Academy sponsor led · Essex

Cherry Tree Academy

4–11Ages
180Pupils
PrimaryPhase
142002URN

Holt Drive, Mersea Road, Colchester, CO2 0BG · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Feb 2022 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.1per place

0.2 below Essex median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Essex

32 applications for 15 places · 218th of 363 in Essex

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

79%met the expected standard

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 2 February 2022Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		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

2.1applications per place, Reception

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

32 applications · 15 places offered · 14 named it first

2026 2.1; Essex median median 2.4
2025 2.2; Essex median median 2.4
2024 2.4; Essex median median 2.4
2023 1.6; Essex median median 2.4
2022 1.7; Essex median median 2.4
2021 1.7; Essex median median 2.3
2020 1.5; Essex median median 2.4
2019 1.7; Essex median median 2.5
2018 1.6; Essex median median 2.5
2017 2.2; Essex median median 2.6
2016 1.6; Essex median median 2.8
2015 2.3; Essex median median 2.7; as the previous school
2014 2.1; Essex median median 2.8; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Essex median in 0 of 11 years.

This school
Essex median

Dashed bars: as Cherry Tree Primary School and Speech and Language Unit (URN 114815), the previous school.

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	15	32	2.1	14	0.93
Sep 2025	17	37	2.2	14	0.82
Sep 2024	20	48	2.4	19	0.95
Sep 2023	21	34	1.6	20	0.95
Sep 2022	16	27	1.7	15	0.94
Sep 2021	12	20	1.7	9	0.75
Sep 2020	20	30	1.5	18	0.90
Sep 2019	20	34	1.7	19	0.95
Sep 2018	27	44	1.6	23	0.85
Sep 2017	19	41	2.2	15	0.79
Sep 2016	30	47	1.6	16	0.53
Sep 2015 *	21	48	2.3	15	0.71
Sep 2014 *	30	63	2.1	18	0.60

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 83% · Writing 83% · Maths 86% → all three 79% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard79%49th of 387 in Essex

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard83%

Essex 79% England 78%

Higher standard21%

Essex 33% England 33%

Average scaled score 104 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard83%

Essex 76% England 75%

Greater depth10%

Essex 13% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard86%

Essex 78% England 77%

Higher standard24%

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	79%	7%	104	106
2023/24	82%	12%	106	107
2022/23	41%	0%	101	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

Cherry Tree AcademyThis school
This school

Good2022

2.1applications per place 79%met the SATs standard
Monkwick Infant and Nursery School
1.4 km · Essex

Standards maintained2025

1.6applications per place
Monkwick Junior School
1.4 km · Essex

Good2022

54%met the SATs standard
Old Heath Community Primary School
2.0 km · Essex

2026

3.6applications per place 70%met the SATs standard
Montgomery Primary School, Colchester
2.2 km · Essex

Improved significantly2025

1.6applications per place 67%met the SATs standard
St Lawrence Church of England Primary School, Rowhedge
2.3 km · Essex

Standards maintained2024

1.6applications per place 63%met the SATs standard
St Michael's Primary School and Nursery, Colchester
2.5 km · Essex

Graded · no overall grade2025

3.0applications per place 56%met the SATs standard
Kendall Church of England Primary School
2.5 km · Essex

Graded · no overall grade2025

4.6applications per place 72%met the SATs standard
St. George's School
2.6 km · Essex

Good2023

2.1applications per place 56%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: Academy sponsor led
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 142002 · 881/2132
Trust: Inspires MAT
Capacity: 210 pupils · 180 on roll
Free school meals: 38.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
SEN provision: Resourced provision
Opened: 1 September 2015
Replaced: Cherry Tree Primary School and Speech and Language Unit (URN 114815)
Address: Holt Drive, Mersea Road, Colchester, CO2 0BG
Local authority: Essex · Colchester

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