Find the best primary schools in Uttlesford. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Uttlesford has 38 primary schools, all in Essex council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 38, 15 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Uttlesford primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| R A Butler Junior School | Mixed | 4.9 / 5 |
| R A Butler Infant School | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| Katherine Semar Infant School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden | Roman Catholic | 4.7 / 5 |
| Great Dunmow Primary School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| Katherine Semar Junior School | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Bentfield Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 4.5 / 5 |
| Great Chesterford Church of England Primary Academy |
There are 38 primary schools in Uttlesford. Of those, 1 is an all-through school, teaching both primary and secondary years.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in Uttlesford, that council is Essex. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 38 primary schools in Uttlesford, 15 have a religious character: 14 Church of England and 1 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are R A Butler Junior School (4.9), R A Butler Infant School (4.8), Katherine Semar Infant School (4.7), St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden (4.7) and Great Dunmow Primary School (4.7). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. All 38 schools here have a rating.
| Church of England |
| 4.3 / 5 |
| Elsenham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Manuden Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| Debden Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary Academy | Church of England | 4.1 / 5 |
| Farnham Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.1 / 5 |
| Great Sampford Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| St Mary's CofE Foundation Primary School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Hatfield Heath Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Little Hallingbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Roseacres Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Takeley Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Thaxted Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Clavering Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Radwinter Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Magna Carta Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Chrishall Holy Trinity and St Nicholas CofE (Aided) Primary School and Pre-School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Great Easton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Felsted Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Henham and Ugley Primary and Nursery School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Dunmow St Mary's Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Helena Romanes School | all-through | 3.5 / 5 |
| The Flitch Green Academy | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hatfield Broad Oak | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Wimbish Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Rodings Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| Birchanger Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Stebbing Primary School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Ashdon Primary School | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| Newport Primary School | Mixed | 2.3 / 5 |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.