Holmwood House School, Colchester
Holmwood House School is an independent school for pupils aged 0 to 16 in Colchester. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in January 2026.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Holmwood House School in detail
Holmwood House School in its own words
In its own words: "Holmwood House School and Nursery is a well-established and highly regarded private school in Colchester, offering an outstanding education for boys and girls from Nursery and Preschool through to Reception, the Prep School and Senior School."
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am delighted to welcome you to Holmwood House School and Nursery. However the best way to really get a feel for what makes Holmwood so special is to visit us, and we look forward to personally welcoming you to our school."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include basketball, ballet, drama, debating and Duke of Edinburgh.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care until 6:00pm.
Coming up: an admissions event on Tuesday 3 November 2026 and an open evening on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Holmwood House School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Holmwood House School are St Mary's School for Girls (1.5 miles), Colchester Prep & High School (2 miles) and Littlegarth School (5 miles).
St Mary's School for GirlsColchester Prep & High SchoolLittlegarth School
Who goes there
In 2026, 47 pupils (11.9%) received SEN support and 1 (0.3%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Colchester Rail Station, about 2.1 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is King Coel Road North (opposite), 280 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Holmwood House School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
13 January 2026
Early Years Inspection
13 January 2026
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
24 January 2023
Short Visit
6 July 2018
Regulatory Compliance
30 January 2018
Integrated Inspection
23 June 2015
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Holmwood House School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 3 nearby all-through schools
Latest from Holmwood House School
Holmwood House Celebrates Milestone First GCSE Results
20 Aug 2026
A Welcome to Stoke College Families
11 Jun 2026
Blog: Get Your Child Reception Ready This Summer
28 May 2026
Primary school offer day. What parents need to know.
8 Apr 2026
Where Curiosity Finds Its Moment: Mid-Year Admissions
16 Dec 2025
Blog: How to Build Confidence in Year 7
23 Oct 2025
From Holmwood House School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Holmwood House School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Holmwood House School.
- Conexus Tuition Colchester670m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 16 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
88%
Available places
395 pupils
450 places
55 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Colchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Colchester
Across Essex council
Places available
17,590
Applications
16,568
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
47
SEN Support
1
EHC Plans
12.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
395
Total Pupils
241
Boys
154
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Holmwood House School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Holmwood House School
What are GCSE results like at Holmwood House School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for Holmwood House School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
When was Holmwood House School last inspected?
Holmwood House School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in January 2026.
How many pupils go to Holmwood House School?
Holmwood House School has around 395 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Holmwood House School?
Holmwood House School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
Does Holmwood House School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Holmwood House School: Conexus Tuition Colchester (670m 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 Holmwood House School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 16 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 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 Holmwood House School?
Holmwood House School is at Chitts Hill, Lexden, Colchester, Essex, CO3 9ST.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)