School admissions in Chelmsford

How heavily each school was applied to for September 2026 entry, from the applications and offers every admissions authority reports to the DfE. Sorted by first preferences per place. We don't invent rankings: the order is arithmetic on a published figure, not a view about which school is better.

Reception places, September 2026

51 schools. 15 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places
Maylandsea Primary SchoolChelmsford	1.80	30
Beehive Lane Community Primary SchoolChelmsford	1.55	29
Maltese Road Primary SchoolChelmsford	1.53	30
Perryfields Infant SchoolChelmsford	1.48	60
Boreham Primary SchoolChelmsford	1.38	29
The Beaulieu Park SchoolChelmsford	1.37	120
The Cathedral Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, ChelmsfordChelmsford	1.31	45
Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary SchoolChelmsford	1.30	30
Chancellor Park Primary School, ChelmsfordChelmsford	1.28	29
Terling Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChelmsford	1.20	15
Writtle Infant SchoolChelmsford	1.18	60
Hatfield Peverel Infant and Nursery SchoolChelmsford	1.07	60
Priory Primary School, BicknacreChelmsford	1.05	20
Cold Norton Primary SchoolChelmsford	1.04	23
Collingwood Primary SchoolCHELMSFORD	1.03	30
Ford End Church of England Primary SchoolChelmsford	1.00	8
Parkwood AcademyChelmsford	1.00	19
Rettendon Primary SchoolChelmsford	1.00	11
Roxwell Church of England Primary SchoolChelmsford	1.00	13
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, SWFChelmsford	1.00	16
St Peter's Church of England Primary Academy, West HanningfieldChelmsford	1.00	11
Trinity St Mary's CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, South Woodham FerrersChelmsford	1.00	10
Elmwood Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.98	52
Woodville Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.98	43
Lawford Mead Primary & NurseryChelmsford	0.95	44
Moulsham Infant SchoolChelmsford	0.95	83
Galleywood Infant SchoolCHELMSFORD	0.93	45
Little Waltham Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.93	30
Great Waltham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.93	27
Newlands Spring Primary and Nursery SchoolChelmsford	0.92	48
Mildmay Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.91	68
Larkrise Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.90	21
St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.90	10
Meadgate Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.90	29
Broomfield Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.87	60
Purleigh Community Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.87	30
St John Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School DanburyChelmsford	0.87	30
The Tyrrells SchoolChelmsford	0.85	59
Great Leighs Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.84	25
St Pius X Catholic Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.83	24
Baddow Hall Infant SchoolChelmsford	0.82	56
Barnes Farm Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.81	53
East Hanningfield Church of England Primary AcademyChelmsford	0.76	17
Westlands Community Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.76	80
Trinity Road Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.74	39
Oaklands Infant SchoolChelmsford	0.74	54
The Bishops' Church of England and Roman Catholic Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.71	56
Kings Road Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.69	39
Springfield Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.63	49
Christchurch Church of England Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.53	19
Highwood Primary SchoolChelmsford	0.38	8

First preferences per place is the number of families naming the school first, divided by its published admission number. Above 1.00 means more first choices than places. It is not a ranking and not a measure of quality: a popular school can be easy to get into and a quiet one hard, because places are allocated by each school's own criteria, siblings and faith and banding first, with distance often the last tie-breaker. Applications and offers on national offer day, DfE.

Year 7 places, September 2026

11 schools. 7 received more first preferences than they had places.

School	First preferences per place	Places
King Edward VI Grammar School, ChelmsfordChelmsford	2.77	149
Chelmsford County High School for GirlsChelmsford	2.00	179
The Beaulieu Park SchoolChelmsford	1.55	116
Moulsham High SchoolChelmsford	1.13	265
Great Baddow High SchoolChelmsford	1.09	245
St John Payne Catholic School, ChelmsfordChelmsford	1.03	182
The Boswells SchoolChelmsford	1.02	241
William de Ferrers SchoolChelmsford	0.97	215
Chelmer Valley High SchoolChelmsford	0.85	231
The Sandon SchoolChelmsford	0.77	213
Hylands SchoolChelmsford	0.16	171