Best Schools in Saffron Walden

How many schools are there in Saffron Walden?

Saffron Walden has 16 open schools: 14 state primary and 2 state secondary or all-through.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Saffron Walden are rated Outstanding?

4 schools in Saffron Walden were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: R A Butler Junior School, Saffron Walden County High School, Katherine Semar Junior School and Katherine Semar Infant School. Counting Good as well, 100% of the 15 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.

R A Butler Junior SchoolSaffron Walden County High SchoolKatherine Semar Junior SchoolKatherine Semar Infant School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Saffron Walden get the best GCSE results?

Of the 2 schools in Saffron Walden with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Saffron Walden County High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 55.8 and 65% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.7 and 50% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Saffron Walden County High SchoolJoyce Frankland Academy, Newport

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Saffron Walden have the best SATs results?

Of the 11 primary schools in Saffron Walden with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron Walden (97% in reading, 94% in maths); and R A Butler Junior School (93% in reading, 93% 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.

Rickling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolSt Thomas More Catholic Primary School, Saffron WaldenR A Butler Junior School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Saffron Walden?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Saffron Walden have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Saffron Walden 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 Saffron Walden?

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.