Find the best primary schools in Chelmsford. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Chelmsford has 56 primary schools, all in Essex council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 56, 18 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Chelmsford primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Margaretting Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 4.9 / 5 |
| Perryfields Junior School | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| Chancellor Park Primary School, Chelmsford | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| Oaklands Infant School | Mixed | 4.6 / 5 |
| The Beaulieu Park School | all-through | 4.5 / 5 |
| The Bishops' Church of England and Roman Catholic Primary School | Church of England/Roman Catholic | 4.5 / 5 |
| Maltese Road Primary School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Baddow Hall Infant School |
There are 56 primary schools in Chelmsford. Of those, 1 is an all-through school, teaching both primary and secondary years.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in Chelmsford, that council is Essex. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 56 primary schools in Chelmsford, 18 have a religious character: 14 Church of England, 3 Roman Catholic and 1 Church of England/Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Margaretting Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (4.9), Perryfields Junior School (4.8), Chancellor Park Primary School, Chelmsford (4.8), Oaklands Infant School (4.6) and The Beaulieu Park School (4.5). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 56 schools here, 49 have enough published data for a rating.
| Mixed |
| 4.4 / 5 |
| Moulsham Infant School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| The Tyrrells School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Meadgate Primary School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Little Waltham Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 4.4 / 5 |
| Danbury Park Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Roxwell Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Galleywood Infant School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.3 / 5 |
| St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWF | Roman Catholic | 4.3 / 5 |
| Westlands Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| St John Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Danbury | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| St Pius X Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 4.1 / 5 |
| Baddow Hall Junior School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| St Luke's Park Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| The Cathedral Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Chelmsford | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Newlands Spring Primary and Nursery School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Beehive Lane Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Boreham Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Woodville Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Ford End Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| St Mary's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Kings Road Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Lawford Mead Primary & Nursery | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Moulsham Junior School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Broomfield Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Stock Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Elmwood Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Great Leighs Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Springfield Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Great Waltham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Larkrise Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Trinity Road Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Collingwood Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Highwood Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Priory Primary School, Bicknacre | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Mildmay Primary School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Parkwood Academy | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| Trinity St Mary's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Woodham Ferrers | Church of England | 2.7 / 5 |
| Runwell Community Primary School | Mixed | 2.7 / 5 |
| Barnes Farm Primary School | Mixed | 2.6 / 5 |
| Downham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | Not yet rated |
| East Hanningfield Church of England Primary Academy | Church of England | Not yet rated |
| Perryfields Infant School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Rettendon Primary School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| St Peter's Church of England Primary Academy, West Hanningfield | Church of England | Not yet rated |
| Writtle Infant School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Writtle Junior School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.