Chelmsford’s state schools get better results than 90% of towns in England
At GCSE, Chelmsford’s pupils average 57.1 on Attainment 8, above both Essex’s towns (45.4) and towns in England (45.9). 39 state-funded schools are located in Chelmsford’s built-up area. Chelmsford grades A for schools, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results: #8 of 81 in Essex. Ofsted is shown, not graded.
Chelmsford’s secondary results beat 93% of English towns; its primary results beat 77%. 67% of the city’s 11-year-olds meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England and 63% across Essex. The spread between primaries is wide: 90% at Perryfields Junior School, 50% at Larkrise Primary School. Every school’s result ↓
Grammar schools in town
Chelmsford County High School for Girls and King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford admit pupils by a test at 11. Their results count in Chelmsford’s School Grade, as they are state schools many local children attend. After 16 ↓
Written from the Department for Education and Ofsted data on this page.
School Grade
Chelmsford grades A for schools
Against every town in England with results; Wales publishes none.
Primary: reading, writing and maths at 11 (67% meet the standard)Better than 77% of towns in England
Secondary: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (57.1 and 61%)Better than 93% of towns in England
Each of Chelmsford’s 21 primaries: % meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (2023–25)
Each of Chelmsford’s 8 secondaries: Attainment 8 (2025/26)
England’s average schoolEssex’s average school
The primary figure: 23 primaries in the town, 3,828 pupils in results over three years. The secondary figure: 8 secondaries in the town, 1,640 pupils in results. Mainstream state schools only (grammar schools included); special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19 colleges are listed below but not graded. Each school’s results are compared with every school in England, then weighted by its pupils.
Map
Where Chelmsford’s 39 state schools are
Each school at its address, coloured by its own letter and sized by pupils. Open a school for its own page. The dashed shape is Chelmsford’s built-up area.
PrimarySecondary (named)Special, nursery, 16–19Size: pupilsABCDNo letter
Most schools give places by distance once siblings are in, so the schools nearest a home matter more than any league table. The 8 secondaries are named.
Results and intake
Which schools do better than their intake suggests
Schools with more pupils on free school meals tend to get lower results. The dashed line is the typical school in England for each level of free school meals; the band holds the middle two-thirds. A dot above the band is doing better than schools like it.
Primaries: KS2 reading, writing and maths against free school meals
Secondaries: Attainment 8 against free school meals
The share of pupils on free school meals runs from 3% at King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford to 45% at Parkwood Academy. Against schools with the same intake, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford does best: 83 with 3% on free school meals, where a typical school would reach 57. 14 of 21 primaries and 4 of 8 secondaries are above the line.
Free school meals: pupils eligible now, DfE January 2026 census. The typical-school line is a straight-line fit across every graded school in England. It describes; it doesn’t grade: the School Grade uses results alone.
Getting a place
How school places work in Chelmsford
Essex County Council handles applications for every state school in Chelmsford, academies included. You apply to the council where you live, even for a school in another area.
Secondary (starting at 11)Apply by 31 October of Year 6. Offers on 1 March.
Primary (starting in Reception)Apply by 15 January before the September your child starts. Offers on 16 April.
Moving mid-yearApply to the council for an in-year place; it tells you which schools have room.
When a school is full
Every school publishes its admissions rules. Children in care come first, then, at most schools, brothers and sisters of current pupils, then those who live nearest. 5 of Chelmsford’s 34 mainstream schools have a religious character; some of them give priority by church attendance, so check each school’s rules. Infant classes are limited to 30 by law. If you’re refused a place, you can appeal to an independent panel.
Pupils on roll as a share of the school’s official capacity. The black tick is 100%; 11 schools are at or over it.
Perryfields Junior111%
Newlands Spring incl. nursery106%
The Bishops'104%
Moulsham High103%
St Pius X102%
St John Payne102%
King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford101%
Maltese Road100%
Beehive Lane100%
Perryfields Infant100%
Show all 34 schools
The Tyrrells100%
Great Baddow High100%
The Cathedral100%
Chancellor Park School, Chelmsford100%
The Boswells99%
Chelmsford County High School for Girls99%
Our Lady Immaculate99%
Lawford Mead incl. nursery98%
Baddow Hall Junior98%
Springfield97%
Meadgate97%
The Sandon97%
Mildmay incl. nursery97%
Moulsham Junior95%
Oaklands Infant93%
Parkwood incl. nursery93%
Baddow Hall Infant92%
Trinity Road92%
Westlands91%
Kings Road91%
The Beaulieu Park87%
Barnes Farm86%
Larkrise83%
Moulsham Infant74%
DfE register of schools (GIAS), January 2026 census. Capacity often excludes a nursery class, so a school with a nursery can show over 100%.
The schools
39 state schools in Chelmsford
Each school’s own letter compares its results with every state school in England of the same phase: Key Stage 2 for primaries, GCSEs for secondaries. Open a school for its results, how its letter is worked out, Ofsted and a map.
Letters of Chelmsford’s schoolsA13B9C8D09 without a letter
Key result: Attainment 8 and grade 5+ English and maths (GCSEs, 2025/26 provisional) for secondaries; the share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (KS2, DfE’s three-year average) for primaries. Pupils: the January 2026 school census. No letter: an infant or first school (no KS2 tests), a new school, a small cohort DfE suppresses, or a special school, nursery or college. Independent schools aren’t included.
Ofsted
Ofsted report cards
Each school’s latest inspection; report cards replace one-word judgements as schools are re-inspected.
Outstanding 4Good 8Report card 6Requires improvement 2Ungraded inspection only 18No published grade 1
Ofsted stopped giving one-word judgements in 2024. Until a school is re-inspected, its last overall judgement is its most recent single grade; a school judged years ago may have changed a lot since.
Since November 2025 Ofsted gives each area of a school one of five grades (exceptional, strong standard, expected standard, needs attention, urgent improvement) and says whether safeguarding is met, instead of one overall word. 6 of Chelmsford’s 39 state schools have a report card so far; the others show their last inspection under the old framework. Ofsted is never part of the School Grade.
Academies are state schools run by a trust rather than the council: the trust employs the staff and can set its own curriculum and term dates. Admissions still go through the council.
Run by
Schools
Pupils
Their letters
Chelmsford Learning PartnershipThe Beaulieu Park, The Boswells, Barnes Farm, The Tyrrells, Perryfields Infant
Bridge Academy TrustMoulsham High, Mildmay, Oaklands Infant
3
2,441
A−C+
Hive Family of SchoolsMoulsham Junior, Moulsham Infant
2
954
B−
Brickfields TrustLawford Mead, Kings Road
2
816
C+B−
Rosary Trust - A Catholic Multi AcademyOur Lady Immaculate, St Pius X
2
431
B+A−
Chelmsford County High School for GirlsChelmsford County High School for Girls
1
1,275
A+
Sandon School Academy TrustThe Sandon
1
1,218
C+
King Edward Vi Grammar School, ChelmsfordKing Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
1
1,153
A+
Attain Academy PartnershipNewlands Spring
1
479
B
Perryfields Enterprise Academy Trust: Led By Perryfields Junior School LimitedPerryfields Junior
1
301
A+
South Essex Academy TrustParkwood
1
196
C−
Seax TrustThe Hawthorns
1
69
—
Beckmead TrustThe Sir Geoff Hurst
1
66
—
Bridge MAT LtdThe Bridge Columbus
1
0
—
Essex County CouncilSt John Payne, Westlands, The Bishops', Springfield, Trinity Road, The Cathedral, Baddow Hall Junior, Beehive Lane, Chancellor Park School, Chelmsford, Baddow Hall Infant, Tanglewood Nursery, Woodcroft Nursery
12
4,407
BA−A−C+C−A−B+AA+
After 16
Where Chelmsford’s teenagers go at 16
In England young people stay in education or training until 18: a sixth form, a college, or an apprenticeship.
