Graded inspection · Feb 2024 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 | Good | |||
| 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 entry494 applications · 174 places offered · 104 named it first
- 2026 2.8; Essex median median 2.8
- 2025 2.9; Essex median median 2.7
- 2024 3.4; Essex median median 2.8
- 2023 3.4; Essex median median 2.7
- 2022 3.6; Essex median median 2.7
- 2021 3.3; Essex median median 2.6
- 2020 3.8; Essex median median 2.8
- 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 | 174 | 494 | 2.8 | 104 | 0.60 |
| Sep 2025 | 171 | 492 | 2.9 | 104 | 0.61 |
| Sep 2024 | 153 | 517 | 3.4 | 131 | 0.86 |
| Sep 2023 | 176 | 599 | 3.4 | 186 | 1.06 |
| Sep 2022 | 175 | 625 | 3.6 | 200 | 1.14 |
| Sep 2021 | 176 | 577 | 3.3 | 191 | 1.09 |
| Sep 2020 | 175 | 664 | 3.8 | 226 | 1.29 |
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.) | 173 | 42.4 | 36% | 58% | – |
| 2024/25 | 175 | 41.3 | 34% | 49% | – |
| 2023/24 | 184 | 43.4 | 41% | 59% | −0.17 |
| 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
- Paxman AcademyThis schoolThis schoolGood20242.8applications per place 42.4Attainment 8
- 1.0 km · EssexGood20233.5applications per place 45.6Attainment 8
- 1.5 km · EssexRemains Good20234.4applications per place 58.4Attainment 8
- 1.5 km · EssexOutstanding20233.9applications per place 79.7Attainment 8 Selective
- 2.0 km · EssexSerious weaknesses 20266.3applications per place 80.9Attainment 8 Selective
- 2.3 km · EssexRemains Good20233.1applications per place 48.3Attainment 8
- 2.4 km · EssexStandards maintained20252.7applications per place 41.2Attainment 8
- 2.9 km · EssexGood20243.4applications per place 42.4Attainment 8
- 5.4 km · EssexGood20231.5applications per place 35.3Attainment 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
- 147080 · 881/4034
- Trust
- The Sigma Trust
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Capacity
- 900 pupils · 873 on roll
- Free school meals
- 33.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
- Opened
- 2 September 2019
- Address
- Paxman Avenue, Colchester, CO2 9DB
- Local authority
- Essex · Colchester
Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources