King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford

King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford is performing at an exceptionally high level. Inspectors found pupils make excellent progress from high starting points, with sustained gains across year groups and subjects, and the school's achievement and sixth-form provision are standout strengths. Pupils, including vulnerable pupils and students who join in Year 12, achieve very high standards and progress to competitive universities and degree apprenticeships. Safeguarding standards are met, and the school has an open, positive safeguarding culture. The school also reaches a strong standard in attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing. Attendance is high and persistent absence low; behaviour and respect are strong; the curriculum is carefully aligned to pupils' interests and aspirations; and teachers are knowledgeable and rigorous. Inclusion is personalised and well supported, including for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, while the house system, extra-curricular offer and careers guidance are extensive. Sixth-form students are excellent role models and receive very strong academic and pastoral care. This is a single-academy-trust grammar school for boys in Years 7 to 11 with a co-educational sixth form; there has been a change of headteacher and chair of trustees since the previous inspection. The report identifies no significant weaknesses or areas requiring improvement. The next steps are for leaders and trustees to continue building on existing strengths and sustain the exceptionally high-quality provision.

Strengths

• Pupils make excellent progress from high starting points across year groups and subjects.
• Achievement is exceptionally high, with pupils producing high-quality work and becoming very ready for public examinations.
• Leaders offer a wide range of qualifications and invest in pupils excelling, including in a broad and highly successful languages provision.
• Pupils, including the most vulnerable, achieve consistently high standards that transform post-18 opportunities.
• The sixth form provides a rich, vibrant and well-thought-out experience with highly ambitious, up-to-date content.
• Sixth-form teachers are very knowledgeable and encourage students to apply their learning in exceptionally complex ways.
• Sixth-form students are thoroughly motivated, read and learn extensively, and take responsibility for their learning.
• Leaders know sixth-form students very well and provide timely, well-coordinated academic and pastoral care.
• Students from all backgrounds achieve the highest standards in the sixth form.
• Sixth-form students access an excellent range of wider opportunities, including charity work and high-quality work experience.
• Attendance is very high and persistent absence is low, sustained over many years, including for vulnerable pupils.
• Leaders are tenacious in supporting the very small number of pupils whose attendance could be better.
• The 'KEGS spirit' of respect, kindness and hard work is highly valued and non-negotiable.
• Pupils behave well, are respectful, and classrooms are harmonious hubs of learning.
• Pupils are taught how to keep safe, including online, and proactively report the rare incidents of bullying.
• The curriculum is carefully shaped to align with pupils' abilities, interests and aspirations.
• Teachers have considerable, up-to-date subject knowledge and lead highly enthusiastic debates and discussions.
• Teachers use a wide range of information to check learning and pinpoint precise support.
• The literacy strategy helps pupils, including those with English as an additional language, to write fluently and develop complex writing.
• Pupils receive highly personalised care and support in a welcoming and vibrant community.
• Leaders identify pupils' needs precisely and put highly effective support in place, with a valued pupil support unit.
• Leaders carefully check the impact of support, including additional funding for disadvantaged pupils.
• Staff receive well-planned, regular training about specific needs, including SEND.
• Leaders and trustees have a thorough understanding of the school's strengths and priorities.
• Leaders listen carefully to pupils, staff and parents/carers and implement well-considered, effectively planned changes.
• Leaders manage staff workload and wellbeing well, creating a vibrant and happy working environment.
• Trustees are proactive, diligent and tenacious advocates for pupils and check leaders' work effectively.
• Pupils develop a precise understanding of values such as democracy and equality and respect differences in society.
• The house system is highly valued and embedded, with many pupils taking on responsibilities.
• There is an extensive and well-attended extra-curricular offer, including engineering, orchestra, Combined Cadet Force and Duke of Edinburgh.
• Pupils receive high-quality impartial careers information and guidance, with particularly strong sixth-form careers provision.
• Disadvantaged pupils are well represented in extra-curricular experiences.
• Sixth-form students are exceptional role models and contribute meaningfully to the local community through voluntary work and mentoring.
• Destinations after 16 and A-level average point scores are above national averages.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

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 King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 9.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 0.5% of pupils at King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 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 King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford had 17.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 2.8% of pupils at King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford received £7,714 and spent £7,620 for each of its 1,138 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £752,000 (£661 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

What is King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford is Strong standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford last inspected by Ofsted?

King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford have?

King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford has 1,153 pupils on roll.

What age range does King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford cover?

King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 83.0, and 99% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford?

King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford is at Broomfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 3SX.