Best secondary schools in Essex (2026)
Essex has 100 ranked secondary schools with published results. The top-ranked is Colchester Royal Grammar School, in the top 1% in England. The average Attainment 8 here in 2025 was 47.3, against 46.1 for England. 10 are in England's top 10%, and 10 are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. There are 8 grammar schools.
| Rank | School | Attainment 8 (2023–2025 average) | Attainment 8 2025 | Trend | Grade 5+ Eng & maths | Ofsted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 Top 1% in England |
Colchester Royal Grammar School Colchester · Grammar · Boys · Christian |
82.8 | 82.1 | 100% | Report card | |
2 Top 1% in England |
King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford Chelmsford · Grammar |
82.8 | 83.3 | 100% | Report card | |
3 Top 1% in England |
Chelmsford County High School for Girls Chelmsford · Grammar · Girls |
81.2 | 80.7 | 99% | Outstanding | |
4 Top 1% in England |
Colchester County High School for Girls Colchester · Grammar · Girls |
80.6 | 80.6 | 100% | Outstanding | |
5 Top 2% in England |
Westcliff High School for Boys Academy Southend-on-Sea · Grammar · Boys |
77.7 | 77.6 | 98% | Outstanding | |
6 Top 2% in England |
Westcliff High School for Girls Southend-on-Sea · Grammar · Girls |
77.0 | 75.6 | 97% | Outstanding | |
7 Top 2% in England |
Southend High School for Girls Southend-on-Sea · Grammar · Girls |
74.7 | 75.0 | 99% | Outstanding | |
8 Top 3% in England |
Southend High School for Boys Southend-on-Sea · Grammar · Boys |
74.3 | 73.8 | 97% | Outstanding | |
9 Top 7% in England |
Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School Brentwood · Girls · Roman Catholic |
61.7 | 61.0 | 78% | Good | |
10 Top 10% in England |
Harris Academy Chafford Hundred Chafford Hundred, West Thurrock and Purfleet-on-Thames |
57.7 | 55.5 | 68% | Outstanding | |
11 Top 12% in England |
The Beaulieu Park School Chelmsford |
57.7 | 57.1 | 63% | Outstanding | |
12 Top 13% in England |
Davenant Foundation School Loughton · Church of England |
56.2 | 56.7 | 68% | Report card | |
13 Top 13% in England |
Saffron Walden County High School Saffron Walden |
57.2 | 59.7 | 66% | Outstanding | |
14 Top 13% in England |
Moulsham High School Chelmsford |
56.6 | 58.3 | 66% | Good | |
15 Top 13% in England |
St Bernard's High School Southend-on-Sea · Girls · Roman Catholic |
56.3 | 54.9 | 59% | No rating | |
16 Top 13% in England |
Becket Keys Church of England Free School Brentwood · Church of England |
55.7 | 56.0 | 69% | Not judged | |
17 Top 16% in England |
Anglo European School Ingatestone |
55.5 | 55.6 | 57% | Good | |
18 Top 17% in England |
Grays Convent High School Grays · Girls · Roman Catholic |
55.0 | 55.7 | 61% | No rating | |
19 Top 17% in England |
St Benedict's Catholic College Colchester · Roman Catholic |
54.1 | 54.7 | 62% | No rating | |
20 Top 20% in England |
St Thomas More High School Southend-on-Sea · Boys · Roman Catholic |
52.2 | 52.3 | 64% | No rating | |
21 Top 22% in England |
The Eastwood Academy Southend-on-Sea |
51.6 | 51.6 | 54% | No rating | |
22 Top 26% in England |
The Gilberd School Colchester |
51.5 | 53.4 | 58% | No rating | |
23 Top 27% in England |
The King John School Thundersley and South Benfleet |
50.9 | 49.6 | 50% | Report card | |
24 Top 28% in England |
Great Baddow High School Chelmsford |
50.4 | 50.0 | 56% | Report card | |
25 Top 28% in England |
Harris Academy Ockendon South Ockendon |
50.1 | 47.3 | 49% | Outstanding | |
26 Top 32% in England |
Lift Greensward Hockley and Hawkwell |
48.9 | 49.4 | 56% | No rating | |
27 Top 33% in England |
West Hatch High School Chigwell |
48.8 | 49.5 | 51% | No rating | |
28 Top 34% in England |
St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford Chelmsford · Roman Catholic |
49.3 | 49.9 | 51% | No rating | |
29 Top 35% in England |
Manningtree High School Lawford |
49.1 | 48.6 | 53% | Not judged | |
30 Top 35% in England |
Harris Academy Billericay Billericay |
48.7 | 50.0 | 48% | No rating | |
31 Top 36% in England |
Mayflower High School Billericay |
48.7 | 47.6 | 46% | Report card | |
32 Top 36% in England |
