Academy converter · Essex

Thurstable School

11–16Ages
932Pupils
SecondaryPhase
137241URN

Maypole Road, Tiptree, Colchester, CO5 0EW · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · May 2025 Previous framework

No overall grade given

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.1per place

0.8 below Essex median (2.8)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in EssexSelective

383 applications for 184 places · 55th of 78 in Essex

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

46.5of 90

Essex 45.6 England 46.0

35th of 79 in Essex

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Graded inspection · 20 May 2025Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024). Between September 2024 and November 2025 Ofsted graded areas but gave no overall grade.
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Sixth form provision		Good

Inspection history

20 May 2025
Graded inspection, no overall grade
3 November 2021
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.1applications per place, Year 7

0.8 below Essex median (2.8) close to England median (2.2)

383 applications · 184 places offered · 147 named it first

2026 2.1; Essex median median 2.8
2025 2.2; Essex median median 2.7
2024 2.0; Essex median median 2.8
2023 2.2; Essex median median 2.7
2022 1.9; Essex median median 2.7
2021 1.7; Essex median median 2.6
2020 1.7; Essex median median 2.8
2019 1.7; Essex median median 2.7
2018 1.9; Essex median median 2.6
2017 1.8; Essex median median 2.7
2016 2.0; Essex median median 2.6
2015 1.9; Essex median median 2.5
2014 1.8; Essex median median 2.6

More applications per place than the Essex median in 0 of 13 years.

This school
Essex median

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	184	383	2.1	147	0.80
Sep 2025	156	344	2.2	139	0.89
Sep 2024	194	395	2.0	183	0.94
Sep 2023	170	370	2.2	158	0.93
Sep 2022	195	360	1.9	172	0.88
Sep 2021	207	356	1.7	167	0.81
Sep 2020	210	363	1.7	184	0.88
Sep 2019	219	368	1.7	190	0.87
Sep 2018	216	400	1.9	192	0.89
Sep 2017	220	394	1.8	203	0.92
Sep 2016	213	420	2.0	193	0.91
Sep 2015	184	348	1.9	164	0.89
Sep 2014	208	375	1.8	172	0.83

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

202 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)46.535th of 79 in Essex

Essex 45.6 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths52%21st of 79 in Essex

Essex 43% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths68%

Essex 66% England 66%

This school
Essex median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.19

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	202	46.5	52%	68%	–
2024/25	205	41.9	42%	64%	–
2023/24	210	44.7	49%	65%	−0.19
2022/23	206	47.0	50%	69%	−0.02

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Thurstable SchoolThis school
This school

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.1applications per place 46.5Attainment 8
Honywood School
7.6 km · Essex

Good2022

3.2applications per place 45.1Attainment 8
Lift New Rickstones
7.8 km · Essex

Remains Good2023

1.9applications per place 42.5Attainment 8
Lift Maltings
8.3 km · Essex

2026

1.6applications per place 40.6Attainment 8
The Stanway School
9.5 km · Essex

Remains Good2023

3.1applications per place 48.3Attainment 8
Paxman Academy
10.2 km · Essex

Good2024

2.8applications per place 42.4Attainment 8
Philip Morant School and College
11.0 km · Essex

Good2023

3.5applications per place 45.6Attainment 8
Plume School
11.2 km · Essex

Good2023

2.0applications per place 42.2Attainment 8
St Benedict's Catholic College
11.4 km · Essex

Remains Good2023

4.4applications per place 58.4Attainment 8

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Academy converter
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 137241 · 881/5413
Trust: Thurstable School
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Capacity: 1,275 pupils · 932 on roll
Free school meals: 18.5% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 August 2011
Replaced: Thurstable School Sports College and Sixth Form Centre (URN 115329)
Address: Maypole Road, Tiptree, Colchester, CO5 0EW
Local authority: Essex · Colchester

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources