OFSTED
5 February 2025
Latest ungraded inspection
Latest published outcome
Standards maintained
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Academy converter
Phase
Secondary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
—
Local authority
Essex
Trust
ALPHA TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
1,588
1,588 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
758
47.7% of pupils
Male pupils
830
52.3% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
9.4 pts
below England
School
15.4%
Colchester
19.5%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
7.2 pts
below England
School
13.1%
Colchester
14.2%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
0.5 pts
above England
School
1.5%
Colchester
1.4%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
White British
64.9%
1,031
Any other White background
5.5%
88
Indian
4.8%
77
African
4.2%
67
Any other ethnic group
3.1%
49
Any other Asian background
3.0%
48
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
13.1%
208 of
1,588 pupils
7.7 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
4.5 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
53.4
14.2 pts
above England
Latest published: 0.44 · 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
7.09%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
0.87 pts
higher than
England
School
7.09%
Colchester
5.99%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
15.69%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
0.12 pts
lower than
England
School
15.69%
Colchester
14.41%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
3.47%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
1.67 pts
higher than
England
School
3.47%
Colchester
1.90%
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
99.3%
6.9 pts
above England
The Gilberd School
99.3%
Colchester
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.