How many Outstanding or Good schools are there in Essex?

GeraLearn's directory covers 23 top-rated state-funded schools in Essex: 12 Outstanding and 11 Good by Ofsted (as of 31 May 2026). This includes 16 secondary and 7 primary schools. For the share of ALL Essex schools rated Good or better, see the Gera School Quality Index for Essex.

Which schools in Essex are rated Outstanding by Ofsted?

12 schools are rated Outstanding in Essex: Saffron Walden County High School, The Beaulieu Park School, Chelmsford County High School for Girls, Colchester County High School for Girls, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, Lee Chapel Primary School, and 6 more. Each carries an Ofsted overall-effectiveness grade of 1 (Outstanding).

What is the largest top-rated school in Essex?

Saffron Walden County High School is the largest top-rated secondary school listed in Essex, with 2,119 pupils. It is rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

Where does this Essex schools data come from?

Every school, grade and pupil count is taken directly from Ofsted — State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information (as at 31 May 2026), published by Ofsted under the Open Government Licence v3.0. GeraLearn lists the Outstanding and Good schools verbatim — no rating is modelled or estimated.

GeraLearn / Top-rated schools by area / East of England

Outstanding & Good schools in Essex

23 state-funded schools in Essex are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted — 12 Outstanding and 11 Good, across 16 secondary and 7 primary schools.

Which schools in Essex are rated Outstanding or Good by Ofsted?

GeraLearn lists 23 top-rated state-funded schools in Essex (12 Outstanding and 11 Good by Ofsted, as of 31 May 2026): 16 secondary and 7 primary. Saffron Walden County High School is among them — rated Outstanding. Source: Ofsted management information, OGL v3.0.

Source:Ofsted — State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information·As of 31 May 2026 · updated monthly · last refreshed 20 June 2026

Top-rated schools

Outstanding

Secondary

Primary

All 23 top-rated schools in Essex

Outstanding first. Each school links to its full Ofsted profile.

School	Phase	Ofsted	Pupils	Last inspected
Saffron Walden County High SchoolCB11 4UH	Secondary	Outstanding	2,119	March 2024
The Beaulieu Park SchoolCM1 6DT	Secondary	Outstanding	1,609	January 2023
Chelmsford County High School for GirlsCM1 1RW	Secondary	Outstanding	1,236	January 2024
Colchester County High School for GirlsCO3 3US	Secondary	Outstanding	1,210	November 2023
King Edward VI Grammar School, ChelmsfordCM1 3SX	Secondary	Outstanding	1,138	December 2021
Lee Chapel Primary SchoolSS16 5RU	Primary	Outstanding	1,068	November 2023
Buttsbury Primary SchoolCM12 0QR	Primary	Outstanding	856	November 2019
Hare Street Community Primary School and NurseryCM19 4BU	Primary	Outstanding	456	January 2020
St Peter's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, South WealdCM14 5QN	Primary	Outstanding	455	November 2023
Hereward Primary SchoolIG10 2HR	Primary	Outstanding	449	June 2024
Shenfield St. Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolCM15 9AL	Primary	Outstanding	420	March 2023
St Peter's Catholic Primary SchoolCM11 2UB	Primary	Outstanding	417	February 2024
The King John SchoolSS7 1RQ	Secondary	Good	2,108	July 2021
Philip Morant School and CollegeCO3 4QS	Secondary	Good	1,828	September 2023
The FitzWimarc SchoolSS6 8EB	Secondary	Good	1,787	October 2022
Plume SchoolCM9 6AB	Secondary	Good	1,786	November 2023
Moulsham High SchoolCM2 9ES	Secondary	Good	1,670	January 2020
Lift TendringCO13 0AZ	Secondary	Good	1,554	May 2024
Lift ClactonCO15 3JL	Secondary	Good	1,516	June 2024
Anglo European SchoolCM4 0DJ	Secondary	Good	1,488	March 2024
Roding Valley High SchoolIG10 3JA	Secondary	Good	1,437	September 2022
The King Edmund SchoolSS4 1TL	Secondary	Good	1,354	January 2024
Helena Romanes SchoolCM6 2AU	Secondary	Good	1,309	October 2023

More school data for Essex

Gera School Quality Index for Essex — the share of ALL state-funded schools in Essex rated Good or better.
GCSE & KS4 results in Essex — DfE Progress 8 and grade 4+ English & maths context.
England-wide school directory — every Outstanding and Good school across the country.

Schools in Essex — FAQ

How many Outstanding or Good schools are there in Essex?: GeraLearn's directory covers 23 top-rated state-funded schools in Essex: 12 Outstanding and 11 Good by Ofsted (as of 31 May 2026). This includes 16 secondary and 7 primary schools. For the share of ALL Essex schools rated Good or better, see the Gera School Quality Index for Essex.
Which schools in Essex are rated Outstanding by Ofsted?: 12 schools are rated Outstanding in Essex: Saffron Walden County High School, The Beaulieu Park School, Chelmsford County High School for Girls, Colchester County High School for Girls, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, Lee Chapel Primary School, and 6 more. Each carries an Ofsted overall-effectiveness grade of 1 (Outstanding).
What is the largest top-rated school in Essex?: Saffron Walden County High School is the largest top-rated secondary school listed in Essex, with 2,119 pupils. It is rated Outstanding by Ofsted.
Where does this Essex schools data come from?: Every school, grade and pupil count is taken directly from Ofsted — State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information (as at 31 May 2026), published by Ofsted under the Open Government Licence v3.0. GeraLearn lists the Outstanding and Good schools verbatim — no rating is modelled or estimated.

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Source: Ofsted — State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information, as at 31 May 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Schools listed are those Ofsted currently grades Outstanding or Good; no figure is modelled or estimated by GeraLearn.