Schools in Colchester

About schools in Colchester

Most of the 103 schools listed in Colchester are primary schools. Its 15 secondary schools are where families compare options once a child finishes primary. Older students can carry on at two sixth forms and colleges.

Every school on this page is inspected by Ofsted. Its newer reports judge a school across several areas rather than giving one overall grade, while older reports still carry the previous single grade, so read the framework and the date on each page before you set two schools side by side. Where results have been published you will also find key stage 2 scores for the primary schools and Attainment 8 for the secondary schools. An inspection or a results table captures a school at one past moment, so use this page to draw up a shortlist and then visit.

Key stage 2, 2024/25

62%

of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, across the 69 schools with published results

Key stage 4, 2024/25

48.7

average Attainment 8 score, across the 17 schools with published results

Primary schools73

The figure beside a school is the share of its pupils who reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

• Alresford Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  58%

  expected standard
• Ardleigh St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  64%

  expected standard
• Baynards Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  67%

  expected standard
• Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 5 to 11

  55%

  expected standard
• Boxted St Peter's Church of England School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  77%

  expected standard
• Braiswick Primary School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  66%

  expected standard
• Brightlingsea Primary School and Nursery

  Community school · Ages 2 to 11

  69%

  expected standard
• Brinkley Grove Primary School

  Foundation school · Ages 5 to 11

  76%

  expected standard
• Broomgrove Infant School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 7

• Broomgrove Junior School

  Community school · Ages 7 to 11

  47%

  expected standard
• Camulos Academy

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  80%

  expected standard
• Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  63%

  expected standard
• Cherry Tree Academy

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  79%

  expected standard
• Copford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 5 to 11

  85%

  expected standard
• Dedham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  83%

  expected standard
• Earls Colne Primary School and Nursery

  Foundation school · Ages 4 to 11

  54%

  expected standard
• Elmstead Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  47%

  expected standard
• Feering Church of England Primary School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  72%

  expected standard
• Fingringhoe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 5 to 11

  54%

  expected standard
• Fordham All Saints CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  60%

  expected standard
• Friars Grove Primary School

  Community school · Ages 5 to 11

  59%

  expected standard
• Gosbecks Primary School

  Community school · Ages 5 to 11

  53%

  expected standard
• Great Bentley Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 5 to 11

  61%

  expected standard
• Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  58%

  expected standard
• Hamilton Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  79%

  expected standard
• Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery

  Community school · Ages 4 to 7

• Hazelmere Junior School

  Community school · Ages 7 to 11

  38%

  expected standard
• Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 5 to 11

  86%

  expected standard
• Highwoods Community Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  78%

  expected standard
• Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Eight Ash Green and Aldham

  Academy converter · Ages 5 to 11

  71%

  expected standard
• Home Farm Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  75%

  expected standard
• Kelvedon St Mary's Church of England Primary Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 11

  72%

  expected standard
• Kendall Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  72%

  expected standard
• King's Ford Infant School and Nursery

  Community school · Ages 2 to 7

• Kings Ford Academy

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 7 to 11

  29%

  expected standard
• Lakelands Primary School

  Free schools · Ages 4 to 11

• Langenhoe Community Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 3 to 11

  78%

  expected standard
• Langham Primary Academy

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

• Layer-de-la-Haye Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 5 to 11

  75%

  expected standard
• Lexden Primary School with Unit for Hearing Impaired Pupils

  Community school · Ages 3 to 11

  67%

  expected standard
• Mersea Island School

  Foundation school · Ages 2 to 11

  56%

  expected standard
• Messing Primary School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 4 to 11

  36%

  expected standard
• Milldene Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  77%

  expected standard
• Millfields Primary School

  Foundation school · Ages 4 to 11

  47%

  expected standard
• Monkwick Infant and Nursery School

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 7

• Monkwick Junior School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 7 to 11

  54%

  expected standard
• Montgomery Primary School, Colchester

  Community school · Ages 3 to 11

  67%

  expected standard
• Myland Community Primary School

  Community school · Ages 5 to 11

  76%

  expected standard
• North Primary School and Nursery

  Community school · Ages 3 to 11

  47%

  expected standard
• Old Heath Community Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  70%

  expected standard
• Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  47%

  expected standard
• Prettygate Infant School

  Community school · Ages 5 to 7

• Prettygate Junior School

  Community school · Ages 7 to 11

  77%

  expected standard
• Queen Boudica Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  66%

  expected standard
• Roach Vale Primary School

  Community school · Ages 4 to 11

  57%

  expected standard
• St Andrew's Church of England Primary Academy, Marks Tey

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  76%

  expected standard
• St George's Church of England Primary School, Great Bromley

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 5 to 11

  47%

  expected standard
• St James the Great Church of England Primary School

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 2 to 11

  48%

  expected standard
• St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  72%

  expected standard
• St John's Green Primary School

  Community school · Ages 5 to 11

  61%

  expected standard
• St Lawrence Church of England Primary School, Rowhedge

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  63%

  expected standard
• St Luke's Church of England Controlled Primary School

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 4 to 11

  68%

  expected standard
• St Michael's Primary School and Nursery, Colchester

  Community school · Ages 3 to 11

  56%

  expected standard
• St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Coggeshall

