Colchester Royal Grammar School
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Colchester Royal Grammar School is a converter academy in Colchester for boys aged 11 to 18. It has 1,073 pupils, 296 more than it has places for. About 5 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 100 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 98% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in April 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Lexden Road, Colchester, CO3 3ND01206 509100crgs.co.ukMr John Russell headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 14 April 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 11 May 2021 | S8 No Formal Designation Visit | Inadequate |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
128 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023† | 2022† | 2019† | 2018† | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 128 | 124 | 119 | 120 | 97 | 101 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 82.1 | 83.4 | 81.5 | 80.6 | 79.7 | 78.3 | 46.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +1.09 | +0.93 | +0.67 | +0.55 | +0.62 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 99% | 100% | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 7.85 | 7.99 | 7.78 | 7.72 | 7.75 | 7.59 | 4.06 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 77% | 77% | 76% | 82% | 83% | 80% | 39% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 77.6 | – | – | 77.2 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 82.4 | – | – | 80.7 | – | – | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 83.4 | 81.5 | 80.5 | 79.6 | 78.7 | – | – |
† These results are for Colchester Royal Grammar School, the school this one replaced in May 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Subjects
Results came out for 19 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 128 | 96% | 100% | 100% | 53% | 13 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 128 | 76% | 100% | 100% | 58% | 11 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 128 | 84% | 100% | 100% | 54% | 5 of 3,210 |
| French | 113 | 89% | 98% | 99% | 60% | 45 of 1,974 |
| Chemistry | 105 | 92% | 99% | 99% | 81% | 420 of 2,537 |
| Biology | 105 | 94% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 17 of 2,570 |
| Physics | 105 | 94% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 30 of 2,546 |
| Computer Science | 90 | 88% | 97% | 98% | 56% | 58 of 1,861 |
| History | 76 | 83% | 95% | 99% | 52% | 84 of 3,126 |
| Religious Studies | 63 | 87% | 100% | 100% | 60% | 20 of 1,825 |
| Geography | 63 | 91% | 100% | 100% | 51% | 14 of 3,116 |
| Design & Technology | 33 | 79% | 100% | 100% | 50% | 22 of 1,478 |
| Combined Science | 23 | 87% | 100% | 100% | 36% | 3 of 3,084 |
| German | 22 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 63% | 1 of 571 |
| Music | 14 | 86% | 100% | 100% | 61% | – |
| Latin | 13 | 100% | 100% | 100% | 82% | – |
| Art and Design | 13 | 85% | 92% | 100% | 58% | – |
| Classical Greek | 10 | 80% | 100% | 100% | 86% | – |
| Other Sciences | 8 | 63% | 75% | 100% | 67% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
202 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Students | 202 | 179 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 51.32 | 49.64 |
| Average A level grade | A | A |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 52.06 | 50.09 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 78% | 68% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.19 | +0.16 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 100% | 100% |
A level subjects
17 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Strongest A levels
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Grammar school. This is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test. As a Christian school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
The school is full, with 92 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place.
How places were given out for September 2026.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 128 | 805 | – | LA |
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (32), Autistic spectrum disorder (20), Specific learning difficulty (16), language and communications needs (9), Hearing impairment (6), Physical disability (5).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,073 | 1,059 | 1,018 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 9% | 11% | 13% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 7% | 7% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 0% | 0% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22† | 2020/21† | 2018/19† | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 5.4% | 5.2% | 6.5% | 6.8% | 6.0% | 3.7% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.1% | 5.1% | 6.5% | 6.7% | 5.9% | 3.6% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 18.2% | 16.0% | 26.9% | 25.4% | 21.5% | 7.3% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 2.5 | 3.5 | – | – | – | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
† These attendance figures are for Colchester Royal Grammar School, the school this one replaced in May 2023. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Benedict's Catholic College | Roman Catholic | 830 m | 905 | Good 2023 | 76 | Compare |
| Colchester County High School for Girls | Academy (grammar) | 830 m | 1,198 | Outstanding 2023 | 99 | Compare |
| St Helena School | Academy | 950 m | 986 | Good 2024 | 43 | Compare |
| Philip Morant School and College | Academy | 0.7 miles | 1,888 | Good 2023 | 48 | Compare |
| Paxman Academy | Free school | 1.2 miles | 873 | Good 2024 | 27 | Compare |
| The Thomas Lord Audley School | Academy | 1.4 miles | 940 | Not inspected | 57 | Compare |
| The Stanway School | Academy | 2.0 miles | 1,396 | Good 2023 | 63 | Compare |
| Colchester Academy | Academy | 2.3 miles | 879 | Good 2023 | 14 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Colchester Royal Grammar School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
No school with a similar mix of pupils within 25 km scores clearly higher.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 100 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 100% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 99 to 100. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | well above | +0.61 | 2025 and 2024 results; 128 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well above | +0.32 | Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | well above | +0.43 | DfE progress measure; 128 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.24 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.11 | 2024/25; 643 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | above | +0.07 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 128 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 0% | no data | – | |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Colchester Royal Grammar School a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Colchester Royal Grammar School scores 100 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 98% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 99 to 100, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.
What is Colchester Royal Grammar School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 14 April 2026 it rated teaching as exceptional, achievement as exceptional, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as exceptional.
How good are Colchester Royal Grammar School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 100% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 82.1, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Colchester Royal Grammar School have?
1,073 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 777 places, so it is 138% full. It is a boys' school.
Is Colchester Royal Grammar School oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 92 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
Does Colchester Royal Grammar School have an entrance exam?
Yes. It is a grammar school, so places depend on an entrance test, usually sat in September of Year 6. Check the school's admissions page for the test dates and the pass mark.
What is attendance like at Colchester Royal Grammar School?
Pupils were in school 94.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 18% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Colchester Royal Grammar School?
The average class had 23.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 22% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Colchester Royal Grammar School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was A. 17 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Lexden Road, Colchester, CO3 3ND
- Telephone
- 01206 509100
- Website
- www.crgs.co.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr John Russell
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Boys
- Religious character
- Christian
- Multi-academy trust
- The Thinking Schools Academy Trust (26 schools)
- Local authority
- Essex
- Ward
- New Town and Christ Church
- Constituency
- Colchester
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 May 2023 (fresh start)
- URN
- 149899 · LAESTAB 8814036 · UKPRN 10092769
- Formerly
- Colchester Royal Grammar School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Essex council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.