Acorn Infant Academy
Spa Road, Witham, CM8 1NAOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Acorn Infant Academy is a primary school in Witham for ages 3 to 7. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 17 December 2024, report published 16 January 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 17 December 2024
Pupils enjoy attending Acorn Academy. They know that the school is a safe, welcoming and happy place. Staff give every pupil the support that they need. This helps pupils to enjoy school, work hard and attend well. The school expects pupils to achieve their best. Increasingly, they do so. Pupils develop a range of interests through many clubs, including art, gardening and several sports. They participate in musical performances, competitions and trips. Pupils learn about the importance of the community when they raise money for charity. The school teaches pupils how to stay healthy and safe. They learn, in an age-appropriate way, about topics such as personal space, road safety and healthy relationships. Pupils understand the importance of kindness. They know that everyone, no matter how they are different, is equally important. They show this in how they treat each other and adults. They behave well in lessons. They enjoy playing with each other at breaktimes and lunchtimes. When pupils sometimes do not behave as well as they could, staff work patiently with them to help pupils better understand the impact of their actions and manage their emotions.
What the school should improve
- The school has not ensured that all teachers check effectively how well pupils have learned important knowledge. As a result, in some lessons, teachers do not identify what pupils know quickly enough. The school should ensure that staff know how to check knowledge effectively and use these checks to close gaps in knowledge, address errors and adjust the curriculum so that it fully meets the needs of all pupils.
- The school has not made sure that all subject leaders have the necessary knowledge and skills to further develop, implement and monitor the curriculum in subjects that they lead. As a result, some areas of the curriculum are not yet fully established and delivered as leaders intend, which may prevent pupils from learning and remembering knowledge securely across the whole curriculum. The school should provide subject leaders with the support they need so that they provide consistently high quality subject leadership.
Pupil numbers and mix
196 pupils on roll, with places for 270
Schools near Acorn Infant Academy
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witham Oaks Academy | 0.1 miles | Ofsted: Good | 72% met the expected standard |
| Templars Academy | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Good | 42% met the expected standard |
| Elm Hall Primary School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 48% met the expected standard |
| Howbridge Infant School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Not published |
| Holy Family Catholic Primary School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 70% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- BRIDGE ACADEMY TRUST
- Age range
- 3 to 7
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mrs Cheryl Noble
- Phone
- 01376512605
- Address
- Spa Road, Witham, CM8 1NA
- Local authority
- Essex
- URN
- 147255
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.