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Academy sponsor led · Essex

Epping St John's Church of England School

  • 11–18Ages
  • 1,036Pupils
  • SecondaryPhase
  • Church of EnglandReligious character
  • Sixth formAges 16–18
  • 145050URN

Bury Lane, Epping, CM16 5JB · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school
Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Mar 2026

  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found
Applications per place · Sept 2026
2.3per place
0.5 below Essex median (2.8)
Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in EssexSelective

407 applications for 175 places · 51st of 78 in Essex
Every year since 2014
Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)
46.6of 90
34th of 79 in Essex
All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026
Report card · inspected 10 March 2026Published 17 May 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
AreaExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement
InclusionExpected standard
Curriculum and teachingExpected standard
AchievementExpected standard
Attendance and behaviourNeeds attention
Personal development and wellbeingExpected standard
Early yearsDoes not apply to this school
Post-16 provisionExpected standard
Leadership and governanceExpected standard
  • Exceptional
  • Strong standard
  • Expected standard
  • Needs attention
  • Urgent improvement
  • Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

  1. 10 March 2026
    Report card · 6 Expected standard, 1 Needs attention
  2. 21 April 2022
    Graded inspection: 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 entry
2.3applications per place, Year 7
0.5 below Essex median (2.8) close to England median (2.2)

407 applications · 175 places offered · 194 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

  1. 2026 2.3; Essex median median 2.8
  2. 2025 2.2; Essex median median 2.7
  3. 2024 2.3; Essex median median 2.8
  4. 2023 2.4; Essex median median 2.7
  5. 2022 2.0; Essex median median 2.7
  6. 2021 1.8; Essex median median 2.6
  7. 2020 2.0; Essex median median 2.8
  8. 2019 2.2; Essex median median 2.7
  9. 2018 2.1; Essex median median 2.6
  10. 2017 2.0; Essex median median 2.7; as the previous school
  11. 2016 2.3; Essex median median 2.6; as the previous school
  12. 2015 2.4; Essex median median 2.5; as the previous school
  13. 2014 2.4; Essex median median 2.6; as the previous school
More applications per place than the Essex median in 0 of 9 years.
  • This school
  • Essex median

Dashed bars: as Epping St John's Church of England VC School (URN 115236), the previous school.

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.

EntryPlacesApplicationsPer placeFirst preferencesFirst-pref. ratio
Sep 20261754072.31941.11
Sep 20251854062.21891.02
Sep 20241844192.31911.04
Sep 20231794362.41921.07
Sep 20221753512.01430.82
Sep 20211743181.81370.79
Sep 20201783562.01460.82
Sep 20191793902.21540.86
Sep 20181783782.11861.04
Sep 2017 *1803662.01640.91
Sep 2016 *1733992.31430.83
Sep 2015 *1794292.41780.99
Sep 2014 *1794302.41831.02

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

163 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)46.634th of 79 in Essex
Grade 5 or above in English and maths47%34th of 79 in Essex
Grade 4 or above in English and maths70%
  • This school
  • Essex median
  • England median
Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)0.00
−20 = national average+2
Every year as a table
YearPupilsAttainment 85+ Eng & maths4+ Eng & mathsProgress 8
2025/26 (prov.)16346.647%70%–
2024/2515942.842%67%–
2023/2416444.645%68%0.00
2022/2315543.141%68%−0.37

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

  • 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 sponsor led
Phase
Secondary
URN · DfE number
145050 · 881/4023
Trust
Bmat Education
Admissions policy
Non-selective
Religious character
Church of England
Capacity
1,036 pupils · 1,036 on roll
Free school meals
18.7% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened
1 November 2017
Replaced
Epping St John's Church of England VC School (URN 115236)
Address
Bury Lane, Epping, CM16 5JB
Local authority
Essex · Epping Forest

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