Baynards Primary School, Colchester

Ofsted's report card from its 24 February 2026 inspection grades Baynards Primary School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Overall, pupils are well prepared for their next stages of education."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders have refined their protocols for monitoring attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is well designed."

Early years - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise the early years as the key to children getting off to the best start at school."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders provide effective training for staff on how to identify the barriers that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) may face."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of what the school does well and where to target future improvement priorities."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum is clearly designed and structured to help pupils understand important knowledge they need for later life."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that teaching consistently supports pupils to improve their writing in English and other subjects"; "Leaders should ensure that high-quality teaching is embedded in all subjects so that pupils deepen their understanding of important knowledge and vocabulary as they move through the school".

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Baynards Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 80% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 80% in reading and 87% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 22 families put Baynards Primary School as their first choice and 59 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. That is 1.6 first choices for every place. 10 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Baynards Primary School are Milldene Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); St Luke's Church of England Controlled Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 72% reading, 76% maths); Messing Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 55% reading, 36% maths); and Tiptree Heath Primary School (1 mile, Good, 57% reading, 63% maths).

Baynards Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

44 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Baynards Primary School (as of April 2026): 96% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that they are kept well informed about progress (89%).

41.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 12.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (82%) and Mixed (7%).

In 2026, 18 pupils (18.4%) received SEN support and 2 (2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

Baynards Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Kelvedon Rail Station, about 2.2 miles away in a straight line.

6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Baynards School (outside), 110 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 41 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).

In 2024/25, Baynards Primary School issued 10 suspensions, 10.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.