Schools by area › Essex › Cherry Tree Academy
Cherry Tree Academy
Primary · Mixed · Ages 4–11 · Sponsored academy
Holt Drive, Mersea Road, Colchester CO2 0BG · cherrytreeacademy.net · 01206 575224
Overview
- Ofsted
- Good
- 2019 framework · inspected Feb 2022
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 79%
- 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
- 0.9
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 180
- 86% of 210 places
- Local authority
- Essex
- Nursery class
- No
- Free school meals
- 38.3%
- First language not English
- 10.6%
- School census 2025/26
- Trust
- Inspires Mat
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, 14 families put the school first and 15 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 | 15 | 14 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 17 | 14 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 21 | 20 | 1 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 16 | 15 | 0.9 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25, 79% 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 | |||
| ▲79% | 62% | ||
| ●7% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ●104 | 106 | ||
| ●106 | 105 | ||
| ●103 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
Cherry Tree Academy was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 2 February 2022, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Good
- Inspected
- 2 Feb 2022
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Early years | Good |
Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, May 2018
Earlier inspections
Including inspections of the predecessor school (URN 114815), which Ofsted links to this one.
Before September 2019
May 2018Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective Mar 2014Inadequate
Outcomes for pupils Inadequate Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate Leadership and management Inadequate Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 114815)
What parents said
84% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (19 replies, to 6 April 2026).
- Recommend
- 84%
- Replies
- 19
- 11% · 6 Apr 2026
based on the 100% who raised concerns
based on 4 parents (21%) whose child was bullied
based on 10 parents (53%) with SEND