Voluntary aided school · Essex

Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

5–11Ages
124Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
115138URN

School Hill, Birch, Colchester, CO2 0LZ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded GoodDec 2019

Standards maintainedUngraded inspection · Feb 2025

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.0per place

0.4 below Essex median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Essex

40 applications for 20 places · 245th of 363 in Essex

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

55%met the expected standard

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded GoodDec 2019

Standards maintainedUngraded inspection · Feb 2025

The graded inspection, 3 December 2019Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes	Outstanding
Personal development	Outstanding
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		Good

Inspection history

25 February 2025
Ungraded inspection: Standards maintained
3 December 2019
Graded inspection: Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.0applications per place, Reception

0.4 below Essex median (2.4) close to England median (2.2)

40 applications · 20 places offered · 17 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.0; Essex median median 2.4
2025 2.3; Essex median median 2.4
2024 2.5; Essex median median 2.4
2023 2.3; Essex median median 2.4
2022 2.5; Essex median median 2.4
2021 2.3; Essex median median 2.3
2020 3.5; Essex median median 2.4
2019 2.9; Essex median median 2.5
2018 3.0; Essex median median 2.5
2017 3.8; Essex median median 2.6
2016 3.8; Essex median median 2.8
2015 3.5; Essex median median 2.7
2014 3.3; Essex median median 2.8

This school
Essex median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	20	40	2.0	17	0.85
Sep 2025	20	45	2.3	19	0.95
Sep 2024	17	42	2.5	15	0.88
Sep 2023	20	45	2.3	19	0.95
Sep 2022	16	40	2.5	15	0.94
Sep 2021	20	45	2.3	20	1.00
Sep 2020	13	46	3.5	13	1.00
Sep 2019	19	55	2.9	18	0.95
Sep 2018	19	56	3.0	20	1.05
Sep 2017	20	75	3.8	22	1.10
Sep 2016	20	75	3.8	20	1.00
Sep 2015	20	70	3.5	23	1.15
Sep 2014	20	66	3.3	22	1.10

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 73% · Writing 64% · Maths 86% → all three 55% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard55%279th of 387 in Essex

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard73%

Essex 79% England 78%

Higher standard45%

Essex 33% England 33%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard64%

Essex 76% England 75%

Greater depth5%

Essex 13% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard86%

Essex 78% England 77%

Higher standard32%

Essex 24% England 24%

Average scaled score 106 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Essex median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	55%	5%	106	106
2023/24	44%	0%	103	101
2022/23	91%	0%	108	107

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Standards maintained2025

2.0applications per place 55%met the SATs standard
Layer-de-la-Haye Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
2.5 km · Essex

Remains Good2023

2.7applications per place 75%met the SATs standard
Copford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
3.4 km · Essex

2026

3.1applications per place 85%met the SATs standard
Lakelands Primary School
4.2 km · Essex

Outstanding2023

2.6applications per place
Stanway Fiveways Primary School
4.3 km · Essex

Good2022

2.4applications per place 54%met the SATs standard
Gosbecks Primary School
4.4 km · Essex

Remains Good2024

2.9applications per place 53%met the SATs standard
St Michael's Primary School and Nursery, Colchester
4.5 km · Essex

Graded · no overall grade2025

3.0applications per place 56%met the SATs standard
Stanway Primary School
4.8 km · Essex

Good2022

2.8applications per place 61%met the SATs standard
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, Colchester
4.9 km · Essex

Graded · no overall grade2025

3.1applications per place 74%met the SATs standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Voluntary aided school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 115138 · 881/3309
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 140 pupils · 124 on roll
Free school meals: 10.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: School Hill, Birch, Colchester, CO2 0LZ
Local authority: Essex · Colchester

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources