Essex
The Gilberd School
GCSE results 2026: every Essex school ranked · how England did
Dependable results for a comprehensive intake; the journey is the main thing to weigh.
What the data says
Published data, read plainly. It tells you what to check next; it does not guarantee a place or replace your local authority’s admissions guidance.
Attainment 8 of 49.9 is close to the national average of around 46.
- 49.9
- Attainment 8
- 50%
- 5+ Eng & Maths
- 2025/2026
- Academic year
Pupils made above-average progress compared with similar pupils nationally. The confidence interval is entirely above zero, which is strong evidence of added value.
- +0.44
- Progress 8
- [0.28, 0.60]
- Confidence interval
Admissions realism depends on your home postcode and the school's published allocation data. Enter your postcode on this page to get a more specific assessment, and always verify the latest policy on the school's official admissions page.
What to do next
- Verify the school's official admissions policy
- Book an open day or school visit
- Add this school to your shortlist and compare with backup options
Starting school in September 2027
- Secondary (Year 7): apply by 31 October 2026; offers on 1 March 2027.
National dates for England. You apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council.
Admissions and catchment
Year 7 entry · Essex council allocation figures, 2023–2026
Add a postcode to see where you would sit against past cut-offs.
Last distance offered in 2026: 1.6 km (0.98 miles), the furthest a child offered a place lived from the school. Add your postcode to see where you would sit.
Why we say “Add your postcode”
- In 2026 the furthest child offered a place lived 1.6 km (0.98 miles) from the school: the last distance offered. Essex printed 0.978 miles (national offer day).
What could change this
- We measure a straight line from your postcode centre. The council measures from your home address, sometimes along walking routes, so treat anything near the line with care.
- Cut-offs move every year with the number of applicants and siblings.
- Children with an EHC plan, looked-after children and siblings are usually offered places before distance is used.
- Past allocations never guarantee a place.
Rings are straight-line distance from the school, not a catchment boundary. Councils measure from your home address, sometimes along walking routes, and the distance changes every year.
Last distance offered
Furthest child offered a place.
Pupils on roll
School census count against building capacity
99% full. Source: Get Information about Schools, 26 September 2026. A full school can still have places in the entry year.
Sources — check them yourself
- 2026 (national offer day): Essex council allocation figures (spreadsheet)
- 2025 (national offer day): Essex council allocation figures (spreadsheet)
- 2024 (national offer day): Essex council allocation figures (spreadsheet)
- 2023 (national offer day): Essex council allocation figures (spreadsheet)
- Official admissions page: Essex. Use its address checker or booklet to confirm your own position.
Figures collected from council publications on 27 September 2026 and shown as printed, converted to km. Years the council did not publish are left blank. Past allocations never guarantee a place.
Applications and offers
National offer day figures that councils report to the Department for Education. These are counts only: they do not show how far away the last child offered a place lived.
Year 7 entry
| Year of entry | Places offered | Put it first | First choices offered | Applications (any preference) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 306 | 401 | 267 (67%) | 1,183 |
| September 2025 | 320 | 377 | 280 (74%) | 1,166 |
| September 2024 | 319 | 375 | 284 (76%) | 1,166 |
| September 2023 | 317 | 412 | 288 (70%) | 1,186 |
| September 2022 | 296 | 411 | 270 (66%) | 1,048 |
Source: Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, school-level data, published 18 June 2026. “–” means the figure was not published. The council’s own allocation figures are the official record: check Essex’s admissions page for cut-off distances, the admission rules and this year’s dates.
Performance over time
Attainment 8 over time
Progress 8 over time(not available 2024/25 or 2025/26)
Admissions, open days and sixth form
Admissions
There are a number of admission routes into the school including 30 places in each year group for students selected by music aptitude. Please read the Admission…
Source · checked 26 October 2026
Copied from the school's and test organisers' own pages; check them before registering or applying.
Questions parents ask about The Gilberd School
- How good are The Gilberd School's GCSE results?
- In 2025/26 (provisional) pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 49.9, against 47.6 across England. 13.9% got grade 7 or above in both English and maths.
- How hard is it to get into The Gilberd School?
- For September 2026, 401 families put it first for 306 Year 7 places: 1.3 first choices per place, the 84th highest around London.
- What is The Gilberd School's catchment area?
- It has no fixed boundary. In 2026 the furthest distance offered for Year 7 was 0.98 miles (1.57 km), from Essex council's allocation figures. It moves every year with applicant and sibling numbers, so a past distance never guarantees a place.
Historical results
| Year | Pupils | Att8 | P8 | 5+ E&M | 7+ E&M | EBacc % | EBacc APS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/2026 (provisional) | 296 | 49.9 | — | 49.7% | 13.9% | — | — |
| 2024/2025 | 306 | 53.4 | — | 58.2% | — | 31.4% | 4.8 |
| 2023/2024 | 313 | 51.5 | +0.44 | 54.6% | — | 24.9% | 4.6 |
| 2022/2023 | 327 | 49.7 | +0.33 | 46.2% | — | 33.0% | 4.4 |
| 2021/2022 | 322 | 54.1 | +0.33 | — | — | 38.0% | 4.9 |
EBacc figures stop at 2024/2025: the DfE no longer publishes them from 2025/2026.
Nearby and similar schools
Other secondary schools in Essex for local comparison.
School information
| URN | 137926 |
| Local authority | Essex |
| Region | East of England |
| Phase | Secondary |
| Type | Academy converter |
| Gender of entry | Mixed |
| Age range | 11-16 |
| Headteacher | Headteacher James Mitchell |
| Trust | ALPHA TRUST |
| Admissions | Non-selective |
| Religious character | None |
| Postcode | CO4 9PU |
| Pupils | 1,574 |
| FSM eligible | 14.1% |
Contact and identifiers
Brinkley Lane, Colchester, Essex, CO4 9PU
www.gilberd.com1206842211| DfE number | 5441 |
| UKPRN | 10036667 |
| Opened | 1 Mar 2012 |
| GIAS updated | 24 Mar 2026 |
Data sources and freshness
| Official record updated | 24 Mar 2026 |
| Latest KS4 year | 2025/2026 |
| Latest KS2 year | — |
| Ofsted published | — |
Latest Ofsted inspection
| Quality of education | — |
| Behaviour and attitudes | — |
| Personal development | — |
| Leadership and management | — |
| Safeguarding | — |
| Inspection type | — |
| Category of concern | — |
| Inspection date | — |
| Publication date | — |