OFSTED
19 March 2024
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Requires improvement
OEIF
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Requires improvement
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Essex
Trust
THE SANDON SCHOOL ACADEMY TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,218
1,218 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
603
49.5% of pupils
Male pupils
615
50.5% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
10.4 pts
below England
School
14.4%
Chelmsford
14.4%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
14.6 pts
below England
School
5.7%
Chelmsford
11.6%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
0.1 pts
above England
School
1.1%
Chelmsford
1.3%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
85.5%
1,041
Any other White background
4.4%
53
African
2.1%
25
Indian
1.3%
16
White and Black Caribbean
1.1%
14
Any other Mixed background
1.0%
12
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
10.3%
125 of
1,218 pupils
10.6 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
7.2 pts
below
England
6.0%
3.3 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 4 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
ATTAINMENT 8
Average attainment score
46.6
7.4 pts
above England
Latest published: 0.15 · 2023/24
Comparisons are averages of published school-level results for open schools. They are not pupil-weighted official local authority attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
9.00%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
2.78 pts
higher than
England
School
9.00%
Chelmsford
6.61%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
23.70%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
7.88 pts
higher than
England
School
23.70%
Chelmsford
15.59%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
5.22%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
3.41 pts
higher than
England
School
5.22%
Chelmsford
2.32%
East of England
1.83%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open secondary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
97.2%
4.9 pts
above England
The Sandon School
97.2%
Chelmsford
94.9%
East of England
92.9%
England
92.3%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.