North Primary School and Nursery
John Harper Street, Colchester, CO1 1RPOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
North Primary School and Nursery is a primary school in Colchester for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. It ranks 58th of 69 primary schools in Colchester. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in September 2012.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 27 September 2012, report published 18 October 2012
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 28 March 2023
North Primary School and Nursery is a friendly school. Pupils achieve well in many subjects. This is because leaders and teachers have high expectations in place. Pupils access an ambitious and effective curriculum. The school's values underpin all that pupils do in school, and pupils learn to be part of a community that shows care and respect for themselves and others. The overwhelming majority of pupils behave well in lessons and on the playground. When there is occasional low-level disruption, staff provide effective support to the pupils who need it. When unkind behaviour happens, pupils say that staff take prompt action to make it stop. Pupils are given opportunities to develop their interests through extra-curricular clubs. These include circus skills, choir and a variety of sports. Pupils readily take on leadership roles, such as school councillors and sports ambassadors. The school's 'Free for All' charity ensures that every pupil can, for example, learn a musical instrument. Parents are highly supportive of the school's work. Comments such as 'My child has made excellent progress at North and has been extremely happy throughout their time here' are typical to describe pupils' school experiences.
What the school should improve
- Opportunities for teachers to share assessment information in subjects such as history and art are not consistently in place throughout the whole school. As a result, subject curriculum teams do not have a thorough enough understanding of the impact of their curriculum plans and the outcomes that pupils are achieving. Leaders should refine assessment systems in order to maximise outcomes for pupils so that subject curriculum teams know the impact of the curriculum they have designed.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
60 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
458 pupils on roll, with places for 420
Schools near North Primary School and Nursery
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| St John's Green Primary School | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | 61% met the expected standard |
| St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Colchester | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Outstanding | 93% met the expected standard |
| St James the Great Church of England Primary School | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Good | 48% met the expected standard |
| Queen Boudica Primary School | 0.8 miles | Ofsted: Good | 66% met the expected standard |
| Braiswick Primary School | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | 66% met the expected standard |
School details
- School type
- Community school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr Alan Garnett
- Phone
- 01206574225
- Address
- John Harper Street, Colchester, CO1 1RP
- Local authority
- Essex
- URN
- 114709
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.