Burnt Mill Academy

Burnt Mill Academy has shown improvements since its last inspection, now judged as 'Good' overall. The school has implemented a new curriculum designed to enhance pupils' knowledge depth and breadth, addressing prior weaknesses. Pupils benefit from a supportive and structured learning environment, where they engage well in lessons and enjoy a variety of extracurricular activities. However, some concerns remain regarding the timely communication of actions related to pupil support, particularly around behaviour and bullying, which has led to skepticism from some parents and students. Leaders have also ensured that pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive adequate support to thrive alongside their peers. Although there have been positive developments in the curriculum and teaching practices, the school continues to work on ensuring all pupils make the progress expected, especially in subjects affected by previous curricular shortcomings. Overall, Burnt Mill Academy is making notable strides in its educational offerings while navigating the challenges of parent and pupil communications.

Strengths

• Disruption-free learning environment promoting positive behaviour.
• High expectations set by leaders that are largely followed by pupils.
• Effective new curriculum supports deep and broad knowledge acquisition.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND ensuring their inclusion and achievement.
• Rich range of extracurricular activities enhancing pupil engagement.
• Effective training provided for teachers to deliver the new curriculum.

Areas for Improvement

• Previous curriculum weaknesses resulted in some pupils not making expected progress.
• Inconsistencies in communication regarding behaviour support have led to parental concerns.

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 Burnt Mill Academy attended 91.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.1% 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, 23.8% of pupils at Burnt Mill Academy 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 Burnt Mill Academy had 13.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.4% 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, 16.6% of pupils at Burnt Mill Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.1% 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 Burnt Mill Academy received £8,888 and spent £8,616 for each of its 952 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £500,000 (£525 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Bmat Education, income was £8,609 and spending £8,507 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 Harlow · Essex local authority: places and applications

Burnt Mill Academy is part of Bmat Education, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Freshwaters Primary Academy Harlow
• Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery Harlow
• Bmat Stem Academy Harlow
• Mark Hall Academy Harlow
• Little Parndon Primary Academy Harlow
• Sir Frederick Gibberd College Harlow
• Roydon Primary Academy Harlow
• Epping St John's Church of England School Epping
• Forest Hall School Stansted Mountfitchet
• Magna Carta Primary Academy Stansted Mountfitchet

What is Burnt Mill Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Burnt Mill Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Burnt Mill Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Burnt Mill Academy was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Burnt Mill Academy have?

Burnt Mill Academy has 959 pupils on roll.

What age range does Burnt Mill Academy cover?

Burnt Mill Academy for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Burnt Mill Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.2, and 49% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Burnt Mill Academy?

Burnt Mill Academy is at First Avenue, Harlow, Essex, CM20 2NR.