Colchester County High School for Girls vs Colchester Royal Grammar School
Both are grammar schools in Essex, 0.5 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.
Side by side
| Colchester County High School for Girls | Colchester Royal Grammar School | |
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary |
| Gender | Girls | Boys |
| Pupils on roll | 1,210 | 1,059 |
| Free school meals | 2.7% | 4.5% |
| Ofsted rating | Outstanding | Inadequate |
| Attainment 8 — 2024/25 | 80.6 | 82.1 |
| A-level average points — 2024/25 | 45.33 | 51.32 |
| 11+ test board | GL Assessment | GL Assessment |
| Admission system | pass/fail then criteria order | pass/fail then criteria order |
| Places offered — 202627 | 190 | 128 |
| First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place | 1.69 | 2.19 |
Qualifying scores
Colchester County High School for Girls
322 (2025 entry)
Lowest score to secure a place on National Offer Day (no priority area). CSSE test.
Colchester Royal Grammar School
372 (2025 entry)
Lowest score to secure a place on National Offer Day (no priority area). CSSE test. Spike vs 2024 (337) — large cohort variation.
Who gets priority
Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.
Colchester County High School for Girls
- Looked after children and previously looked after children
- Children with exceptional medical/social needs
- Children from designated feeder primary schools or living in defined priority area
- Siblings of children on roll at the school
Source: school admissions policy.
Colchester Royal Grammar School
- Looked after children and previously looked after children
- Children with exceptional medical/social needs
- Children from designated feeder primary schools or living in defined priority area
- Siblings of children on roll at the school
Source: school admissions policy.
Choosing between them
Colchester County High School for Girls is a girls school and Colchester Royal Grammar School is a boys school, so for many families the starting point is which one can admit their child. The figures on this page are the published ones — they describe intakes and results, not what either school would be like for your child. The right choice depends on your family's own priorities and circumstances.
Other Essex comparisons
- Chelmsford County High School for Girls vs Colchester County High School for Girls
- Chelmsford County High School for Girls vs Colchester Royal Grammar School
- Chelmsford County High School for Girls vs King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
- Colchester County High School for Girls vs King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
- Colchester Royal Grammar School vs King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
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