Best Schools in Chelmsford

How many schools are there in Chelmsford?

Chelmsford has 84 open schools: 56 state primary, 11 state secondary or all-through, 6 independent, 6 special and 5 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Chelmsford are rated Outstanding?

12 schools in Chelmsford were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Chancellor Park Primary School, Chelmsford; Chelmsford Hospital School; Perryfields Junior School; Chelmsford County High School for Girls; The Beaulieu Park School; and 7 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 68 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Chancellor Park Primary School, ChelmsfordChelmsford Hospital SchoolPerryfields Junior SchoolChelmsford County High School for GirlsThe Beaulieu Park School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Chelmsford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 11 schools in Chelmsford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 83 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Chelmsford County High School for Girls (selective grammar), with an Attainment 8 score of 81.4 and 99% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Beaulieu Park School, with an Attainment 8 score of 59.3 and 78% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Selective schools admit by ability, so their raw results are not a like-for-like comparison with comprehensives. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

King Edward VI Grammar School, ChelmsfordChelmsford County High School for GirlsThe Beaulieu Park School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Chelmsford have the best SATs results?

Of the 46 primary schools in Chelmsford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Perryfields Junior School (94% in reading, 97% in maths); Chancellor Park Primary School, Chelmsford (93% in reading, 97% in maths); and The Cathedral Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Chelmsford (94% in reading, 94% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Perryfields Junior SchoolChancellor Park Primary School, ChelmsfordThe Cathedral Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Chelmsford

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Chelmsford?

Yes. Chelmsford County High School for Girls; and King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford are state grammar schools in Chelmsford. Grammar schools admit pupils by ability through an entrance test, usually sat at the start of Year 6.

Chelmsford County High School for GirlsKing Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Chelmsford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Chelmsford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Chelmsford?

Apply to Essex through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.