Harris Academy Riverside Chafford Hundred, West Thurrock and Purfleet-on-Thames |
48.9 | 47.9 | 45% | Report card | |
33 Top 37% in England |
Beauchamps High School Wickford |
47.9 | 48.1 | 52% | Not judged | |
34 Top 39% in England |
St Martin's School Brentwood Brentwood |
47.9 | 45.9 | 45% | Not judged | |
35 Top 40% in England |
Joyce Frankland Academy, Newport Newport (Uttlesford) |
47.5 | 44.9 | 48% | Good | |
36 Top 40% in England |
Thames Park Secondary School Grays |
46.4 | 46.4 | 54% | Good | |
37 Top 41% in England |
The Stanway School Colchester |
47.3 | 48.2 | 54% | No rating | |
38 Top 42% in England |
The Boswells School Chelmsford |
47.8 | 48.4 | 46% | No rating | |
39 Top 43% in England |
Orsett Heath Academy Thurrock |
47.0 | 47.0 | 48% | Good | |
40 Top 45% in England |
Debden Park High School Loughton |
47.0 | 48.3 | 50% | Not judged | |
41 Top 46% in England |
The Sandon School Chelmsford |
46.9 | 46.6 | 42% | Requires improvement | |
42 Top 50% in England |
St Mark's West Essex Catholic School Harlow · Roman Catholic |
46.8 | 46.3 | 39% | Good | |
43 Top 50% in England |
Chelmer Valley High School Broomfield |
46.4 | 45.3 | 43% | Good | |
44 Top 50% in England |
The FitzWimarc School Rayleigh |
46.2 | 45.2 | 41% | Good | |
45 Bottom 50% in England |
Alec Hunter Academy Braintree |
45.4 | 45.7 | 49% | No rating | |
46 Bottom 49% in England |
The Gateway Academy Chadwell St Mary |
45.0 | 46.1 | 48% | No rating | |
47 Bottom 49% in England |
Sir Frederick Gibberd College Harlow |
45.1 | 44.0 | 44% | Not judged | |
48 Bottom 48% in England |
Roding Valley High School Loughton |
45.5 | 47.1 | 48% | Good | |
49 Bottom 48% in England |
Philip Morant School and College Colchester |
45.3 | 44.5 | 37% | Good | |
50 Bottom 48% in England |
Thurstable School Tiptree |
44.5 | 41.9 | 42% | Not judged | |
51 Bottom 48% in England |
Honywood School Coggeshall |
45.6 | 46.3 | 48% | Good | |
52 Bottom 47% in England |
Colne Community School Brightlingsea |
45.2 | 43.0 | 40% | Good | |
53 Bottom 46% in England |
Burnt Mill Academy Harlow |
44.7 | 45.2 | 44% | Good | |
54 Bottom 45% in England |
Helena Romanes School Great Dunmow |
44.6 | 46.6 | 50% | Good | |
55 Bottom 42% in England |
Shenfield High School Brentwood |
44.8 | 45.3 | 40% | No rating | |
56 Bottom 42% in England |
De La Salle School Basildon · Roman Catholic |
44.1 | 41.8 | 40% | No rating | |
57 Bottom 41% in England |
Belfairs Academy Southend-on-Sea |
44.0 | 45.5 | 45% | Requires improvement | |
58 Bottom 41% in England |
Epping St John's Church of England School Epping · Church of England |
43.5 | 42.8 | 42% | Report card | |
59 Bottom 41% in England |
Plume School Maldon |
43.7 | 42.9 | 37% | Good | |
60 Bottom 39% in England |
St Clere's School Stanford-le-Hope |
43.2 | 43.2 | 41% | Not judged | |
61 Bottom 38% in England |
William Edwards School Grays |
43.6 | 42.5 | 35% | Report card | |
62 Bottom 37% in England |
Notley High School and Braintree Sixth Form Braintree |
43.8 | 44.9 | 38% | Report card | |
63 Bottom 37% in England |
Harris Academy Benfleet Thundersley and South Benfleet |
42.8 | 39.6 | 32% | No rating | |
64 Bottom 36% in England |
The Sweyne Park School Rayleigh |
42.4 | 44.0 | 47% | Not judged | |
65 Bottom 33% in England |
Paxman Academy Colchester |
42.3 | 41.3 | 34% | Good | |
66 Bottom 33% in England |
Ormiston Rivers Academy Burnham-on-Crouch |
43.4 | 41.9 | 29% | No rating | |
67 Bottom 33% in England |
St Helena School Colchester |
43.3 | 46.0 | 36% | Good | |
68 Bottom 32% in England |
Harris Academy Kingswood Basildon |
42.2 | 42.1 | 33% | No rating | |
69 Bottom 32% in England |
Lift New Rickstones Witham |
42.0 | 40.6 | 35% | No rating | |
70 Bottom 31% in England |
Hedingham School and Sixth Form Sible Hedingham |
42.8 | 39.9 | 27% | No rating | |
71 Bottom 28% in England |
Forest Hall School Stansted Mountfitchet |
41.1 | 40.6 | 35% | Report card | |
72 Bottom 28% in England |
Lift Maltings Witham |
40.7 | 39.9 | 42% | Report card | |
73 Bottom 28% in England |
Brentwood County High School Brentwood |
41.0 | 43.2 | 42% | Report card | |
74 Bottom 27% in England |
