Best Schools in Clacton-on-Sea

How many schools are there in Clacton-on-Sea?

Clacton-on-Sea has 21 open schools: 16 state primary, 2 state secondary or all-through and 3 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Clacton-on-Sea are rated Outstanding?

1 school in Clacton-on-Sea was rated Outstanding at its most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Shorefields School. Counting Good as well, 90% of the 20 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.

Shorefields School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Clacton-on-Sea get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Clacton-on-Sea with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Clacton County High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 37.5 and 28% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Lift Clacton, with an Attainment 8 score of 29.6 and 15% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Clacton County High SchoolLift Clacton

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Clacton-on-Sea have the best SATs results?

Of the 14 primary schools in Clacton-on-Sea with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Clare's Catholic Primary School (86% in reading, 84% in maths); Cann Hall Primary School (83% in reading, 84% in maths); and Sir Martin Frobisher Academy (76% in reading, 84% 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.

St Clare's Catholic Primary SchoolCann Hall Primary SchoolSir Martin Frobisher Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Clacton-on-Sea?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Clacton-on-Sea selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Clacton-on-Sea have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Clacton-on-Sea 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 Clacton-on-Sea?

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.