The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School, Colchester
The Bishop William Ward Church of England 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 September 2010. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 40th-highest of the 66 schools in Colchester with published results, and 7,614th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2010)
- 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
The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 76% in Essex and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 73% in reading and 57% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 16 families put The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 47 named it as one of their preferences, for 18 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 The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School are Myland Community Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 89% reading, 89% maths); Camulos Academy (1.3 miles, Good, 88% reading, 87% maths); Heathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West Bergholt (1.3 miles, Good, 95% reading, 95% maths); and Braiswick Primary School (1.5 miles, Good, 80% reading, 78% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School.
Myland Community Primary SchoolCamulos AcademyHeathlands Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, West BergholtBraiswick Primary School
What parents say
79 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 95% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
5.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%), Mixed (8%) and Black (6%).
In 2026, 37 pupils (18.2%) received SEN support and 2 (1%) 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.
Staffing
The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School had 16 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 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 2 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ramparts Close (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 57 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from September 2010, 16 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
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at creating a caring family environment where children feel valued and happy. The teaching is particularly strong in reading and mathematics, with skilled staff who quickly spot when children need extra help. Parents can be confident their child will develop good behaviour, confidence and a genuine love of learning.
Key Strengths
- Strong teaching of reading with consistent phonics approach and quick identification of pupils needing support - pupils become confident, fluent readers
- Effective mathematics teaching with strong questioning, clear feedback and problem-solving opportunities where pupils apply their understanding
- Well-structured curriculum with clear routines from Reception Year that help pupils succeed and behave well
- Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs using visual prompts and effective identification systems
- Comprehensive personal development programme including online safety, healthy relationships, mental health support and leadership opportunities
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects other than English and mathematics, the school has not identified the important knowledge pupils need to know and by when, resulting in gaps in pupil knowledge and less preparation for future learning
- School must ensure precise knowledge is identified and sequenced across all subjects
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, school council, prefect roles, school events and performances
The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School is a good primary school where pupils are proud members of a caring school community. The school provides an ambitious, well-designed curriculum that builds skills progressively and fosters happy, respectful lifelong learners.
At a Glance
17.2%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
79 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 73% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 57% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 67% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.0
Avg class size
27.3
Infant (KS1)
30.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. The Bishop William Ward Church of England 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
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
Your chances of a place at The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Bishop William Ward Church of England 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 The Bishop William Ward Church of England 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
100%
Full
210 pupils
210 places
No 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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
19.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
203
Total Pupils
117
Boys
86
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
12.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,518
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,246
Per pupil
£1180k
Total funding
£42k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
9.8%
Persistent absence
183
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2010, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When The Bishop William Ward Church of England 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 The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School?
The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School?
Classes at The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School average 29 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School?
The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School has around 203 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School?
5.5% of sessions were missed at The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 9.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming The Bishop William Ward Church of England 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.
How many road collisions happen near The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 5 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 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 The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School?
The Bishop William Ward Church of England Primary School is at Coach Road, Great Horkesley, Colchester, Essex, CO6 4AT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)