The Gilberd School

About The Gilberd School

The Gilberd School’s headline Progress 8 score of 0.44 stands well above the Essex local authority average of -0.18, placing it firmly in the ‘above average’ banding nationally. That gap of 0.62 is significant: it means pupils here, on average, achieve nearly two-thirds of a grade more per subject than their peers across the county. In Colchester specifically, the school ranks third out of ten secondaries, putting it in the top 30% locally. It’s worth noting that the two schools above it — King Edward VI Grammar and Colchester Royal Grammar — are both selective grammars with Progress 8 scores above 1.0, so The Gilberd’s performance as a non-selective comprehensive is particularly striking. The school is also one of only seven secondaries in Essex rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and its most recent ungraded inspection in February 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained since its last graded inspection in 2018.

Academically, the detail backs up the headline. The school’s Attainment 8 score of 51.5 means the average pupil achieves just over a grade 5 per subject, comfortably above the national average. In English, the Progress 8 element is 0.55, and in the EBacc subjects it’s 0.60 — both strong. Maths progress is slightly lower at 0.33, but still positive. Over three-quarters of pupils (75.4%) achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, and 54.6% hit the higher grade 5 threshold. The EBacc average point score sits at 4.57, though only a quarter of pupils entered the full EBacc suite. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 84% of the 231 respondents strongly agreed or agreed that their child is happy, and 88% felt the same about safety. A striking 88% also agreed the school has high expectations, and 96% said there’s a good range of subjects available.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 320 places in 2025/26, there were 1,166 applications, a ratio of 3.64 to one. Of 377 first-preference applicants, 280 received offers. This is a school that families clearly want to get into. Facilities are strong for a state secondary — an astro turf, swimming pool, sports hall, theatre, and tennis courts among them — and there’s a wide club programme including Debate, DofE, and Eco Club. The school supports a broad range of SEND needs, from dyslexia and autism to hearing impairment and physical disability, though the Parent View data on SEND support is more mixed: 62% agreed support is effective, but 37% disagreed or strongly disagreed. With no sixth form, pupils leave at 16, so this suits families looking for strong GCSE outcomes in a high-expectation, well-resourced environment, particularly those who can manage the competitive admissions process.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About The Gilberd School

Helpful Guides for Parents