Graded inspection · May 2025 Previous framework
- Quality of education
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Personal development
- Leadership and management
This schoolOther secondary schools in EssexSelective
What did Ofsted find?
Ofsted data to 30 September 2026| Area | Outstanding | Good | Requires improvement | Inadequate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality of education | Good | |||
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good | |||
| Personal development | Outstanding | |||
| Leadership and management | Good |
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 entry682 applications · 177 places offered · 126 named it first
- 2026 3.9; Essex median median 2.8
- 2025 4.0; Essex median median 2.7
- 2024 4.1; Essex median median 2.8
- 2023 3.5; Essex median median 2.7
- 2022 4.7; Essex median median 2.7
- 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 | 177 | 682 | 3.9 | 126 | 0.71 |
| Sep 2025 | 176 | 707 | 4.0 | 153 | 0.87 |
| Sep 2024 | 179 | 725 | 4.1 | 160 | 0.89 |
| Sep 2023 | 178 | 621 | 3.5 | 116 | 0.65 |
| Sep 2022 | 119 | 558 | 4.7 | 87 | 0.73 |
How did pupils do at GCSE?
DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisionalEvery year as a table
| Year | Pupils | Attainment 8 | 5+ Eng & maths | 4+ Eng & maths | Progress 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025/26 (prov.) | 122 | 49.6 | 57% | 76% | – |
| 2024/25 | 0 | – | |||
| 2023/24 | 0 | – | |||
| 2022/23 | 0 | – |
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
- The Trinity SchoolThis schoolThis schoolGraded · no overall grade20253.9applications per place 49.6Attainment 8
- 0.1 km · EssexStandards maintained20253.9applications per place 49.9Attainment 8
- 2.8 km · EssexGood20231.5applications per place 35.3Attainment 8
- 3.0 km · EssexGood20243.4applications per place 42.4Attainment 8
- 3.9 km · EssexSerious weaknesses 20266.3applications per place 80.9Attainment 8 Selective
- 4.5 km · EssexRemains Good20234.4applications per place 58.4Attainment 8
- 4.5 km · EssexOutstanding20233.9applications per place 79.7Attainment 8 Selective
- 4.9 km · EssexGood20233.5applications per place 45.6Attainment 8
- 5.3 km · EssexStandards maintained20252.7applications per place 41.2Attainment 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
- Free schools
- Phase
- Secondary
- URN · DfE number
- 143701 · 881/4021
- Trust
- Alpha Trust
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Capacity
- 900 pupils · 780 on roll
- Free school meals
- 16.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 1 September 2021
- Address
- Carris Close, Colchester, CO4 6ED
- Local authority
- Essex · Colchester
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources