Hamilton Primary School, Colchester
Hamilton Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Colchester. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 18th-highest of the 66 schools in Colchester with published results, and 3,694th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 103% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Hamilton Primary School in detail
Hamilton Primary School in its own words
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026, an open day on Thursday 12 November 2026, an open day on Monday 23 November 2026 and an open day on Tuesday 1 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Hamilton Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 82% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (87% in reading, 78% in maths).
Getting a place at Hamilton Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 53 families put Hamilton Primary School as their first choice and 177 named it as one of their preferences, for 57 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Hamilton Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Hamilton Primary School are St John's Green Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 74% reading, 82% maths); King's Ford Infant School and Nursery (0.8 miles, Good); Kings Ford Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 55% reading, 41% maths); and Prettygate Infant School (0.9 miles, Good).
Hamilton Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
St John's Green Primary SchoolKing's Ford Infant School and NurseryKings Ford AcademyPrettygate Infant School
What parents say
157 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hamilton Primary School (as of September 2025): 89% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 76% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (76%).
Who goes there
8.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 30 pupils (7.1%) received SEN support and 11 (2.6%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Colchester City Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ireton Road (opposite), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hamilton Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 489 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Hamilton Primary School issued 10 suspensions, 2.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Hamilton Primary School are Colchester Royal Grammar School (0.3 miles), St Benedict's Catholic College (0.5 miles), Colchester County High School for Girls (0.5 miles) and Philip Morant School and College (0.6 miles).
Colchester Royal Grammar SchoolSt Benedict's Catholic CollegeColchester County High School for GirlsPhilip Morant School and College
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from November 2014, 11 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Hamilton Primary School creates a happy, welcoming environment where children thrive academically and personally. Teachers make learning interesting and have high expectations, with excellent support for reading development and strong outcomes in national tests. The school prioritises pupils' wellbeing and personal development, helping them build confidence and leadership skills through clubs, roles like school council, and community activities.
Key Strengths
- Well-planned curriculum with strong subject knowledge from staff leads to excellent outcomes in national tests
- Excellent phonics teaching and reading support - most pupils are confident, fluent readers by end of Year 6
- Positive behaviour management using the behaviour policy effectively, with quick response to any trends
- Strong relationships between staff and pupils, creating a trusting environment where concerns are addressed quickly
- Wide-ranging personal development offer with clear knowledge about physical and mental wellbeing
Areas for Improvement
- Support for some pupils with SEND is not well matched to their specific needs, limiting their progress
- Staff need secure understanding of how to deliver provision for certain SEND needs
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear procedures in place to keep pupils safe.
Extracurricular Activities
School clubs, sports teams, school council, Eco-warrior roles, sign language club, choir
Hamilton Primary School is a happy and welcoming primary school where pupils enjoy learning and achieve well. The school has an ambitious curriculum with strong teaching, and pupils develop confidence and leadership skills through a range of activities.
At a Glance
8.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
157 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 78% to 82% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 70% to 85% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.0
Avg class size
29.8
Infant (KS1)
30.1
KS2
14
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Hamilton Primary School
Newsletter dated 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Newsletter dated 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Newsletter dated 17th July 2026
17 Jul 2026
Newsletter 3rd July 2026
3 Jul 2026
Newsletter 19th June 2026
19 Jun 2026
Newsletter 5th June 2026
5 Jun 2026
From Hamilton Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Hamilton Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Hamilton Primary School.
- Kip McGrath Colchester Central710m away · Not yet graded
- School's Out Activities at Colchester County High School860m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hamilton Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hamilton Primary School is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 15
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 10 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Hamilton Primary School
Will you get a place at Hamilton Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hamilton Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hamilton Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hamilton Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Hamilton Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
103%
Over capacity
419 pupils
408 places
11 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Colchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Colchester
Across Essex council
Places available
17,932
Applications
15,737
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All primary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
30
SEN Support
11
EHC Plans
9.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
420
Total Pupils
219
Boys
201
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
20.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,278
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,049
Per pupil
£2302k
Total funding
£52k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
7.6%
Persistent absence
368
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Hamilton Primary School
What are SATs results like at Hamilton Primary School?
Of the pupils at Hamilton Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 82% did so in maths.
What is Hamilton Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Hamilton Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Hamilton Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Hamilton Primary School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Hamilton Primary School?
Hamilton Primary School was full in 2025, at 103% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Hamilton Primary School?
Classes at Hamilton Primary School average 30 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Hamilton Primary School?
Hamilton Primary School has around 420 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Hamilton Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Hamilton Primary School in 2024/25. 7.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hamilton Primary School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Hamilton Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Hamilton Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Hamilton Primary School: Kip McGrath Colchester Central (710m away, registered, not yet graded) and School's Out Activities at Colchester County High School (860m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Hamilton Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 15 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 10 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 4 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hamilton Primary School?
Hamilton Primary School is at Constantine Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3GB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)