Best Primary Schools in Essex 2026

Ranked by Ofsted rating, exam results, attendance, and class sizes. 444 schools across Essex. Updated with 2025–26 data.

How many schools?
444
Open primary schools in Essex
Closed schools excluded
Inspection picture
417 Good or better
of 440 with a historic Ofsted grade
Historic single-word grades · pre-Nov-2025
How is this list ordered?
SNM score
The Wickford Church of England School currently leads
Methodology

Essex has 444 open primary schools. Of the 440 with a published Ofsted inspection, 38 (9%) held a historic grade of Outstanding and 95% held Good or Outstanding — these are the last single-word grades from before Ofsted retired them on 10 November 2025 (how we treat Ofsted data). On our composite Schools Near Me score, The Wickford Church of England School currently leads the local rankings. Closed schools are excluded from every list on this page.

Use the ranked table below to compare schools side by side, then open any school for the full picture. Application deadlines in Essex follow the national calendar: 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively.

All schools Primary Secondary
Rank School Ofsted (historic) SNM Score Profile
1. The Wickford Church of England School
Primary
 Outstanding 96 View school
2. Katherine Semar Junior School
Primary
 Outstanding 89 View school
3. Hereward Primary School
Primary
 Outstanding 88 View school
4. St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester
Primary
 Outstanding 88 View school
5. Chancellor Park Primary School, Chelmsford
Primary
 Outstanding 88 View school
6. Wethersfield CofE VC Primary School
Primary
 Good 87 View school
7. Shalford Primary School
Primary
 Good 86 View school
8. Shenfield St. Mary's Church of England Primary School
Primary
 Outstanding 86 View school
9. Perryfields Junior School
Primary
 Outstanding 86 View school
10. Lee Chapel Primary School
Primary
 Outstanding 85 View school
11. St Peter's Catholic Primary School
Primary
 Outstanding 85 View school
12. Copford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Primary
 Good 84 View school
13. Great Chesterford Church of England Primary Academy
Primary
 Good 84 View school
14. Quilters Junior School
Primary
 Outstanding 83 View school
15. Beehive Lane Community Primary School
Primary
 Outstanding 83 View school
16. Kingston Primary School
Primary
 Outstanding 83 View school
17. Clavering Primary School
Primary
 Good 83 View school
18. St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden
Primary
 Good 83 View school
19. St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Weald
Primary
 Outstanding 82 View school
20. Oaklands Infant School
Primary
 Outstanding 82 View school

Ranked by the Schools Near Me score. Ofsted grades shown are each school's last single-word grade from before 10 November 2025, when Ofsted retired single-word overall judgements — they are historic and not comparable to the new report cards. How we use Ofsted data. Closed schools are excluded.

Related lists for Essex

Best primary schools in EssexTop-ranked Reception–Year 6 Best secondary schools in EssexTop-ranked Year 7 onwards All schools in EssexPrimary & secondary combined Secondary schools in EssexYear 7 onwards How the Schools Near Me score worksOur ranking methodology, explained

Nearby areas

Schools in Southend-on-SeaCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in HaveringCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in ThurrockCompare neighbouring authoritySchools in Barking and DagenhamCompare neighbouring authority

See full data for any school in Essex

Catchment distances, exam trends, SEN data, attendance, and more — all in one place.

Search schools in Essex

Frequently asked questions

How many primary schools are there in Essex?
There are 444 open primary schools in Essex (closed schools are excluded). 38 of the 440 with a published inspection held a historic Ofsted grade of Outstanding (the last single-word grade before single-word grades were retired on 10 November 2025).
What are the best-rated primary schools in Essex?
On our Schools Near Me score, the top-ranked primary school in Essex is The Wickford Church of England School. The full ranked table above lists the top 20 schools with their score and last historic Ofsted grade. We never list closed schools.
How is the Schools Near Me score calculated?
The Schools Near Me score is a 0–100 composite combining the school's last historic Ofsted grade, published exam and assessment results, attendance and pupil–teacher ratio. It is not an Ofsted rating. Full methodology: https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#score
Are Ofsted single-word grades still current in Essex?
No. Ofsted retired single-word overall grades (Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement, Inadequate) on 10 November 2025 and replaced them with report cards. Any single-word grade shown on this page is the school's last historic grade from before that date and is not comparable to the new report cards. See https://schoolsnearme.ai/methodology#ofsted
How do I apply for a school place in Essex?
Primary and secondary applications in Essex are coordinated by the local authority on the national timetable: apply by 31 October for Year 7 secondary entry and by 15 January for Reception primary entry, with offers on 1 March and 16 April respectively. Check the Essex council website for local forms and any in-year rules.

Data sourced from Ofsted, Department for Education, and ISI. School rankings reflect the Schools Near Me composite score combining Ofsted ratings, exam results, attendance, and pupil-teacher ratios. Last updated April 2026.