The Gilberd School
Secondary · Academy converter · Ages 11–16 · Colchester, Essex
Last distance offered · Year 7 2026
Every applicant was offered a place
From Essex County Council · offers on 2 March 2026
Year 7 last distance offered, 2025–2026 (miles)
All: every applicant was offered a place.
The Gilberd School is a secondary school in Colchester, Essex for ages 11–16 (academy converter). Its latest Ofsted outcome is Standards maintained, from the inspection on 5 February 2025. Essex has published a last distance offered for this school for Year 7 2022 to 2026 entry.
The Gilberd School catchment area: last distance offered
Parents often call this the catchment area: it's how far from the school the last child offered a place lived. It changes every year.
| Entry | Last distance offered |
|---|---|
| Year 7 2026 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2025 | Every applicant was offered a place |
| Year 7 2023 | Not published |
| Year 7 2022 | Not published |
What the pass includes · How to read it: one past year, not a catchment
What the figures show
- Year 7 2026 had 401 first-choice applications for 306 offers, with 267 offers to first-choice families and 134 first-choice families (33%) not offered a place.
- That was 1.3 first choices per offer for Year 7 in 2026, the 10th highest of 75 Essex secondary schools.
- In 2024/25, 58% of pupils got grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths (England 45%), and Attainment 8 was 53.4 (England 46).
Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Essex schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.
Key facts
- Address
- Brinkley Lane, Colchester, CO4 9PU
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11–16
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Council
- Essex
- Pupils on roll
- 1,588 January 2026 school census
- Free school meals
- 15.4% of pupils eligible
- Pupils per teacher
- 18.8
Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026
Ofsted
Standards maintained Inspected 5 February 2025
Strengths
- “Pupils flourish in this exceptional school.”
- “Pupils recognise and respect the very high expectations staff have for their academic achievement.”
- “They respond with a determination to achieve, and they produce work of an excellent standard.”
To improve
- “The proportion of pupils who study the full suite of English Baccalaureate subjects is low.”
Safeguarding: Effective
Quoted from the Ofsted report published 26 March 2025 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.
Exam results
| Measure | School | England |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE English and maths, grade 5 or above (2024/25) | 58% | 45% |
| Attainment 8 score (2024/25) | 53.4 | 46 |
Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Applications and offers
- 2026 Year 7 entry: 401 first-preference applications, 306 offers in total, 267 offers to first-preference applicants.
Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.
Nearby secondary schools
Straight-line distance, in Essex.
- The Trinity School 0.0 mi Not judged Last distance published
- Colchester Academy 1.7 mi Good Last distance published
- St Helena School 1.9 mi Good Last distance published
- Colchester Royal Grammar School 2.4 mi No Ofsted grade
- Colchester County High School for Girls 2.8 mi Outstanding
- St Benedict's Catholic College 2.8 mi School remains Good Last distance published
- Philip Morant School and College 3.1 mi Good Last distance published
- The Thomas Lord Audley School 3.3 mi Standards maintained Last distance published