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Colchester Royal Grammar School vs King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford

Both are grammar schools in Essex, 20.7 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.

Side by side

Colchester Royal Grammar School King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
Phase Secondary Secondary
Gender Boys Mixed
Pupils on roll 1,073 1,153
Free school meals 4.7% 2.5%
Ofsted rating Not published Not published
Attainment 8 — 2025/26 80.9 83
11+ test board GL Assessment GL Assessment
Admission system qualifying score is the minimum; places then go in score order (distance only breaks ties) qualifying score is the minimum; places then go in score order (distance only breaks ties)
Places offered — 202627 128 149
First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place 2.19 2.77

Qualifying scores

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.

Council source ↗

King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford

343 (2025 entry)

Lowest score inside 12.5-mile priority area on National Offer Day. Outside area cutoff: 355. CSSE test.

Council source ↗

Who gets priority

Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.

Colchester Royal Grammar School

  1. Up to 12 places for boys scoring over 320 who are looked after / previously looked after (first) or on the Pupil Premium Grant — in score order
  2. All remaining places in score order, wherever the boy lives

Source: school admissions policy.

King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford

  1. Up to 8 places for boys on the Pupil Premium or looked after / previously looked after, living in the 12.5-mile priority area since 10 October of Year 6, with a standardised score of at least 330…
  2. Further places in score order until 120 have gone to boys living in the 12.5-mile priority area since 10 October of Year 6
  3. Of the remaining places, up to 2 for boys on the Pupil Premium or looked after with a score of at least 350, wherever they live
  4. All other remaining places in score order, wherever the boy lives

Source: school admissions policy.

Choosing between them

Colchester Royal Grammar School is a boys school and King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford is a mixed 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.

Full detail for each school: Colchester Royal Grammar School · King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
Or see all secondary schools in Essex ranked.

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