Schools by area › Essex › Friars Grove Primary School
Friars Grove Primary School
Primary · Mixed · Ages 5–11 · Community school
Upland Drive, Colchester CO4 0PZ · friarsgroveprimaryschool.com · 01206 843683
Overview
- Ofsted
- Remains Good
- Ungraded inspection · Jul 2023
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 59%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Essex 63%, England 62%
- Last distance offered
- No limit
- Reception, September 2025 entry · Essex Council
- Demand for places
- 0.8
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 408
- 97% of 420 places
- Local authority
- Essex
- Free school meals
- 19.1%
- First language not English
- 16.9%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2025, everyone who applied was offered a place. Source: Essex Council’s document.
For Reception in September 2026, 36 families put the school first and 43 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 43 | 36 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 54 | 47 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 38 | 38 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 60 | 50 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 49 | 43 | 0.9 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25, 59% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 7% the higher standard. Across Essex it was 63%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ▼59% | 62% | ||
| ●7% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ●105 | 106 | ||
| ●104 | 105 | ||
| ●105 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
At an ungraded inspection on 12 July 2023, Ofsted’s outcome for Friars Grove Primary School was: School remains Good.
- Outcome
- Remains Good
- Inspected
- 11 Jul 2023
- Ungraded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Previously: Good, graded inspection, Oct 2013
Earlier inspections
Before September 2019
Feb 2018Monitoring visit
Safeguarding Effective Oct 2013Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Jan 2012Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Good
What parents said
97% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (133 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 97%
- Replies
- 133
- 33% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 75% who raised concerns
based on the 38% who had a child bullied