Colchester Royal Grammar School

What Colchester Royal Grammar School does

Colchester Royal Grammar School (CRGS) is a selective state-funded grammar school in Colchester, Essex, founded in 1206 and granted Royal Charters by Henry VIII in 1539 and Elizabeth I in 1585. It serves boys aged 11-18 in Years 7-11 and runs a co-educational Sixth Form admitting both internal students and external candidates via a 16+ admissions process that includes an options meeting with senior leadership. The school is one of a small number of state boarding schools, operating a family-style boarding house for 30 Sixth Form students at £19,050 per annum (fixed for two years from entry). CRGS is governed as an academy within The Thinking Schools Academy Trust (joined May 2023) under a three-tier governance model, with a local Academy Governing Board of 8-11 governors.

The school's product is a comprehensive secondary curriculum spanning 19 subject areas at GCSE and A Level, supported by a careers programme aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks, a Super Saturday mock-interview initiative drawing on 70+ alumni volunteers, and an enrichment programme across cricket, rugby, football, netball, athletics, music, drama, and 50+ clubs. Underlying technology is commodity education administration: iSAMS for the school management information system and parent portal, Microsoft 365 for staff communications, ParentPay for fee collection, Google Forms for Sixth Form applications, and UCAS for university applications. Atom Learning is integrated as a partner for 11+ exam familiarisation, with free access extended to Pupil Premium students.

The revenue model is unusual for an investment-analysis context because CRGS is a state-funded educational institution rather than a commercial enterprise. Day-student tuition is zero; the school receives government per-pupil funding. The only direct pricing is boarding fees of £6,350 per term (£19,050 per annum) for up to 30 Sixth Form boarders. Go-to-market is admissions-led via selective 11+ and 16+ entrance examinations, Open Evenings, and prospectus downloads, with a long tail of family customers and no enterprise concentration. As such, traditional revenue-growth and customer-concentration mechanics do not apply; the relevant drivers are enrolment cohort size, boarding utilisation, and the regulatory funding environment for English grammar schools.

Name

Colchester Royal Grammar School

Legal name

Colchester Royal Grammar School

Website

https://crgs.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Colchester Royal Grammar School is a selective state grammar school in Colchester, UK, founded in 1206. It delivers GCSE and A-Level education to boys aged 11-18 and a co-educational Sixth Form, with boarding for 30 students and no day tuition fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Selective Secondary Education (Grammar School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Grammar school education
• Secondary school programs
• GCSE and A-Level
• State boarding school
• Sixth form education

Headquarters

HQ city

Colchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. State Funding: As a state academy school, CRGS receives government per-pupil funding. There are no tuition fees for day students.
2. Boarding Fees: State-funded school with no tuition fees; only boarding fees apply. Boarding fees for September 2026 entry are fixed for 2 years at £6,350 per term; £19,050 per annum.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Colchester Royal Grammar School is a selective state-funded grammar school providing secondary education for students aged 11-18. Its core offering is a GCSE and A-Level curriculum across 19 subject areas, delivered to boys in Years 7-11 and to a co-educational Sixth Form. The school supplements its academic programme with boarding provision for up to 30 Sixth Form students, a careers and UCAS support service, an extracurricular sports/music/drama programme, and community engagement activities. Day education is state-funded with no tuition fees; the only direct charge is boarding fees.