William de Ferrers School South Woodham Ferrers |
41.3 | 44.1 | 39% | Not judged | |
75 Bottom 26% in England |
The Thomas Lord Audley School Berechurch |
40.5 | 42.3 | 42% | No rating | |
76 Bottom 26% in England |
The Ramsey Academy, Halstead Halstead (Braintree) |
41.1 | 39.3 | 29% | Not judged | |
77 Bottom 23% in England |
The Hathaway Academy Grays |
40.4 | 41.1 | 37% | No rating | |
78 Bottom 21% in England |
The Ongar Academy Shelley |
40.4 | 37.4 | 26% | No rating | |
79 Bottom 20% in England |
Tabor Academy Braintree |
39.5 | 38.5 | 32% | Requires improvement | |
80 Bottom 19% in England |
Clacton County High School Clacton-on-Sea |
40.1 | 38.6 | 30% | No rating | |
81 Bottom 18% in England |
Lift Tendring Frinton-on-Sea |
38.9 | 36.9 | 31% | Good | |
82 Bottom 18% in England |
The James Hornsby School Basildon |
40.3 | 38.9 | 26% | Report card | |
83 Bottom 17% in England |
Shoeburyness High School Southend-on-Sea |
38.8 | 37.6 | 34% | Good | |
84 Bottom 13% in England |
King Harold Business & Enterprise Academy Waltham Abbey |
37.7 | 36.5 | 32% | Report card | |
85 Bottom 12% in England |
Harwich and Dovercourt High School Harwich |
37.7 | 37.6 | 28% | Report card | |
86 Bottom 11% in England |
Harris Academy Wickford Wickford |
37.4 | 35.9 | 25% | Not judged | |
87 Bottom 10% in England |
Passmores Academy Harlow |
37.2 | 34.8 | 21% | No rating | |
88 Bottom 9% in England |
Colchester Academy Colchester |
36.8 | 38.5 | 31% | Good | |
89 Bottom 8% in England |
Hylands School Chelmsford |
35.1 | 37.8 | 38% | Report card | |
90 Bottom 7% in England |
Southchurch High School Southend-on-Sea |
36.8 | 38.7 | 24% | Report card | |
91 Bottom 7% in England |
Chase High School Southend-on-Sea |
35.6 | 39.2 | 32% | Report card | |
92 Bottom 7% in England |
Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow Harlow |
35.7 | 38.9 | 31% | Requires improvement | |
93 Bottom 6% in England |
Ormiston Park Academy Aveley |
34.9 | 37.5 | 28% | Requires improvement | |
94 Bottom 6% in England |
The Deanes Thundersley and South Benfleet |
35.8 | 34.4 | 17% | Good | |
95 Bottom 6% in England |
Mark Hall Academy Harlow |
35.5 | 38.9 | 30% | Not judged | |
96 Bottom 6% in England |
The King Edmund School Rochford |
35.7 | 36.3 | 22% | Good | |
97 Bottom 5% in England |
Castle View School Canvey Island |
36.0 | 36.0 | 16% | Requires improvement | |
98 Bottom 4% in England |
Cecil Jones Academy Southend-on-Sea |
34.3 | 35.1 | 21% | Good | |
99 Bottom 2% in England |
Lift Clacton Clacton-on-Sea |
30.2 | 30.0 | 15% | Good | |
100 Bottom 1% in England |
The Basildon Upper Academy Basildon |
28.2 | 28.7 | 21% | Good |
Best secondary school in each town
- Colchester · best: Colchester Royal Grammar School
- Chelmsford · best: King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
- Southend-on-Sea · best: Westcliff High School for Boys Academy
- Brentwood · best: Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School
- Loughton · best: Davenant Foundation School
- Grays · best: Grays Convent High School
- Thundersley and South Benfleet · best: The King John School
- Harlow · best: St Mark's West Essex Catholic School
- Braintree · best: Alec Hunter Academy
- Basildon · best: De La Salle School
Also see
Questions
What is the best secondary school in Essex?
On exam results over the last three years, Colchester Royal Grammar School is the top-ranked secondary school in Essex, in the top 1% of schools in England.
How are the schools ranked?
By published Department for Education exam results averaged over three years: for secondary schools, Attainment 8 plus a quarter of the share getting grade 5+ in English and maths; for primary schools, the share reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths plus half the share reaching the higher standard. The order uses the three-year average, so a school can rank above one with a higher single-year result. Schools with fewer than 10 pupils taking the tests are not ranked. Exam results are only part of the picture: visit, read the Ofsted report and check admissions rules, as living nearby does not guarantee a place.