North Primary School and Nursery, Colchester
North Primary School and Nursery is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Colchester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 60th-highest of the 66 schools in Colchester with published results, and 12,107th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
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
North Primary School and Nursery in detail
Results
In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils at North Primary School and Nursery reached the expected standard in reading and 63% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 77% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at North Primary School and Nursery
For September 2026 entry, 52 families put North Primary School and Nursery as their first choice and 105 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 North Primary School and Nursery
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to North Primary School and Nursery are St John's Green Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 74% reading, 82% maths); St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester (0.7 miles, Outstanding, 100% reading, 97% maths); St James the Great Church of England Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 79% reading, 70% maths); and Queen Boudica Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 73% reading, 78% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than North Primary School and Nursery.
St John's Green Primary SchoolSt Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, ColchesterSt James the Great Church of England Primary SchoolQueen Boudica Primary School
Who goes there
34.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (39%), Asian (17%) and Black (13%).
In 2026, 49 pupils (10.7%) received SEN support and 15 (3.3%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
North Primary School and Nursery had 26 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Colchester Rail Station, about 510 metres away (roughly a 6-minute walk).
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Albert (outside), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 516 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, North Primary School and Nursery issued 4 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to North Primary School and Nursery are St Helena School (0.3 miles), Colchester Royal Grammar School (0.7 miles), St Benedict's Catholic College (1.1 miles) and Colchester County High School for Girls (1.1 miles).
St Helena SchoolColchester Royal Grammar SchoolSt Benedict's Catholic CollegeColchester County High School for Girls
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from September 2012, 14 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 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
17.7%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 77% to 65% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 70% to 63% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 60% to 55% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
29.2
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
15
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with North Primary School and Nursery
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near North Primary School and Nursery.
- Colchester Leisure World Kid's Camp700m away · Not yet graded
- Kip McGrath Colchester Central940m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to North Primary School and Nursery from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. North Primary School and Nursery 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
- 83
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 16
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 83 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 67 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 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 North Primary School and Nursery
Will you get a place at North Primary School and Nursery? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against North Primary School and Nursery's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for North Primary School and Nursery:
- The straight-line distance from your home to North Primary School and Nursery.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at North Primary School and Nursery 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
413 pupils
417 places
4 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
49
SEN Support
15
EHC Plans
14.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
458
Total Pupils
235
Boys
223
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
17.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,544
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,272
Per pupil
£2453k
Total funding
£133k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.1%
Overall absence
10.6%
Persistent absence
376
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 North Primary School and Nursery
What are SATs results like at North Primary School and Nursery?
Of the pupils at North Primary School and Nursery who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% reached the expected standard in reading and 63% did so in maths.
What is North Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?
North Primary School and Nursery's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for North Primary School and Nursery?
No fixed boundary. When North Primary School and Nursery is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at North Primary School and Nursery?
North Primary School and Nursery was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at North Primary School and Nursery?
Classes at North Primary School and Nursery average 29.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to North Primary School and Nursery?
North Primary School and Nursery has around 458 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at North Primary School and Nursery?
5.1% of sessions were missed at North Primary School and Nursery in 2024/25. 10.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to North Primary School and Nursery?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming North Primary School and Nursery 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 North Primary School and Nursery have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of North Primary School and Nursery: Colchester Leisure World Kid's Camp (700m away, registered, not yet graded) and Kip McGrath Colchester Central (940m 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 North Primary School and Nursery?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 83 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 16 serious and 67 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 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 North Primary School and Nursery?
North Primary School and Nursery is at John Harper Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1RP.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)