Colchester Academy

Colchester Academy is performing well overall, rated as 'Good' across all assessed areas. The school fosters a friendly and inclusive environment, where pupils feel happy and safe. Leaders have established high expectations for student behavior and academic achievement, and there are strong relationships between staff and students. The curriculum is broad and ambitious, with a particular emphasis on developing pupils' cultural capital through subjects like Spanish. Although the school has seen improvements under the South Suffolk Learning Trust, challenges remain, especially regarding attendance and some gaps in learning for a small number of pupils, including those with SEND. There are notable strengths in leadership, with effective monitoring and support for staff, and a consistent handling of behavior across the school. While the school has improved its curriculum, particularly in languages, there is a need for ongoing focus on ensuring all teachers effectively use assessment information to inform their teaching. Persistent absence rates still need to be addressed to enhance overall pupil performance and learning continuity.

Strengths

• Friendly and inclusive school culture
• High expectations set by leaders for pupils
• Strong relationships between pupils and staff
• Broad and ambitious curriculum, especially in languages
• Effective monitoring and improvement of behavior
• Support for professional development of staff
• Improved attendance strategies in place

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent use of assessment information by some teachers
• Gaps in learning for a small number of pupils, including those with SEND
• Persistent absence still too high for some pupils

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 Colchester Academy attended 86.1% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 36.5% 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, 18.1% of pupils at Colchester Academy 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 Colchester Academy had 15.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.9% 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, 25.8% of pupils at Colchester Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 2024–25 Colchester Academy received £9,065 and spent £8,608 for each of its 901 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,355,000 (£2,613 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Penrose Learning Trust, income was £7,759 and spending £7,612 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Colchester · Essex local authority: places and applications

Colchester Academy is part of Penrose Learning Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• Elmstead Primary School Colchester
• Great Bentley Primary School Colchester
• East Bergholt High School Colchester
• Hadleigh High School Ipswich
• Frinton-on-Sea Primary School Frinton-On-Sea
• Dale Hall Community Primary School Ipswich
• Claydon High School Ipswich
• Claydon Primary School Ipswich

What is Colchester Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Colchester Academy is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Colchester Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Colchester Academy was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Colchester Academy have?

Colchester Academy has 879 pupils on roll.

What age range does Colchester Academy cover?

Colchester Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Colchester Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 35.3, and 26% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Colchester Academy?

Colchester Academy is at Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3JL.