Essex County Council

UK local authority in East of England, responsible for 602 schools.

Region

East of England

Type

County Council

LA Code

881

Schools

602 (2 nursery, 444 primary, 79 secondary, 2 all-through, 23 special, 6 PRU/AP)

Pupils

232,979

Population

1,576,125 (329,317 aged 0-17)

Academisation

357 academies, 194 LA-maintained (64.8% academised)

Multi-academy trusts

94 — largest: THE DIOCESE OF CHELMSFORD VINE SCHOOLS TRUST (19 schools)

Deprivation (IMD 2019)

Rank 111 of 151 (1 = most deprived)

KS2 2024/25

63% met expected standard, 10% higher standard

KS4 2024/25

Attainment 8: 45.1, grade 5+ in English & maths: 43.1%

Inspectorate

Ofsted

Director of Education

Helen Lincoln

Website

www.essex.gov.uk

Sources: DfE KS2 attainment, 2024/25 revised · DfE KS4 performance, 2024/25 revised · GIAS (DfE), Aug 2026 · ONS mid-2025 population estimates · IMD 2019, rank of average score, 1 = most deprived of 151 upper-tier LAs