As many parents are getting ready to apply for primary school places for their children, the official data has revealed the toughest primary schools to get into in Essex.
Messing Primary School near Colchester, in partnership with New Hall School in Chelmsford, is the most oversubscribed primary school in the county. Only 52 percent of parents who listed it as their first choice were offered a place out of 21 applications.
Lee Chapel Primary School in Basildon, rated outstanding, saw 53 percent success rate with just 53 percent of parents receiving offers out of 222 first-place preferences.
Elm Hall Primary School in Witham had a 55 percent success rate with 55 first-place preferences and 30 offers. The school was rated good with outstanding early years provision.
The application window for a primary reception school place starting September 2025 opens on November 4, 2024, and closes on January 15, 2025. Results will be announced in April.
Last year, Essex County Council received almost 16,000 applications for places starting in September 2024. The highest percentage of parents, 98.61 percent, received offers from their preferred primary school choices, the highest ever in Essex.
Kendall C of E Primary School in Colchester received 54 first-place preferences but only 30 successful offers. Stisted C of E in Braintree had 15 offers out of 27 first-place preferences.
Beehive Lane Community Primary School in Chelmsford had a 57 percent success rate with 30 offers out of 53 first-place preference applications. Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Halstead saw 27 offers from 47 first-place preferences.
Overall, 91.27 percent of pupils who are due to start in reception in September 2024 were offered their parent or carer’s first preference of primary school, an increase from the previous year. Additionally, another 5.54 percent of children were offered their parents’ second preference, making it a record high percentage of parents receiving offers from their preferred primary school choices in Essex.
The data shows the increasing competition for primary school places in Essex, with some schools being highly oversubscribed. Parents are encouraged to carefully consider their choices and submit their applications on time to secure a place for their children.
