Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt, Colchester
Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Colchester. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 66 schools in Colchester with published results, and 474th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- 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 27 Oct 2026
Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt in detail
Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "A very warm welcome from myself, our staff and governors to Heathlands C of E Primary School Our goal is to nurture each child's academic abilities while also fostering their spiritual, emotional, and social growth. With the backing of our committed staff, governors, and families, we collaborate to create a safe and inspiring environment where every child can flourish."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, rugby, multi-sports, choir, eco club, art and Spanish.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 17 November 2026, an open day on Wednesday 18 November 2026, an open day on Thursday 19 November 2026 and an open day on Monday 23 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 95% of Year 6 pupils at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt reached the expected standard in reading and 95% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 82% in reading and 85% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt
For September 2026 entry, 55 families put Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt as their first choice and 115 named it as one of their preferences, for 59 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt are The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 81% reading, 72% maths); Braiswick Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 80% reading, 78% maths); Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Eight Ash Green and Aldham (1.8 miles, 82% reading, 76% maths); and Myland Community Primary School (1.9 miles, Good, 89% reading, 89% maths).
Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary SchoolBraiswick Primary SchoolHoly Trinity CofE Primary School, Eight Ash Green and AldhamMyland Community Primary School
Who goes there
8.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Colchester Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Treble Tile (opposite), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt 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 16 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
Suspensions and exclusions
Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from September 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its September 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
8.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 82% to 95% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 85% to 95% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 85% to 91% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.5
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
8
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt
PTA - We Need You!
11 Sep 2026
Parent Governor - We Need You!
11 Sep 2026
Colour Run - July 2026
11 Sep 2026
Heathlands Fireworks
4 Sep 2026
Eco Council News
2 Jun 2026
Music Department News
2 Jun 2026
From Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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
Will you get a place at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt 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
99%
Near capacity
404 pupils
410 places
6 spare places 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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
65
SEN Support
16
EHC Plans
19.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
411
Total Pupils
207
Boys
204
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
25
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,155
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,048
Per pupil
£2208k
Total funding
£52k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
6.6%
Persistent absence
364
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt
What are SATs results like at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt?
Of the pupils at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 95% reached the expected standard in reading and 95% did so in maths.
What is Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt's Ofsted rating?
Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt?
No fixed boundary. When Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt?
Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt?
Classes at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt average 29.5 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt?
Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt has around 411 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt in 2024/25. 6.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt 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.
How many road collisions happen near Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt?
Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt is at New Church Road, West Bergholt, Colchester, Essex, CO6 3JF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)