Product overview

Colchester Royal Grammar School is a selective state secondary school founded in 1206, offering a unified educational program for students aged 11-18. The school provides a comprehensive GCSE and A-Level curriculum across 19 subjects, with Sixth Form admissions for both day students and boarders. The offering is structured around core academic programs (GCSE, A-Level), supplementary support services (careers programme, Colcestrian Futures alumni service), and enrichment activities (extracurricular sports, drama, music, clubs). The school also operates a boarding facility for 30 Sixth Form students and maintains active community engagement through its Community Help Programme and Old Colcestrian Society alumni network. Student-produced publications including The Colcestrian Magazine, The Purple Crown newspaper, and The MFL Journal supplement the academic experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GCSE and A-Level Curriculum
• Sixth Form Admissions (Co-educational A-Levels)
• Boarding Programme State-funded boarding facility for 30 Sixth Form students in two characterful houses. Boarding fees are £6,350 per term (£19,050 annually) fixed for 2 years from entry. Includes access to sports facilities (heated outdoor swimming pool, gymnasium, multigym), music department, library and common rooms. Students must hold a British passport or Right of Residency in the UK.
• Careers Programme Comprehensive careers guidance aligned with Gatsby Benchmarks, including careers fairs, 'Super Saturday' mock interviews with 70 volunteers, one-to-one Headmaster appointments for Year 11s and independent guidance from Essex Youth Service for Year 11 and Year 12 students.
• Colcestrian Futures Alumni-supported career service providing university application advice, interview techniques, work experience, internships and employment opportunities through the Old Colcestrian Society professional network.
• Extracurricular Activities Wide range of sports (cricket, rugby, football, netball, athletics, swimming, tennis, badminton, cross country), music, drama productions, and over 50 clubs and societies for enrolled students.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Thinking Schools Academy Trust (TSAT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2023CRGS joined The Thinking Schools Academy Trust in May 2023. The Trust operates a three-tier governance model: Academy Governing Board (AGB) at local level, Regional Review and Assurance Board (RAB), and Trust Board of Directors. CRGS became an academy in 2012 and was designated a National Teaching School and National Support School in 2013.
• Essex Youth ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent external careers guidance provider offering appointments to Year 11 and Year 12 students. Students scheduled one-to-one sessions to discuss aspirations and ambitions with qualified careers advisors from Essex Youth Service.
• Atom LearningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Atom Learning to provide free 11+ exam familiarisation for Pupil Premium students. Students eligible for free school meals receive complimentary access to Atom Home platform for KS2 and 11+ practice questions and resources.
• Local Primary Schools (Prettygate, Hamilton, Lexden, Oxford House)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSixth Form students teach science to Years 4 and 5 pupils at local primary schools after training. CRGS also hosts primary school science workshops for Year 5 and 6 students at the school.
• Northampton SaintsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose links with Northampton Saints rugby enable CRGS players to pursue the sport at the highest possible levels. Partnership supports rugby development pathway.
• Community Organisations (Care Homes, St Helena Hospice, Hospital League of Friends)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSixth Formers engage in community service on Tuesday afternoons, volunteering at residential care homes, charity shops, St Helena Hospice, Colchester General Hospital League of Friends, and other community organisations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Henrietta Barnett School: Selective girls' state grammar school in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London — top-tier league-table performer with the same academically selective model and high Russell Group/Oxbridge progression as CRGS.
• St Olave's Grammar School: Highly selective boys' state grammar school in Orpington, Kent — same selective 11+ entry model, co-ed Sixth Form, and strong track record of Oxbridge/Russell Group progression.
• Chelmsford County High School for Girls: Selective girls' state grammar school in Chelmsford — direct counterpart to CRGS in the same Essex grammar ecosystem, with comparable league-table performance and 11+/16+ admissions structure.
• Dr Challoner's Grammar School: Selective boys' state grammar school in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, with co-ed Sixth Form — mirrors CRGS's structure (boys 11-16, co-ed post-16) and shares its selective admissions and academic profile.
• King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford: Selective boys' state grammar school in Chelmsford, Essex — the closest geographic peer to CRGS with a near-identical selective 11+ admissions model, co-ed Sixth Form, and similarly elite academic outcomes.
• Wilson's School: Selective boys' state grammar school in Sutton, Surrey, with co-ed Sixth Form — operates under the same selective-academy model as CRGS and consistently ranks among England's top state secondaries.
• Altrincham Grammar School for Boys: Selective boys' state grammar school in Greater Manchester with a co-educational Sixth Form — closely mirrors CRGS's single-sex-through-16, co-ed-Sixth-Form admissions model and selective ethos.
• Tiffin School: Selective boys' state grammar school in Kingston upon Thames — comparable selective entry at 11+, co-ed Sixth Form, and a consistent top-of-league-table profile among state schools.
• Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn: Long-established selective grammar school in Lancashire with both day and boarding provision — directly comparable to CRGS's combination of selective academic entry and small boarding house.

Broad incumbents

• Manchester Grammar School: Largest and one of the most academically successful UK grammar schools (independent rather than state) — comparable selective intake model and Oxbridge placement profile, providing a benchmark for CRGS's league-table positioning versus independent peers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ColchesterRGS
• Instagraminstagram.com/colchesterroyalgrammarschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colchester-royal-grammar-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Colchester Royal Grammar School