationships with parents and carers support this process. Specialist provision, including from speech and language therapists and physiotherapists, ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive appropriate support. Pupils and their parents are regularly included in reviewing this provision, helping them to feel valued. Leaders have developed a coherent professional learning plan for staff so that they know how to help pupils with SEND consistently access the curriculum alongside their classmates. Leaders are working to ensure that their inclusive strategies are increasingly embedded across the school. Leaders use additional funding effectively, resulting in a high proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving well at the end of key stage 2, especially in reading. Leaders also continue

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Inclusion Expected standard

to prioritise reducing barriers to participation in the school’s wider offer. For instance, they track involvement in clubs, trips and visits and consistently offer support to ensure that any barriers are overcome. This contributes to pupils feeling a secure sense of belonging to the school community.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know their school well and have an accurate understanding of its strengths and priorities for improvement. They have established a clear direction for the next phase of the school’s development. Governors share this commitment and are reflective in the way they provide support and challenge. This means they fulfil their statutory responsibilities and ensures that their oversight of curriculum, teaching and safeguarding is robust.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have ensured that staff's professional learning is evidence-informed and focused on the key priorities that will make the greatest difference to pupils. Staff, including those at the early stages of their careers, feel well supported. They value leaders’ focus on managing workload and improving wellbeing. Positive professional relationships between colleagues underpin this supportive culture. For example, collaboration with a partner school provides meaningful opportunities for staff to develop their expertise and share effective practice. Staff are proud to be part of this friendly and welcoming school community.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have established positive relationships with parents and carers. Opportunities for parents to share in their children’s learning, through musical performances and sports days for example, help to strengthen the sense of community. Parents appreciate the school’s open culture and are positive about the wide range of opportunities on offer. Parents of children with special educational needs and/or disabilities value the tailored support provided which enables their children to make progress and succeed.

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