Epping St John's Church of England School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 March 2026

Pupils are proud of their school. They have a deep-rooted sense of respect for each other. This helps to foster positive relationships and trust in each other and with staff. Older pupils take on key responsibilities that help younger pupils feel safe and cared for. Post-16 students guide Year 11 pupils through the challenges of preparing for GCSE examinations. This is a warm, inclusive community. All are welcome. All are valued. Pupils work hard and produce high-quality work. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are expertly supported to overcome their barriers to learning. Pupils facing personal or social challenges are equally well supported. As a result, pupils receive positive outcomes in public examinations. Pupils are polite and respectful. They behave well in class and around school. Learning is rarely disrupted. Some feel aspects of the school’s behaviour approach are overly harsh. However, pupils agree that they are treated consistently and fairly. Bullying is rare. Any incidents are dealt with quickly. Pupils feel safe. This helps them thrive. However, some disadvantaged pupils have not been effectively supported to overcome their barriers to attending school. As a result, too many of these pupils are absent from school too often. They miss out on key learning and valuable experiences. Pupils understand the complexities of life in modern Britain. They have an acute awareness of the tensions within the local area. Pupils are ably supported to become positive, active members of their wider community. They learn and uphold the key values that underpin British identity. They are tolerant, respectful and place great store in the rule of law. Older pupils, including post-16 students, engage in respectful debates about the issues that are important to them. Pupils benefit from a wide range of extracurricular opportunities. Some play sports, traditional and modern. Others perform in ambitious, dramatic productions. Residential trips and motivational speakers help pupils develop into resilient, confident young adults.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that they develop and implement plans that support disadvantaged pupils to overcome their specific barriers to regularly attending school.
• Leaders should ensure that staff have the expertise to adapt their teaching to ensure that pupils, and students in post-16, who can achieve a greater depth of learning achieve as well as they could.
• Leaders should ensure that they carefully monitor the implementation of the personal development programme and act on the feedback to ensure pupils enjoy a consistent learning experience.
• Leaders should ensure that those responsible for governance have the knowledge and expertise to hold leaders to account for the impact of their actions.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)