Great Baddow High School

Great Baddow High School is a large, harmonious secondary school where pupils feel valued, safe and looked after. Inspectors found strong standards in attendance and behaviour and in personal development and wellbeing. Pupils rarely miss school, behave impeccably, are highly engaged in lessons and show respect for one another; bullying is not tolerated and incidents are rare. Personal development is a clear strength, supported by a thoughtfully sequenced 'lessons for life' curriculum, inclusive enrichment and strong support for deaf pupils in the specially resourced provision. In achievement, curriculum and teaching, inclusion, leadership and governance, and post-16 provision, the school is working at the expected standard. Pupils typically achieve in line with national expectations, with recent GCSE outcomes improving and disadvantaged pupils' outcomes now moving in the right direction. Sixth-form students are well supported, motivated and confident about their next steps; applied and technical qualifications have performed above typical national levels, while A-level outcomes are broadly in line with national averages. The curriculum is broad and well planned in subjects such as English and mathematics, and teaching engages pupils effectively. The report identifies areas for further development rather than serious weaknesses. In a few subjects, curriculum endpoints are not consistently clear, which can hamper progression. Guidance for some pupils with EHC plans in the main school is not always precisely tailored, and leaders do not yet check the impact of all interventions closely enough. Governors' scrutiny of disadvantaged pupil funding is light touch, and leaders should continue work to raise disadvantaged pupils' achievement and A-level standards. The school is navigating a period of change as part of the new Quantum multi-academy trust, with the headteacher also serving as CEO and the senior leadership team restructured. Safeguarding standards are met.

Strengths

• Attendance is above national and local averages, supported by rigorous systems and targeted support for vulnerable pupils.
• Pupils' behaviour is dignified and impeccable, with civilised social times and movement around the site.
• Pupils' engagement in learning is consistently high and disruption is minimal.
• Bullying, discrimination and online abuse are not tolerated, and incidents rarely repeat.
• Personal development is a clear strength, with a well-sequenced and relevant 'lessons for life' curriculum.
• Relationships and sex education is sensitively delivered, including input on female safety issues.
• Enrichment activities are deliberately planned to address inequalities in access, especially for disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils with SEND and deaf pupils have full access to extra-curricular activities and bespoke support.
• The school has a tangible inclusive ethos, and pupils feel a strong sense of belonging.
• Sixth-form provision is well led, meets students' needs and uses robust progress checks.
• Sixth-form students are independent, motivated and value the academic and pastoral support they receive.
• Careers education, information, advice and guidance are comprehensive and well taught.
• The curriculum in English and mathematics is coherently planned and sequenced with careful knowledge building.
• Staff have strong subject knowledge, adapt effectively for SEND and address gaps in understanding.
• Leaders support staff wellbeing and manage workload thoughtfully during the trust transition.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes are improving, including a rise in GCSE good passes.
• Sixth-form applied and technical qualifications achieve above typical national levels.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, the essential knowledge, skills and endpoints pupils must master are not consistently clear, which hampers progression.
• Guidance for some pupils with EHC plans in the main school is not precisely tailored, and staff do not always follow specialist advice.
• Leaders do not scrutinise the impact of other interventions with enough rigour, so improvement actions are not always precisely targeted.
• Governors' scrutiny of the impact of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils has been light touch.
• The school should continue work to raise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and A-level standards in the sixth form.

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 Great Baddow High School attended 92.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.0% 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, 4.3% of pupils at Great Baddow High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 Great Baddow High School had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% 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, 4.4% of pupils at Great Baddow 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 Great Baddow High School received £7,869 and spent £8,200 for each of its 1,532 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,267,000 (£827 per pupil).

Across all 8 schools of Quantum Multi-Academy Trust, income was £7,221 and spending £7,291 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 Chelmsford · Essex local authority: places and applications

Great Baddow High School is part of Quantum Multi-Academy Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Larkrise Primary School Chelmsford
• Meadgate Primary School Chelmsford
• Maltese Road Primary School Chelmsford
• St Luke's Park Primary School Wickford
• Purleigh Community Primary School Chelmsford
• Maylandsea Primary School Chelmsford
• Tiptree Heath Primary School Colchester

What is Great Baddow High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Great Baddow High School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Great Baddow High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Great Baddow High School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Great Baddow High School have?

Great Baddow High School has 1,516 pupils on roll.

What age range does Great Baddow High School cover?

Great Baddow High School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Great Baddow High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.3, and 40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Great Baddow High School?

Great Baddow High School is at Duffield Road, Beehive Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 9RZ.