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Top 10 Secondary schools in Essex

Updated for the latest inspections (median graded year: 2023)
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This Top 10 showcases secondary schools in the local authority of Essex. It’s built from the latest graded Ofsted inspections. We rank Outstanding (grade 1) above Good (grade 2), then prioritise newer inspections. As tie-breakers, we consider the “Quality of education” sub-judgement (where available), then %FSM and school size.

Total secondary schools
79
Outstanding
8
Good
51
Median inspection year
2023

Ofsted grade mix (graded schools)

O: 11% · G: 70% · RI: 16% · I: 3%
How we rank these schools
  1. Headline Ofsted grade: Outstanding (1) outranks Good (2), then RI (3), then Inadequate (4).
  2. More recent graded inspection dates rank higher.
  3. Where available, we use the Quality of education sub-judgement as a tie-breaker.
  4. Lower free school meals (%) may break remaining ties.
  5. Larger roll (pupil count) is a final tie-breaker.

Only the ten highest-ranked schools are shown; we also list “near misses” just below.

About Ofsted grades
  • Outstanding (1): Highest judgement across key areas.
  • Good (2): Strong effectiveness; meets standards consistently.
  • Requires improvement (3): Not yet good; clear areas to improve.
  • Inadequate (4): Significant weaknesses found.

Ungraded Section 8 visits check whether the previous graded judgement still stands, but they don’t replace it.

Learn more about Ofsted ratings.

Data freshness & coverage

We refresh inspections and school snapshots regularly. If a school was inspected very recently, its report may not yet appear here.

Top-10 pages only appear for areas with at least 10 secondary schools that have a graded Ofsted inspection.

Map of the Top 10

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Also highly rated nearby

Explore more secondary schools

Best schools by region Best schools by county Best schools by local authority Best schools by district Top 10 by region (Secondary) Top 10 by county Top 10 by local authority Top 10 by district Top 10 by town Top 10 by postcode area

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