SchoolsGPT
Home › Areas › Essex › Best secondary schools

Best secondary schools in Essex

76 of 81 secondary schools ranked by Progress 8 · all Essex schools · primary schools

Ranked on Progress 8, 2023/24 — the most recent year each school has published. Official data, not our opinion — but the ranking is only as good as the measure, and a single number never describes a school. We hold real catchment boundaries for 2 of them.

# School Progress 8 Ofsted Places Catchment
1 King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford Chelmsford grammar 1.11 Outstanding oversubscribed 2.77 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
2 Colchester Royal Grammar School Colchester grammar 1.09 Inadequate oversubscribed 2.19 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
3 Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School Brentwood hidden gem 1.01 Good undersubscribed 0.77 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
4 Colchester County High School for Girls Colchester grammar 0.99 Outstanding oversubscribed 1.69 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
5 Chelmsford County High School for Girls Chelmsford grammar 0.76 Outstanding oversubscribed 2.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 mapped
6 Moulsham High School Chelmsford 0.67 Good about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
7 Davenant Foundation School Loughton 0.47 Good about even 1.15 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
8 The Gilberd School Colchester 0.44 Outstanding improving oversubscribed 1.31 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
9 Becket Keys Church of England Free School Brentwood 0.42 Not judged oversubscribed 1.56 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
10 Saffron Walden County High School Saffron Walden 0.28 Outstanding oversubscribed 1.19 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
11 Forest Hall School Stansted Mountfitchet 0.27 Good about even 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
12 Chelmer Valley High School Chelmsford 0.25 Good undersubscribed 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
13 West Hatch High School Chigwell 0.24 Good oversubscribed 1.32 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
14 St Benedict's Catholic College Colchester 0.23 Good oversubscribed 1.23 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
15 The King John School Benfleet 0.19 Good oversubscribed 1.39 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
16 Manningtree High School Manningtree 0.15 Not judged improving about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
17 The Sandon School Chelmsford 0.15 Requires improvement declining undersubscribed 0.77 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
18 St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford Chelmsford 0.1 Good about even 1.03 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
19 Anglo European School Ingatestone 0.08 Good about even 1.1 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
20 The Stanway School Colchester 0.07 Good about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
21 Great Baddow High School Chelmsford 0.03 Good about even 1.09 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
22 Debden Park High School Loughton 0.02 Not judged improving about even 1.03 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
23 The Billericay School Billericay hidden gem 0.02 Good undersubscribed 0.75 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
24 Epping St John's Church of England School Epping 0.0 Good about even 1.11 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
25 St Martin's School Brentwood Brentwood -0.01 Not judged declining about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
26 Beauchamps High School Wickford -0.02 Not judged about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
27 St Mark's West Essex Catholic School Harlow -0.04 Good improving about even 1.09 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
28 The Ramsey Academy, Halstead Halstead -0.05 Not judged about even 0.93 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
29 Colne Community School Colchester -0.08 Good about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
30 Lift Greensward Hockley -0.08 Good declining about even 1.0 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
31 Sir Frederick Gibberd College Harlow -0.09 Not judged about even 0.89 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
32 Alec Hunter Academy Braintree -0.1 Good improving about even 1.12 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
33 Notley High School and Braintree Sixth Form Braintree -0.11 Requires improvement about even 0.87 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
34 Philip Morant School and College Colchester -0.13 Good undersubscribed 0.81 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
35 The Thomas Lord Audley School Colchester -0.13 Good improving oversubscribed 1.3 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
36 The Boswells School Chelmsford -0.16 Good about even 1.02 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
37 Paxman Academy Colchester hidden gem -0.17 Good undersubscribed 0.6 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
38 Mayflower High School Billericay -0.19 Requires improvement about even 0.9 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
39 Thurstable School Colchester -0.19 Not judged undersubscribed 0.8 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
40 De La Salle School Basildon -0.2 Good oversubscribed 1.46 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
41 The FitzWimarc School Rayleigh -0.2 Good improving about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
42 Burnt Mill Academy Harlow -0.21 Good declining undersubscribed 0.83 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
43 Roding Valley High School Loughton -0.21 Good about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
44 Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport Saffron Walden hidden gem -0.23 Good improving undersubscribed 0.52 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
45 Woodlands School Basildon -0.26 Good oversubscribed 1.39 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
46 Hedingham School and Sixth Form Halstead -0.27 Good about even 0.94 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
47 Shenfield High School Brentwood -0.3 Good improving undersubscribed 0.81 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
48 St Helena School Colchester hidden gem -0.31 Good improving undersubscribed 0.65 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
49 The James Hornsby School Basildon -0.32 Good oversubscribed 1.28 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
50 Honywood School Colchester -0.33 Good about even 1.07 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
51 King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy Waltham Abbey hidden gem -0.34 Good undersubscribed 0.66 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
52 Clacton County High School Clacton-on-Sea -0.35 Good about even 1.13 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
53 Lift Tendring Frinton-on-Sea -0.36 Good about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
54 Plume School Maldon -0.37 Good about even 0.95 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
55 Brentwood County High School Brentwood hidden gem -0.38 Good undersubscribed 0.59 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
56 The Sweyne Park School Rayleigh -0.38 Not judged about even 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
57 Tabor Academy Braintree -0.41 Requires improvement improving undersubscribed 0.83 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
58 William de Ferrers School Chelmsford -0.41 Not judged improving about even 0.97 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
59 Lift New Rickstones Witham -0.43 Good improving about even 0.91 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
60 The Bromfords School Wickford -0.5 Not judged undersubscribed 0.73 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
61 The Ongar Academy Ongar -0.57 Good undersubscribed 0.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
62 The Appleton School Benfleet hidden gem -0.63 Good declining undersubscribed 0.68 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
63 Lift Maltings Witham -0.64 Requires improvement undersubscribed 0.82 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
64 Harwich and Dovercourt High School Harwich -0.67 Good about even 0.98 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
65 Passmores Academy Harlow -0.67 Good about even 1.03 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
66 Castle View School Canvey Island -0.7 Requires improvement about even 0.92 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
67 Ormiston Rivers Academy Burnham-on-Crouch -0.7 Good about even 0.99 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
68 The Deanes Benfleet hidden gem -0.71 Good improving undersubscribed 0.68 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
69 Mark Hall Academy Harlow -0.82 Not judged about even 0.86 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
70 Lift Clacton Clacton on Sea -0.83 Good improving undersubscribed 0.84 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
71 The King Edmund School Rochford -0.83 Good improving undersubscribed 0.85 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
72 Hylands School Chelmsford -0.86 Requires improvement undersubscribed 0.16 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
73 Colchester Academy Colchester hidden gem -0.91 Good improving undersubscribed 0.66 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
74 Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow Harlow -1.01 Requires improvement declining undersubscribed 0.83 first prefs per place, 2026/27 approximate
75 The Basildon Upper Academy Basildon -1.44 Good improving — approximate
76 Bmat Stem Academy Harlow -1.68 Good — approximate

Also in Essex

5 further secondary schools with no published Progress 8 for the latest year — usually too small a cohort to report, newly opened, or a special school. Listed because leaving them out would make this a misleading picture of Essex, not a fairer one.

Applying in Essex

Knowing which school is best is only half of it — these are the deadlines that decide whether you can apply at all.

Rankings compare published results. They do not tell you which school your child will get into — that depends on where you live, sibling and faith priority, and how many people apply this year. Ask below, or check the Essex admission criteria.

Have a specific question about admissions, scores or dates?

Ask SchoolsGPT