Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester
Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Colchester. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in September 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 62nd-highest of the 66 schools in Colchester with published results, and 12,428th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- 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
Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils at Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 59% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 67% in reading and 70% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as their first choice and 64 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Roach Vale Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 73% reading, 70% maths); Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery (0.3 miles, Good); Hazelmere Junior School (0.3 miles, Good, 61% reading, 66% maths); and Friars Grove Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 71% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
Roach Vale Primary SchoolHazelmere Infant School and NurseryHazelmere Junior SchoolFriars Grove Primary School
Who goes there
40.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 53 pupils (26.9%) received SEN support and 6 (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 Hythe (Essex) Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Broadmead Road (n-bound), 100 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 228 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, Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School issued 23 suspensions, 11.7 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School are Colchester Academy (0.4 miles), The Gilberd School (1.4 miles) and The Trinity School (1.4 miles).
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 February 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 February 2018 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
40.1%
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 remained stable at around 66% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 70% to 59% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 59% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.4
Avg class size
24.0
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School.
- CMXSC @ Roach Vale Primary School230m away · Not yet graded
- Friars Grove Camp @ EPC690m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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
- 20
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 6
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, 5 serious and 15 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 on a bicycle.
6 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 Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Will you get a place at Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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
95%
Near capacity
199 pupils
210 places
11 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(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
53
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
29.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
197
Total Pupils
92
Boys
105
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,178
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,868
Per pupil
£1327k
Total funding
£123k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.4%
Overall absence
12.4%
Persistent absence
178
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
Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Questions parents ask about Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
What are SATs results like at Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Of the pupils at Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 66% reached the expected standard in reading and 59% did so in maths.
What is Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in September 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Classes at Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School average 28.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has around 197 pupils on roll. 40% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
5.4% of sessions were missed at Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School in 2024/25. 12.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School: CMXSC @ Roach Vale Primary School (230m away, registered, not yet graded) and Friars Grove Camp @ EPC (690m 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 Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary 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, 5 serious and 15 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot and 2 on a bicycle. 6 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 Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at Templewood Road, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3EZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)