Prettygate Junior School, Colchester
Prettygate Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Colchester. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 66 schools in Colchester with published results, and 1,876th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 105% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
- Capacity
- Full
- Attendance
- In line with England
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Prettygate Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Prettygate Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 89% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 80% in reading and 77% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Prettygate Junior School
Across Essex, 90% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Essex lodged 375 appeals against primary school offers; 241 reached a hearing and 31 succeeded (12.9% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Prettygate Junior School are Prettygate Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Gosbecks Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 71% reading, 60% maths); King's Ford Infant School and Nursery (0.6 miles, Good); and Kings Ford Academy (0.6 miles, Good, 55% reading, 41% maths).
Prettygate Junior School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Prettygate Infant SchoolGosbecks Primary SchoolKing's Ford Infant School and NurseryKings Ford Academy
Who goes there
16% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 45 pupils (18%) received SEN support and 6 (2.4%) 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 Colchester City Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
16 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is All Saints Avenue (adjacent), 220 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Prettygate Junior School issued 9 suspensions, 3.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Prettygate Junior School are Philip Morant School and College (0.3 miles), Paxman Academy (0.4 miles), St Benedict's Catholic College (0.6 miles) and Colchester County High School for Girls (0.6 miles).
Philip Morant School and CollegePaxman AcademySt 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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2014 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
16.0%
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 80% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 77% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 80% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
31.4
Avg class size
31.4
KS2
5
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Prettygate Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Prettygate Junior School.
- H16 - Philip Morant470m away · Not yet graded
- CMXSC @ Gosbecks Primary School720m away · Not yet graded
- Premier Education Activities - Kings Ford Infants School880m away · Not yet graded
- School's Out Activities at Colchester County High School950m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Prettygate Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Prettygate Junior 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
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
105%
Over capacity
252 pupils
240 places
12 pupils over capacity 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.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
45
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
20.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
250
Total Pupils
121
Boys
129
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
17.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,372
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,052
Per pupil
£1376k
Total funding
£58k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
11.2%
Persistent absence
260
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 Prettygate Junior School
What are SATs results like at Prettygate Junior School?
Of the pupils at Prettygate Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% reached the expected standard in reading and 89% did so in maths.
What is Prettygate Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Prettygate Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Prettygate Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Prettygate Junior 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 Prettygate Junior School?
Prettygate Junior School was full in 2025, at 105% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Prettygate Junior School?
Classes at Prettygate Junior School average 31.4 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Prettygate Junior School?
Prettygate Junior School has around 250 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Prettygate Junior School?
5% of sessions were missed at Prettygate Junior School in 2024/25. 11.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Prettygate Junior School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Prettygate Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Prettygate Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 4 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Prettygate Junior School: H16 - Philip Morant (470m away, registered, not yet graded), CMXSC @ Gosbecks Primary School (720m away, registered, not yet graded) and Premier Education Activities - Kings Ford Infants School (880m 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 Prettygate Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 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 Prettygate Junior School?
Prettygate Junior School is at Plume Avenue, Colchester, Essex, CO3 4PH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)