Great Tey School was founded in 1872 by the Church of England to 'serve and educate the poor of the parish'.  Following the 1944 Education Act, the school became ‘controlled’.  It was still legally owned by the Church as Trustees, but controlled by the Local Authority in Essex, which has full financial responsibility for its maintenance. 

As a church school, Great Tey aims to promote Christian values through the experience we offer to all our pupils.  We are a fully inclusive school and, as such, welcome everyone to our school - children and families of the Christian faith, other faiths or no religious faith at all - but, as a school community, we are inspired by the example of Jesus to live our lives with compassion, wisdom and spirituality.

Ofsted recently found that -

"Pupils behave well throughout the school day. They show kindness and compassion towards each other and adults. They also show high levels of respect. The school ensures pupils learn about, and understand, differences between cultures and religions." (March 2024)

 Within our caring and nurturing environment and guided by our shared Christian vision and values, we aim to ensure that all voices in our school family can be heard and all of our pupils are engaged in learning that develops and challenges them, excites their imagination and provides an opportunity to achieve their full potential.