Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
School Hill, Birch, Colchester, CO2 0LZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School is a primary school in Colchester for ages 5 to 11. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. It ranks 47th of 69 primary schools in Colchester. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in December 2019.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 3 December 2019, report published 13 January 2020
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 25 February 2025
Pupils attend a school where kindness and compassion are displayed in abundance. Friendships blossom between pupils of all ages. Older pupils keep a close eye on their younger peers in the playground, involving those of all ages in games, chatting and fun. Pupils know that when the fun stops and work begins, they need to work hard in class. They try their best and learn well because staff have high expectations. Pupils behave extremely well. They are polite, friendly and welcoming to new pupils who join the school. The youngest children in Reception know and follow the class routines. They move from task to task quickly and with a real purpose. Children in Reception share equipment and resources with one another with ease. There are wide ranging opportunities woven through the school for pupils to develop their understanding of the world. Many of these are skilfully used to further develop pupils' knowledge in specific subjects. Older pupils relish the opportunity to increase plastic recycling by setting up their 'Eco-Bubbles' company, selling bubble bath and shower gel to the school community. Opportunities such as these help pupils become responsible, active citizens of the future as they leave at the end of Year 6.
What the school should improve
- The school's approach to teaching writing is not fully established. This means that some older pupils do not have the depth of knowledge they need to write as well as they could. The school should continue to provide teachers with the skills and knowledge to fully implement its approach to teaching writing.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
22 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
124 pupils on roll, with places for 140
Schools near Birch Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Layer-de-la-Haye Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 75% met the expected standard |
| Copford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | 2 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | 85% met the expected standard |
| Lakelands Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | Not published |
| Stanway Fiveways Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 54% met the expected standard |
| Gosbecks Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted: Good | 53% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 5 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Rebekah May
- Phone
- 01206330224
- Address
- School Hill, Birch, Colchester, CO2 0LZ
- Local authority
- Essex
- URN
- 115138
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.