Find the best primary schools in Colchester. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Colchester has 63 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 63, 21 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 Colchester 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery | Mixed | 4.9 / 5 |
| St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester | Roman Catholic | 4.8 / 5 |
| Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt | Church of England | 4.8 / 5 |
| Lakelands Primary School | Mixed | 4.8 / 5 |
| King's Ford Infant School and Nursery | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| Monkwick Infant and Nursery School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| Layer-de-la-Haye Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 4.5 / 5 |
There are 63 primary schools in Colchester.
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 Colchester, that council is Essex. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 63 primary schools in Colchester, 21 have a religious character: 19 Church of England and 2 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 Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery (4.9), St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester (4.8), Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt (4.8), Lakelands Primary School (4.8) and King's Ford Infant School and Nursery (4.7). 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 63 schools here, 62 have enough published data for a rating.
| St Andrew's Church of England Primary Academy, Marks Tey |
| Church of England |
| 4.4 / 5 |
| Dedham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 4.4 / 5 |
| Camulos Academy | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Highwoods Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Colchester | Roman Catholic | 4.3 / 5 |
| Broomgrove Infant School | Mixed | 4.3 / 5 |
| Myland Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Home Farm Primary School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Copford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| Kendall Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.1 / 5 |
| Prettygate Junior School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Hamilton Primary School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Langenhoe Community Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Boxted St Peter's Church of England School | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Brinkley Grove Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Eight Ash Green and Aldham | Church of England | 4.0 / 5 |
| Prettygate Infant School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Braiswick Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Great Tey Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| Millfields Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| St Lawrence Church of England Primary School, Rowhedge | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Lexden Primary School with Unit for Hearing Impaired Pupils | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Mersea Island School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Montgomery Primary School, Colchester | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Queen Boudica Primary School | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Cherry Tree Academy | Mixed | 3.8 / 5 |
| Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Unity Primary Academy | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| St John's Green Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Friars Grove Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| St Michael's Primary School and Nursery, Colchester | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| North Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Fingringhoe Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Old Heath Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Baynards Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Stanway Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| St Luke's Church of England Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.5 / 5 |
| Gosbecks Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Stanway Fiveways Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Tiptree Heath Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Monkwick Junior School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Chappel CofE Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| St. George's School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Willow Brook Primary School and Nursery | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Roach Vale Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Hazelmere Junior School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Messing Primary School | Mixed | 3.1 / 5 |
| St James the Great Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Milldene Primary School | Mixed | 3.0 / 5 |
| Fordham All Saints CofE Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 2.8 / 5 |
| Broomgrove Junior School | Mixed | 2.5 / 5 |
| Kings Ford Academy | Mixed | 2.2 / 5 |
| Langham Primary Academy | 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.