Heathcote School & Science College

Heathcote School & Science College in Chingford, London, continues to perform well overall, maintaining its good status from its last inspection in 2018. The school is praised for fostering a warm and friendly environment where pupils feel safe and supported. Recent improvements to the curriculum have made it more ambitious, and the effort to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is particularly effective. Both attendance and behaviour are strong, with the school achieving above-national-average attendance rates and minimal disruption during lessons.

Strengths

• Strong support for pupils with SEND.
• High levels of pupil attendance well above national averages.
• Consistent enforcement of behaviour policies leading to minimal disruption.
• Broad and balanced curriculum with positive recent enhancements.
• Opportunities for pupils to engage in extra-curricular activities and cultural trips.

Areas for Improvement

• In some subjects, curriculum ambition could be improved.
• Teachers occasionally do not check pupils' understanding with precision, leading to misconceptions.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Heathcote School & Science College attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 6.0% of pupils at Heathcote School & Science College were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Heathcote School & Science College had 14.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 11.3% of pupils at Heathcote School & Science College were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 16 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Heathcote School & Science College received £10,187 and spent £10,326 for each of its 1,119 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £65,000 (£58 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Heathcote School & Science College's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Heathcote School & Science College is Good, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Heathcote School & Science College last inspected by Ofsted?

Heathcote School & Science College was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Heathcote School & Science College have?

Heathcote School & Science College has 1,115 pupils on roll.

What age range does Heathcote School & Science College cover?

Heathcote School & Science College for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Heathcote School & Science College's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 44.0, and 44% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Heathcote School & Science College?

Heathcote School & Science College is at Normanton Park, Chingford, London, E4 6ES.