The Stanway School

The Stanway School remains a good institution, demonstrating strong leadership and effective learning environments. Pupils display commendable behavior and feel secure within the school, benefiting from supportive pastoral systems. The curriculum is well-structured and ambitious, promoting a wide range of extracurricular activities that help foster character development. However, a small number of students struggle to meet behavioral expectations, leading to a higher rate of suspensions that particularly impacts vulnerable pupils. Nonetheless, the school is committed to addressing these issues and has recognized the need for improved strategic plans to support all students.

Strengths

• Pupils are polite, considerate, and respectful.
• The curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced.
• Strong subject knowledge demonstrated by teachers.
• Effective assessment methods helping pupils identify learning gaps.
• Robust pastoral support for students with concerns about bullying.
• Proactive approach to harmful sexual behavior education.
• Broad range of extracurricular opportunities available to students.
• Consideration of student voice in PSHE curriculum planning.
• Strong leadership in the careers curriculum.
• Staff well-being initiatives positively impacting the work environment.

Areas for Improvement

• High rates of suspension affecting vulnerable pupils.
• Small minority of pupils not consistently meeting behavioral expectations.

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 The Stanway School attended 92.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 16.8% 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, 4.8% of pupils at The Stanway School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 5 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 The Stanway School had 17.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.6% 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, 10.2% of pupils at The Stanway School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.9% 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 The Stanway School received £7,869 and spent £7,712 for each of its 1,385 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £802,000 (£579 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of The Sigma Trust, income was £8,335 and spending £8,168 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

The Stanway School is part of The Sigma Trust, which runs 12 schools. The nearest others:

• Philip Morant School and College Colchester
• Paxman Academy Colchester
• St Helena School Colchester
• The Thomas Lord Audley School Colchester
• Monkwick Junior School Colchester
• Monkwick Infant and Nursery School Colchester
• Colne Community School Colchester
• Alton Park Junior School Clacton-On-Sea
• Clacton County High School Clacton-On-Sea
• Holland Park Primary School Clacton-On-Sea

What is The Stanway School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Stanway School is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was The Stanway School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Stanway School was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does The Stanway School have?

The Stanway School has 1,396 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Stanway School cover?

The Stanway School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Stanway School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.3, and 52% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Stanway School?

The Stanway School is at Winstree Road, Stanway, Colchester, Essex, CO3 0QA.