Every state secondary in Chelmsford has its own sixth form. Chelmsford College, a further-education college, is in the city.
Secondaries with a sixth form
8 of 8
state schools in Chelmsford
Colleges within 12 miles
2
nearest: Chelmsford College
Grammar schools in Essex
4
selective state secondaries
College
Distance
Chelmsford CollegeFurther-education college · CM2 0JQ
Special schools and alternative provision in Chelmsford
Chelmsford has 3 special schools (The Bridge Columbus, The Hawthorns and The Sir Geoff Hurst: 135 pupils). A special-school place isn’t applied for like a mainstream one: for a child with an education, health and care plan (EHCP), Essex County Council names the school in the plan, after asking the family’s preference. These schools have no letter, because their results don’t compare with mainstream schools’. Their cards ↑
Essex County Council’s SEND Local Offer lists support beyond these schools.
Towns its size
4th of 63 English towns and cities of 77,000 to 149,000
Ranked by School Grade, best first: the towns and cities either side of Chelmsford, and the top and bottom of the group.
Stock 1 school · uses schools within 3 km · 5.1 mi
A
73%
48.1
Broomfield has the best-graded schools nearby (A). Small places often use the schools within 3 km, so neighbours can share schools.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
•
Expected standard at Key Stage 2. The share of 11-year-olds who reach the expected standard in reading, writing and maths together, in tests and teacher assessment at the end of primary school. We use DfE’s three-year average (2023–2025) to steady small schools.
•
Higher standard. The share working at greater depth in all three. In Chelmsford: 12% (England’s average school: 8%).
•
Attainment 8. A pupil’s GCSE grades across eight subjects, with English and maths counted twice, added up. 50 is roughly a grade 5 in every subject.
•
Grade 5+ in English and maths. A strong pass in both. Grade 4 is a standard pass.
•
Provisional. 2025/26 GCSE figures are DfE’s first release; revised figures follow in February, usually within a point.
•
Progress 8. Not shown: there is none for 2025/26, because these pupils sat no KS2 tests in 2020 (Covid).
•
Free school meals. Pupils eligible for free school meals now, from the January census: the usual measure of how many pupils come from low-income homes.
•
Independent schools. Not included: they publish no results comparable with state schools’.
Questions about schools in Chelmsford
Are schools in Chelmsford good?
Chelmsford’s state schools earn an A against schools across England: primary results beat 77% of towns in England; secondary results beat 93% of towns in England, on Department for Education Key Stage 2 and GCSE results. School places are handled by Essex council.
What is the best secondary school in Chelmsford?
On 2025/26 GCSE results, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford: Attainment 8 of 83 and 99% with grade 5+ in English and maths, against 47.3 at the average school in England. Results are one measure; distance decides most places.
What is the best primary school in Chelmsford?
On Key Stage 2 results over 2023–25, Perryfields Junior School: 90% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 62% at the average school in England.
Do Chelmsford secondary schools have sixth forms?
Yes, all 8 do.
How do I apply for a school place in Chelmsford?
Through Essex County Council, for every state school including academies. Secondary applications close on 31 October (offers 1 March); primary on 15 January (offers 16 April).
How many schools in Chelmsford are full?
11 of 34 mainstream schools have at least as many pupils as places, on DfE’s January 2026 census. A full school still admits by its rules, usually distance after siblings.
How many state schools are in Chelmsford?
39 open state-funded schools are located in Chelmsford’s built-up area: 26 primary, 8 secondary and 5 other (special schools, alternative provision, nurseries and 16–19). Independent schools aren’t included.
Sources: DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), Key Stage 2 performance tables (2023–2025, three-year average) and Key Stage 4 (2025/26, provisional); Ofsted state-funded school inspections as at 30 September 2026 · DfE Get Information about Schools (16 October 2026), further-education and sixth-form colleges · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
