Best Schools in Royston

How many schools are there in Royston?

Royston has 19 open schools: 15 state primary, 3 state secondary or all-through and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Royston are rated Outstanding?

2 schools in Royston were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School and Icknield Walk First School. Counting Good as well, 84% of the 19 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.

St Mary Roman Catholic Primary SchoolIcknield Walk First School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Royston get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Royston with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Bassingbourn Village College, with an Attainment 8 score of 44.7 and 42% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Melbourn Village College, with an Attainment 8 score of 43.7 and 44% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and King James Academy Royston, with an Attainment 8 score of 40.5 and 25% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Bassingbourn Village CollegeMelbourn Village CollegeKing James Academy Royston

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Royston have the best SATs results?

Of the 9 primary schools in Royston with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Thriplow CofE Primary School (94% in reading, 88% in maths); Chrishall Holy Trinity and St Nicholas CofE (Aided) Primary School and Pre-School (73% in reading, 91% in maths); and St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School (83% in reading, 79% 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.

Thriplow CofE Primary SchoolChrishall Holy Trinity and St Nicholas CofE (Aided) Primary School and Pre-SchoolSt Mary Roman Catholic Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Royston?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Royston selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

How close do you need to live to get into schools in Royston?

It depends on the school, and the cut-off moves every year with the number of applications. Cambridgeshire published how far the last place offered went at these schools: Bassingbourn Village College, 2.095 miles for 2024 entry; Melbourn Village College, 3.415 miles for 2024 entry. These are the authority's own figures, not fixed boundaries.

Bassingbourn Village CollegeMelbourn Village College

Source: Cambridgeshire admissions booklets

How do I apply for a school place in Royston?

Apply to your council - Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire or Essex, depending on your address - 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.