Schools in Colchester
80 state-funded schools, 30,195 pupils. 95% of those carrying an Ofsted grade are Good or Outstanding, including 7 rated Outstanding.
Ofsted Management Information, Feb 2026. Grades are the current published rating, which may pre-date the school’s most recent visit.
Ofsted grades
Quick answers
How many schools are there in Colchester?
Colchester has 80 state-funded schools teaching 30,195 pupils. 63 primary, 12 secondary, 3 special.
What percentage of schools in Colchester are Good or Outstanding?
95% of the 80 schools carrying an Ofsted grade in Colchester are rated Good or Outstanding: 7 Outstanding and 69 Good. 0 require improvement and 4 are rated Inadequate.
Which schools in Colchester are rated Outstanding?
7 schools are currently rated Outstanding by Ofsted in Colchester: The Gilberd School, Colchester County High School for Girls, Home Farm Primary School, Lakelands Primary School, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Colchester, St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester, and 1 more listed below.
Are there grammar schools in Colchester?
Yes. Colchester has 2 selective (grammar) schools: Colchester County High School for Girls, Colchester Royal Grammar School. Selective schools admit by entrance exam, so the local non-selective intake differs from the national picture.
Rated Outstanding
Ofsted’s highest grade. Largest first; a grade can be several years old, so the year is shown.
- The Gilberd SchoolSecondary1,574Outstanding 2018
- Colchester County High School for GirlsGrammarSecondary1,210Outstanding 2023
- Home Farm Primary SchoolPrimary424Outstanding 2021
- Lakelands Primary SchoolPrimary269Outstanding 2023
- St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, ColchesterPrimary218Outstanding 2025
- St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, ColchesterPrimary205Outstanding 2023
- The St Aubyn Centre Education DepartmentAlternative provision7Outstanding 2023
By phase
| Phase | Schools | Graded | Good or better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | 63 | 63 | 96.8% |
| Secondary | 12 | 12 | 91.7% |
| Special | 3 | 3 | 66.7% |
| Alternative provision | 2 | 2 | 100% |
Every school in Colchester
Showing 20 of 80 schools.
| New framework | Links | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Philip Morant School and College | Secondary | 1,828 | Good2023 | — | OfstedWebsite |
The Gilberd School | Secondary | 1,574 | Outstanding2018 | — | OfstedWebsite |
The Stanway School | Secondary | 1,383 | Good2023 | — | OfstedWebsite |
Colchester County High School for GirlsGrammar | Secondary | 1,210 | Outstanding2023 | — | OfstedWebsite |
Colchester Royal Grammar SchoolGrammar Grade inherited from previous URN 137814 | Secondary | 1,059 | Inadequate2021Serious weaknesses | — | OfstedWebsite |
Thurstable School | Secondary | 1,031 | Good2021 | — | OfstedWebsite |
St Helena School | Secondary | 987 | Good2024 | — | OfstedWebsite |
The Thomas Lord Audley School | Secondary | 921 | Good2016 | — | OfstedWebsite |
Colchester Academy | Secondary | 899 | Good2023 | — | OfstedWebsite |
St Benedict's Catholic College | Secondary | 891 | Good2023 | — | OfstedWebsite |
Paxman Academy | Secondary | 886 | Good2024 | — | OfstedWebsite |
St. George's School | Primary | 626 | Good2023 | — | OfstedWebsite |
St John's Green Primary School | Primary | 621 | Good2023 | — | OfstedWebsite |
The Trinity School | Secondary | 597 | Good2025 | — | OfstedWebsite |
Stanway Fiveways Primary School | Primary | 513 | Good2022 | — | OfstedWebsite |
St James the Great Church of England Primary School | Primary | 456 | Good2019 | — | OfstedWebsite |
North Primary School and Nursery | Primary | 455 | Good2023 | — | OfstedWebsite |
Unity Primary Academy | Primary | 449 | Good2025 | — | OfstedWebsite |
Highwoods Community Primary School | Primary | 447 | Good2024 | — | OfstedWebsite |
Brinkley Grove Primary School | Primary | 426 | Good2019 | — | OfstedWebsite |
Schools are one input. Colchester’s pay, house prices, rent, council tax, crime and deprivation are on the Colchester profile, and the UK regions tool compares all 361 Local Authorities side by side.