  Voluntary controlled school · Ages 2 to 11

  68%

  expected standard
• St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Colchester

  Academy converter · Ages 2 to 11

  74%

  expected standard
• St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  93%

  expected standard
• St. George's School

  Community school · Ages 3 to 11

  56%

  expected standard
• Stanway Fiveways Primary School

  Community school · Ages 5 to 11

  54%

  expected standard
• Stanway Primary School

  Community school · Ages 5 to 11

  61%

  expected standard
• The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 4 to 11

  63%

  expected standard
• Tiptree Heath Primary School

  Academy converter · Ages 4 to 11

  47%

  expected standard
• Unity Primary Academy

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 3 to 11

  70%

  expected standard
• Willow Brook Primary School and Nursery

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 3 to 11

  50%

  expected standard

Secondary schools15

The figure beside a school is its average Attainment 8 score (out of 90) in 2024/25.

• Colchester Academy

  Academy sponsor led · Ages 11 to 16

  38.5

  Attainment 8
• Colchester County High School for Girls

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 18 · Girls

  80.6

  Attainment 8
• Colchester Royal Grammar School

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 18 · Boys

  82.1

  Attainment 8
• Colne Community School

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 16

  43.0

  Attainment 8
• East Bergholt High School

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 16

  47.8

  Attainment 8
• Honywood School

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 16

  46.3

  Attainment 8
• Paxman Academy

  Free schools · Ages 11 to 16

  41.3

  Attainment 8
• Philip Morant School and College

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 18

  44.5

  Attainment 8
• St Benedict's Catholic College

  Voluntary aided school · Ages 11 to 16

  54.7

  Attainment 8
• St Helena School

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 16

  46.0

  Attainment 8
• The Gilberd School

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 16

  53.4

  Attainment 8
• The Stanway School

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 16

  48.2

  Attainment 8
• The Thomas Lord Audley School

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 16

  42.3

  Attainment 8
• The Trinity School

  Free schools · Ages 11 to 16

• Thurstable School

  Academy converter · Ages 11 to 16

  41.9

  Attainment 8

Sixth forms and colleges2

• Colchester Institute

  Further education · Ages 16 to 99

• The Sixth Form College Colchester

  Academy 16-19 converter · Ages 16 to 99

Special schools and alternative provision7

• Doucecroft School

  Other independent special school · Ages 3 to 19

• Kingswode Hoe School

  Academy special converter · Ages 5 to 16

• Langham Oaks

  Academy special sponsor led · Ages 10 to 16 · Boys

• Lexden Springs School

  Academy special sponsor led · Ages 3 to 19

• Market Field School

  Academy special converter · Ages 5 to 19

• North East Essex Co-operative Academy

  Academy alternative provision converter · Ages 4 to 16

• The St Aubyn Centre Education Department

  Pupil referral unit · Ages 13 to 18

Independent schools5

• Colchester Prep & High School

  Other independent school · Ages 2 to 16

• Holmwood House School

  Other independent school · Ages 0 to 16

• Littlegarth School

  Other independent school · Ages 2 to 11

• OneSchool Global UK Colchester Campus

  Other independent school · Ages 7 to 18

• St Mary's School for Girls

  Other independent school · Ages 2 to 17 · Girls

Other establishments1

• University of Essex

  Higher education institutions

Common questions about schools in Colchester

How many schools are in Colchester?

OfferDay lists 103 schools in Colchester, including 73 primary schools and 15 secondary schools.

Who inspects schools in Colchester?

Every school in Colchester is inspected by Ofsted. Newer reports grade several areas of a school separately on a report card, while older reports carry a single overall grade, so check the framework and the date on each page before you compare two schools.

Which are the best schools in Colchester?

OfferDay ranks schools in Colchester where the Department for Education has published results, by key stage 2 scores for primary schools and Attainment 8 for secondary schools. The ranking links are near the top of this page. A results table only captures one part of a school, so use it to draw up a shortlist and then visit.

School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. Information on this page was last updated on 24 July 2026.