North Primary School and Nursery

North Primary School and Nursery continues to demonstrate good performance overall. Pupils are achieving well in many subjects due to the high expectations set by leaders and teachers, as well as access to a well-planned and ambitious curriculum. The school fosters a supportive and community-oriented environment where pupils can thrive academically and socially. Parents express strong satisfaction with their children's progress and happiness at the school.

Strengths

• High expectations in place from leaders and teachers
• Ambitious and effective curriculum
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
• Positive pupil attitudes towards education
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Robust leadership and governance
• Wide range of extra-curricular activities
• Pupils develop a love of reading through a structured phonics program

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment systems in subjects other than English and mathematics are not fully effective

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at North Primary School and Nursery attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.4% of pupils at North Primary School and Nursery were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 North Primary School and Nursery had 23.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 3.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 10.7% of pupils at North Primary School and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 North Primary School and Nursery received £6,644 and spent £6,552 for each of its 441 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £114,000 (£260 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Colchester · Essex local authority: places and applications

What is North Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for North Primary School and Nursery is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was North Primary School and Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

North Primary School and Nursery was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does North Primary School and Nursery have?

North Primary School and Nursery has 458 pupils on roll.

What age range does North Primary School and Nursery cover?

North Primary School and Nursery for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are North Primary School and Nursery's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 47% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is North Primary School and Nursery?

North Primary School and Nursery is at John Harper Street, Colchester, Essex, CO1 1RP.