The Ongar Academy

Type Secondary / Free schools
Age Range 11-18
Religion Unknown
Address Fyfield Road
Ongar
Essex
CM5 0AN
Phone 01277500990
Reference Number 141947

The Ongar Academy is performing well, maintaining its status as a good school since its last inspection in 2018. The school has established a positive environment where pupils feel safe and respected, developing confidence through strong support and a range of extracurricular activities. There is a clear commitment to ensuring that all pupils, including those with special educational needs, thrive academically and socially. Recent staffing changes have introduced high expectations for behavior and learning, which are fostering an encouraging atmosphere for students. However, the school faces challenges in specific areas, particularly in the reading curriculum where recent staffing changes have hindered precise assessments of students' reading capabilities. This has resulted in some pupils who struggle with reading not receiving timely support. Additionally, the careers education program needs further development to enhance students' awareness of future opportunities and work experience.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 511
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 49.9%
Girls: 50.1%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 27.2%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 5.3%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 22.5

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
7 33 38 71
8 53 62 115
9 58 56 114
10 60 40 100
11 51 60 111
12 Unknown Unknown Unknown
13 Unknown Unknown Unknown

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 86.9%
White, Other 3.7%
White & Black (Caribbean) 2.5%
Mixed, Other 1.6%
Unclassified 1.2%
White & Black (African) 1%
African 0.8%
White & Asian 0.4%
Asian, Other 0.4%
Chinese 0.2%
Indian 0.2%

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
Last Report Date 31 Oct 2023
Date Report
31 Oct 2023 School inspection
16 May 2018 Full inspection:

Strengths

  • Strong relationships between staff and pupils
  • High expectations of behavior that are well understood
  • Effective individual support for pupils with SEND
  • A well-planned curriculum that is being adapted to meet all pupils' needs
  • Opportunities for leadership and various extracurricular activities
  • Strong community relations and positive feedback from parents

Areas for Improvement

  • Insufficient checks on reading proficiency for struggling readers
  • Limited work experience and higher education information in the CEIAG program

Ofsted Parent View

The latest published parent view scores are from 2018. Ofsted only publish scores if there have been more than 10 responses to the survey.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know Total Responses
1. My child is happy at this school 24 3 0 0 0 27
2. My child feels safe at this school 23 4 0 0 0 27
3. My child makes good progress at this school 18 7 2 0 0 27
4. My child is well looked after at this school 20 7 0 0 0 27
5. My child is taught well at this school 20 7 0 0 0 27
6. My child receives appropriate homework for their age 12 13 1 0 1 27
7. This school makes sure its pupils are well behaved 16 11 0 0 0 27
8. This school deals effectively with bullying 12 10 0 0 5 27
9. This school is well led and managed 23 4 0 0 0 27
10. This school responds well to any concerns I raise 22 3 0 0 2 27
11. I receive valuable information from the school about my child’s progress 14 11 2 0 0 27
12. Would you recommend this school to another parent? 27 0

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

  • English
  • Maths
  • 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
  • 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education

Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.

School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
37.4

GCSE Results

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 25.9%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) 46.4%

Attainment 8 Score

Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:

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GCSE Results

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2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 26 6
Third Preference 29 1
From another Local Authority 6 5

Previous Years

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Destinations after GCSE's

Staying in Education
 >  Further Education
 >  School Sixth Form
 >  Sixth Form College
 >  Other Education
Apprenticeships
Employment
Not in education or employment
Unknown

Name Distance
Ongar Primary School
Milton Crescent, Shelley, