Schoolchecker.uk — find the right school for the right future

Schools in CO4 postcode district

Schools in postcode district CO4. Add your full home postcode below for distance filtering and a your neighbourhood comparison with the wider CO4 area.

Covers: Boxted, Colchester, Greenstead, Highwoods, Langham, Mile End, Myland, New Braiswick Park, Parsons Heath, St Johns C Of E Primary School, and 1 more area

Add your home postcode in the green box below. Until then, distances use the centre of CO4. The list starts at 3 miles — you can change that. Not an official school catchment.

21state-funded schools in CO4, Essex

  • 16Primary
  • 3Secondary
  • 2Other
  • 2024–25DfE & Ofsted

Neighbourhood & area context

The figures below use three different geographies. Your neighbourhood appears when you add your full postcode. CO4 covers the schools and averages on this page. Colchester is the whole council area for census and crime, which may not match your street. We only show statistics we have for this district.

Area snapshot for CO4

Crime, deprivation near local schools, and Ofsted outcomes for schools in CO4, each shown separately. Crime relates to the whole council area. The other two relate to this postcode district. We do not give the area an overall score.

  • CrimeAround England average (estimated)96.4 crimes per 1,000 residents · ~last 12 monthsColchester (whole council area, not CO4 alone)
  • Deprivation near schoolsSlightly less deprived than average for EnglandIMD band 6 of 10 nationallyNeighbourhoods around schools in CO4
  • School inspectionsGenerally Good6 of 6 graded Good or Outstanding (21 schools in CO4)Schools in postcode district CO4

Add your full home postcode in the green box above to compare your street with CO4 and Colchester.

More local context

House prices, flood risk, broadband and transport for this postcode district, in addition to the snapshot above.

  • Typical house prices£300,310 (+0.4% year on year)Postcode district CO4 (where available)
  • Flood riskLowPostcode district CO4
  • BroadbandSuperfast available (97%+ premises, 30+ Mbps)Postcode district CO4

Postcode district CO4

Schools and other averages for postcode district CO4. This matches the map and school list before you change the distance filter.

Schools in district
21 (16 primary, 3 secondary)
Average attendance
95.4%
Average free school meals
25.1%
Average SEN
26%
Average EAL
17.8%
Deprivation around local schools
Slightly less deprived than average for England
Average house price
£300,310 (+0.4% year on year)
Flood risk
Low
Broadband
Superfast available (97%+ premises, 30+ Mbps)
Green space
Moderate – some green space within reach
Council tax
Typical band B–C

Wider area: Colchester

Census and crime for the whole of Colchester (the local council within Essex). These figures are council-wide and are not broken down to your village or street.

Population
192,716
Households
75,795
Aged under 18
21.0%
Aged 16–64 (approx.)
61.2%
Aged 65+
17.8%
Ethnicity
White 87%, Asian 5%, Black 3%
Crimes (estimated)
18,578
Crimes per 1,000 (estimated)
96.4Around national average

About these figures: School statistics mostly 2024–25. Pipeline checked May 2026. Wider-area lines use Census 2021 for Colchester. Crime figures are rough estimates for the council area, not police records for your street. Use the (i) on each row for source and geography. Full methodology · Data updates

Map of schools in this area

The map shows 21 schools in postcode district CO4. Numbered circles group nearby schools — click to zoom in. Use the list beside the map, a pin, or Show on map on a school card below.

Map key (phases, Ofsted, markers)

Pin colour shows school phase. Letters on pins: P primary, S secondary. Ofsted and admissions are on each school card below.

School phase

  • Primary (P)
  • Secondary (S)
  • District centre
  • Numbered circles group nearby schools — click to zoom in

How far from the CO4 centre?

Pick a radius to control which schools appear in the list below. Only schools whose postcode is in CO4 are included — we measure the straight-line distance from CO4 centre. Add your home postcode above to search by distance from your address across nearby districts.

Show schools within:

3 miles is selected by default. Add your home postcode at the top to measure from your address instead of the district centre. Try 1 mile or 1.5 miles for a shorter list, 3 miles for a wider search, or All in district for every CO4 school regardless of distance. Straight-line distance only — not walking, driving, or an official catchment area.

Common questions in this area

  • Usually oversubscribed near here?

    In CO4, 17 of 21 schools with admissions data are marked as usually oversubscribed on their cards. That is a historic demand signal — not a guarantee you will or will not get a place. Always check the local authority admissions rules and the school’s published PAN.

  • How far is the school run?

    Add your home postcode at the top of the page to see distances from your door. Until then, distances use CO4 centre. All figures are straight-line miles — not walking or driving time, and not catchment areas.

  • What changed recently?

    School and area figures come from open government releases (mostly 2024/25 where published). 21 schools here have a last inspection date on their cards; 4 show a plain-English note when Ofsted published area judgements without an overall grade.

    When we last refreshed data

Browse local schools

Showing schools within 3 miles of CO4 centre

Compare schools in your area in three steps:

  1. Choose a school type — primary, secondary, or all schools in your list.
  2. Sort that list — put the schools you want to compare at the top.
  3. Add to school shortlist — tick up to 6 schools you are considering (saved on this device).

Each card shows key statistics for that school. If you are unsure what a figure means, see the data guide at the bottom of the page.

Filter by school type:

Primary schools16

Sort list by

Choose how to order the cards — for example nearest first, latest inspection, attendance, ks2 results, or admissions pressure.

  • Highwoods Community Primary School

    Tynedale Square, Highwoods, Colchester CO4 9SN

    Type
    Academy converter
    Age range
    4–11
    Trust
    HIGHWOODS COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL
    Ofsted
    Good

    Still judged Good — latest visit found the school improving.

    View on Ofsted

    0.2 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Walkable

    Pupils
    447
    Free school meals
    17.7%
    SEN
    22.6%
    EAL
    21%
    Attendance
    97.4%
    Persistent absence
    3%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    78% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Brinkley Grove Primary School

    Rawlings Crescent, Highwoods, Colchester CO4 9GF

    Type
    Foundation school
    Age range
    5–11
    Ofsted
    Area judgements

    New inspection format — no single overall grade.

    Some aspects not as strong

    View on Ofsted

    0.3 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Walkable

    Pupils
    426
    Free school meals
    25.1%
    SEN
    22.8%
    EAL
    29.6%
    Attendance
    96.7%
    Persistent absence
    4.6%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    76% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • St John's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Colchester

    Clay Lane Grove, St Johns C of E Primary School, COLCHESTER CO4 0HH

    Type
    Voluntary controlled school
    Age range
    4–11
    Ofsted
    Good

    Monitoring visit confirmed the previous Good overall grade — see the full report for latest area judgements.

    View on Ofsted

    0.3 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Walkable

    Pupils
    210
    Free school meals
    11.4%
    SEN
    13.8%
    EAL
    13.3%
    Attendance
    97.3%
    Persistent absence
    3.7%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    72% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Friars Grove Primary School

    Upland Drive, Colchester CO4 0PZ

    Type
    Community school
    Age range
    5–11
    Ofsted
    Good

    Monitoring visit confirmed the previous Good overall grade — see the full report for latest area judgements.

    View on Ofsted

    0.7 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Walkable

    Pupils
    398
    Free school meals
    19.8%
    SEN
    13.8%
    EAL
    14.3%
    Attendance
    96%
    Persistent absence
    8.2%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    59% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Camulos Academy

    Whitmore Drive, Via Urbis Romanea, Colchester CO4 6AL

    Type
    Academy sponsor led
    Age range
    4–11
    Trust
    REACH2 ACADEMY TRUST
    Ofsted
    Area judgements

    New inspection format — no single overall grade.

    Standards maintained

    View on Ofsted

    1 milestraight-line from CO4 centre

    Walkable

    Pupils
    413
    Free school meals
    17.2%
    SEN
    15.5%
    EAL
    26.9%
    Attendance
    96.4%
    Persistent absence
    11.5%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    80% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Queen Boudica Primary School

    Cowper Crescent, Colchester CO4 5XT

    Type
    Community school
    Age range
    4–11
    Ofsted
    Good

    Monitoring visit confirmed the previous Good overall grade — see the full report for latest area judgements.

    View on Ofsted

    1 milestraight-line from CO4 centre

    Walkable

    Pupils
    407
    Free school meals
    16.7%
    SEN
    14.7%
    EAL
    31.2%
    Attendance
    96.4%
    Persistent absence
    5.9%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    66% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Willow Brook Primary School and Nursery

    Barnardiston Road, Colchester CO4 0DT

    Type
    Academy sponsor led
    Age range
    3–11
    Trust
    THE KEMNAL ACADEMIES TRUST
    Ofsted
    Good
    View on Ofsted

    1 milestraight-line from CO4 centre

    Walkable

    Pupils
    180
    Free school meals
    38.5%
    SEN
    17.8%
    EAL
    37.8%
    Attendance
    95.4%
    Persistent absence
    7.9%
    Admissions
    About average
    Attainment
    50% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

    Templewood Road, Colchester CO4 3EZ

    Type
    Voluntary controlled school
    Age range
    4–11
    Ofsted
    Good

    Monitoring visit confirmed the previous Good overall grade — see the full report for latest area judgements.

    View on Ofsted

    1.1 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Cycling distancePark & stride

    Pupils
    197
    Free school meals
    41.1%
    SEN
    28.4%
    EAL
    13.2%
    Attendance
    96.5%
    Persistent absence
    4.9%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    47% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Myland Community Primary School

    Mill Road, Mile End, Colchester CO4 5LD

    Type
    Community school
    Age range
    5–11
    Ofsted
    Area judgements

    New inspection format — no single overall grade.

    Improved significantly

    View on Ofsted

    1.2 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Cycling distancePark & stride

    Pupils
    307
    Free school meals
    13.7%
    SEN
    8.1%
    EAL
    23.5%
    Attendance
    97.1%
    Persistent absence
    2%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    76% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Roach Vale Primary School

    Roach Vale, Parsons Heath, Colchester CO4 3YN

    Type
    Community school
    Age range
    4–11
    Ofsted
    Good
    View on Ofsted

    1.2 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Cycling distancePark & stride

    Pupils
    192
    Free school meals
    39.1%
    SEN
    14.1%
    EAL
    14.6%
    Attendance
    96.3%
    Persistent absence
    6%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    57% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Hazelmere Junior School

    Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester CO4 3JP

    Type
    Community school
    Age range
    7–11
    Ofsted
    Good
    View on Ofsted

    1.4 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Cycling distancePark & stride

    Pupils
    231
    Free school meals
    45.5%
    SEN
    22.5%
    EAL
    20.3%
    Attendance
    95.9%
    Persistent absence
    13.9%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    38% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery

    Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester CO4 3JP

    Type
    Community school
    Age range
    4–7
    Ofsted
    Area judgements

    New inspection format — no single overall grade.

    Latest visit (Jul 2025): no overall grade — quality of education and leadership and management require improvement; behaviour and attitudes, personal development and early years good. See the full Ofsted report.

    View on Ofsted

    1.4 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Cycling distancePark & stride

    Pupils
    171
    Free school meals
    30.7%
    SEN
    29.8%
    EAL
    22.2%
    Attendance
    96.1%
    Persistent absence
    9.9%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    No KS2 at this school
    Visit school website

  • Unity Primary Academy

    Hickory Avenue, Greenstead, Colchester CO4 3QJ

    Type
    Academy sponsor led
    Age range
    3–11
    Trust
    REACH2 ACADEMY TRUST
    Ofsted
    Area judgements

    New inspection format — no single overall grade.

    Latest visit (Jul 2025): no overall grade — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, leadership and management and early years good; personal development outstanding. See the full Ofsted report.

    View on Ofsted

    1.7 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Cycling distancePark & stride

    Pupils
    449
    Free school meals
    48.3%
    SEN
    23.8%
    EAL
    35.2%
    Attendance
    94.4%
    Persistent absence
    15.7%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    70% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Braiswick Primary School

    Apprentice Drive, New Braiswick Park, Colchester CO4 5QJ

    Type
    Academy sponsor led
    Age range
    4–11
    Trust
    LEARNING PATHWAYS ACADEMY
    Ofsted
    Good

    Monitoring visit confirmed the previous Good overall grade — see the full report for latest area judgements.

    View on Ofsted

    2 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Cycling distancePark & stride

    Pupils
    409
    Free school meals
    13.2%
    SEN
    10.8%
    EAL
    26.9%
    Attendance
    95.6%
    Persistent absence
    11.1%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    66% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

  • Langham Primary Academy

    School Road, Langham, Colchester CO4 5PB

    Type
    Academy converter
    Age range
    4–11
    Trust
    CANONIUM LEARNING TRUST
    Ofsted
    Good
    View on Ofsted

    2.7 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Park & stride

    Pupils
    100
    Free school meals
    8%From the predecessor school on this site (URN 114730) — the latest DfE release has no figure for the current URN.
    SEN
    17%From the predecessor school on this site (URN 114730) — the latest DfE release has no figure for the current URN.
    EAL
    2%From the predecessor school on this site (URN 114730) — the latest DfE release has no figure for the current URN.
    Attendance
    96.9%From the predecessor school on this site (URN 114730) — the latest DfE release has no figure for the current URN.
    Persistent absence
    3.3%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    43% met expected standard (KS2)From the predecessor school on this site (URN 114730) — the latest DfE release has no figure for the current URN.
    Visit school website

  • Boxted St Peter's Church of England School

    Carter's Hill, Boxted, Colchester CO4 5YN

    Type
    Voluntary controlled school
    Age range
    4–11
    Ofsted
    Good
    View on Ofsted

    3 milesstraight-line from CO4 centre

    Park & stride

    Pupils
    206
    Free school meals
    8.3%
    SEN
    10.2%
    EAL
    2.9%
    Attendance
    97%
    Persistent absence
    4.9%
    Admissions
    Usually oversubscribed
    Attainment
    77% met expected standard (KS2)
    Visit school website

Common questions about schools in CO4

How many schools are in the CO4 postcode district?
We list 21 state-funded schools whose address postcode starts with CO4: 16 primary, 3 secondary, and 2 other phases. Independent schools are not included.
What areas does CO4 cover?
Postcode district CO4 spans Boxted, Colchester, Greenstead, Highwoods, Langham, Mile End, Myland, New Braiswick Park, Parsons Heath, St Johns C Of E Primary School, and Via Urbis Romanea. Exact boundaries follow Royal Mail outward codes — use the map and school addresses for a specific street.
What are Ofsted ratings like for schools in CO4?
Among schools on this page: 6 Good and 15 on the new inspection format (area judgements only). Grades are the latest published overall effectiveness or monitoring outcome — always check the full report on Ofsted’s site.
What is average attendance like in CO4?
Across schools here with published absence data, mean attendance is about 95.4% (2024–25). Individual schools vary — see each card.
Are primary schools in CO4 oversubscribed?
Indicative labels from published roll numbers versus capacity (not a guarantee of a place): 17 usually oversubscribed; 2 about average pressure; 2 often have places. Always confirm with the school and Essex admissions team.

Guide to school and area statistics

What the numbers on this page for CO4 mean. Area rows may still show (i) for data source and geography.

School listings

What you see on each school card

Only fields that appear on at least one school on this page are listed.

School type
How the school is run. For example academy, council-maintained, voluntary aided or free school.
Trust
The multi-academy trust or sponsor running the school, where it is an academy.
Age range
Year groups on roll. For example 4–11 for primary, or 11–18 with sixth form.
Ofsted
Latest published inspection grade, inspection date where we have it, and a link to the school’s page on the Ofsted reports site.
Straight-line miles
Distance as the crow flies from your home postcode when you have entered one, otherwise from the middle of this district. Not walking or driving time.
Walking, cycling and park-and-stride hints
Rough bands from straight-line miles: about 1 mile or less may suit walking; about 1–2.5 miles we show cycling and park-and-stride; over about 2.5 miles park-and-stride only. Not checked routes or journey times.
Pupils
Number of pupils on roll from published school census data.
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals. Often used as one indicator of economic disadvantage in the catchment. Useful context, not a comment on pupils or families.
SEN
Share of pupils with SEN support or an EHC plan. A higher figure can reflect inclusive admissions and experience, or more demand on staff. Check what is on site and talk to the SENCO.
SEN provision
Extra on-site support such as a resourced provision or SEN unit.
English as an additional language (EAL)
Pupils whose first language is not English. Many schools support this well; if English at home matters to you, ask how beginners are taught in class. Not a measure of overall quality.
Attendance
Share of possible sessions attended. Higher is better.
Persistent absence
Share of pupils missing 10% or more of sessions. Lower is better.
Admissions pressure
Indicative label from recent applications versus places — oversubscribed, about average or often has spaces.
Attainment
Primary: share meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (Key Stage 2). Secondary: Progress 8. A dash means nothing was published for that school.
Attainment vs local
Compares each school’s headline to others of the same phase on this page. Above, below or about average for the district.
Area overview

What you see in the area overview

Matches the snapshot and tables below: your postcode, this district, then the wider council area.

Area snapshot
Crime for the whole council compared with England, deprivation near schools in this postcode district, and how local schools fare in Ofsted inspections. Shown separately, not as one overall area mark.
More local context
House prices, flood risk, broadband and transport for this postcode district where we have them, alongside the snapshot.
Schools in district
How many schools are in this postcode district, split by primary and secondary.
Average attendance
Mean attendance across schools here with published absence data.
Average free school meals
Mean free school meals eligibility across schools here with published data.
Average SEN
Mean SEN percentage across schools here with published data.
Average EAL
Mean English as an additional language percentage where published.
Deprivation
How deprived neighbourhoods around schools here are compared with England (official deprivation index, shown as bands 1–10 where 1 is most deprived and 10 is least deprived).
Average house price
Typical sold prices for this postcode district where we have them. Street-by-street prices vary.
Flood risk
Indicative summary. Check Environment Agency maps for a specific address.
Broadband
General picture of speeds and availability. Check with providers at your address.
Green space
Brief summary of access to parks or countryside nearby.
Council tax
Typical band for the area. Your exact band depends on the property.
Your home neighbourhood
When you enter your full home postcode, we compare deprivation for your small area with the typical area around schools in this district.
Population, households, ethnicity and age
Census figures for the local council area, not your street or this postcode district alone.
Crime figures
Often a rough council-wide estimate, not police records for your postcode. Badges compare to the national average when we have recorded data.
Using this page

Using this page

Tools on this page for narrowing schools and understanding distances.

Distance filter
Controls which schools appear in the list — 1, 1.5, 2 or 3 miles, or every school in this district. Not an admissions catchment.
About these figures
School and Ofsted data from official releases. The area overview splits postcode-district figures from wider council context, with dates at the bottom of that panel.