Saffron Walden County High School

Saffron Walden County High School is performing exceptionally well, receiving an overall rating of outstanding in all areas evaluated. The school demonstrates a commitment to fostering a supportive and thriving environment for its pupils, who quickly acclimate and excel academically as well as in extracurricular activities. There is a strong focus on high expectations from staff and a robust curriculum that challenges students, building on their prior knowledge and catering to diverse needs, particularly for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The school operates under the Saffron Academy Trust and has shown consistent performance since its last inspection.

Strengths

• Exceptional support for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Highly skilled teachers with excellent subject knowledge.
• Outstanding extracurricular opportunities fostering community and personal development.
• Pupils display exceptional standards of behaviour and engagement.
• Effective strategies for teaching and learning across a broad curriculum.

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 Saffron Walden County High School attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.6% 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, 4.0% of pupils at Saffron Walden County High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Saffron Walden County High School had 17.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.5% 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, 16.0% of pupils at Saffron Walden County High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% 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 Saffron Walden County High School received £7,610 and spent £7,896 for each of its 2,119 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £814,000 (£384 per pupil).

Across all 9 schools of Saffron Academy Trust, income was £7,613 and spending £7,555 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 Saffron Walden · Essex local authority: places and applications

Saffron Walden County High School is part of Saffron Academy Trust, which runs 9 schools. The nearest others:

• R A Butler Infant School Saffron Walden
• R A Butler Junior School Saffron Walden
• Katherine Semar Junior School Saffron Walden
• Katherine Semar Infant School Saffron Walden
• Helena Romanes School Great Dunmow
• Alec Hunter Academy Braintree
• Beckers Green Primary School Braintree
• Honywood School Colchester

What is Saffron Walden County High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Saffron Walden County High School is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2024.

When was Saffron Walden County High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Saffron Walden County High School was last inspected in May 2024.

How many pupils does Saffron Walden County High School have?

Saffron Walden County High School has 2,157 pupils on roll.

What age range does Saffron Walden County High School cover?

Saffron Walden County High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Saffron Walden County High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 55.8, and 65% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Saffron Walden County High School?

Saffron Walden County High School is at Audley End Road, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 4UH.