Moulsham High School, Chelmsford
Moulsham High School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 18 in Chelmsford, part of Bridge Academy Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2020. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 4th-highest of the 11 schools in Chelmsford with published results, and 507th of 3,298 across England. It was 96% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2020)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Moulsham High School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Moulsham High School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 54.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.5 in Essex and 47 across England.
61% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Essex and 47% in England.
That is down from 58.3 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.67: pupils made well above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 42.5, against 56.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.2 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.
Getting a place at Moulsham High School
For September 2026 entry, 299 families put Moulsham High School as their first choice and 1119 named it as one of their preferences, for 265 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 65 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Moulsham High School are Great Baddow High School (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 48.3); Hylands School (1.5 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 40.3); King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford (1.5 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 83); and Chelmsford County High School for Girls (1.7 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 81.4).
Moulsham High School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.
Great Baddow High SchoolHylands SchoolKing Edward VI Grammar School, ChelmsfordChelmsford County High School for Girls
The trust
Moulsham High School is one of 11 schools run by Bridge Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.8 in 2024/25.
What parents say
358 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Moulsham High School (as of September 2025): 87% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 72% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (72%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 253 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 32% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Of the 151 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 53% went on to university or other higher education, 7% to apprenticeships and 23% into work. 24% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Who goes there
11.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 10.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (72%), Mixed (7%) and Asian (6%).
In 2026, 78 pupils (4.7%) received SEN support and 39 (2.3%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Chelmsford Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Tylers Close (se-bound), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Moulsham High 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 260 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, Moulsham High School issued 133 suspensions, 8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Moulsham High School are Moulsham Junior School (0.1 miles), Moulsham Infant School (0.1 miles), Oaklands Infant School (0.5 miles) and Mildmay Primary School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Moulsham Junior SchoolMoulsham Infant SchoolOaklands Infant SchoolMildmay Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2020, 6 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
Sixth Form
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school has improved significantly.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The care shown towards pupils at Moulsham enables them to flourish both academically and in the development of their character. Pupils feel known as individuals in this large school.
It is expected that pupils work hard and achieve well. And they do. The mutual respect shown between pupils and staff ensures that learning takes place in a cordial environment. Classrooms are welcoming places. Sixth-form students' attitudes toward their studies are a credit to them. Their work ethic exemplifies what is seen around the school.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school provides an exceptional standard of education. The curriculum is designed to be ambitious for all pupils. As a result, pupils achieve consistently highly in public examinations at key stage 4 and key stage 5. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access this curriculum effectively. This enables their understanding to be fully secure. Teachers are subject experts. They assess pupils' understanding well and use this information to prevent gaps in knowledge from developing. Consequently, pupils have strong subject knowledge and can communicate using technical vocabulary. Sixth-form students benefit from forensic feedback that enables them to make rapid progress.
Ensuring pupils build confidence and fluency in reading is a priority for the school. Pupils' reading ability is promptly and accurately identified. Weaker readers follow a well-designed programme of support for as long as required to ensure they can fully participate in their learning. They become confident and fluent readers. Well-trained sixth-form students also support younger readers, enabling both mentor and reader to benefit from the opportunity.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its January 2020 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Personal development, Sixth form.
Rated Good for
Behaviour & attitudes, Leadership & management.
About
Moulsham High School is a co-educational academy secondary school and sixth form for 11 to 18 year olds in Chelmsford, Essex.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
11.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
358 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has improved from 0.49 to 0.67 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 55.0 to 54.8 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 61% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 54.8 | 60.9% |
| Disadvantaged(35) | - | 42.5 | 31.4% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(221) | - | 56.7 | 65.6% |
| Boys(124) | - | 55.3 | 59.7% |
| Girls(132) | - | 54.3 | 62.1% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(28) | - | 58.1 | 60.7% |
| Non mobile(252) | - | 54.7 | 60.7% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 7 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 253 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.18%
Exclusion rate
133
Suspensions
7.96%
Suspension rate
54 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,670 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Moulsham High School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Moulsham High School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Moulsham High 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
5 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 Moulsham High School
Will you get a place at Moulsham High School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Moulsham High School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Moulsham High School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Moulsham High School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Moulsham High 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
96%
Near capacity
1,664 pupils
1,731 places
67 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Chelmsford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Chelmsford
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.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
Ungraded inspection: The school has improved significantly.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
78
SEN Support
39
EHC Plans
7.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,662
Total Pupils
867
Boys
795
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
93
Teachers
17.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,336
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,465
Per pupil
£9107k
Total funding
£202k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.6%
Overall absence
8.2%
Persistent absence
1,360
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Moulsham High School
Showing 10 of 12 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Moulsham High School
What are GCSE results like at Moulsham High School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Moulsham High School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 54.8. 61% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Moulsham High School's Ofsted rating?
Moulsham High School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2020, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Moulsham High School?
No fixed boundary. When Moulsham High 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 Moulsham High School?
Moulsham High School was close to full in 2025, at 96% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Moulsham High School?
Classes at Moulsham High School average 26.5 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Moulsham High School?
Moulsham High School has around 1662 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Moulsham High School?
4.6% of sessions were missed at Moulsham High School in 2024/25. 8.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Moulsham High School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Moulsham High School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Moulsham High School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 5 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 Moulsham High School?
Moulsham High School is at Brian Close, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9ES.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)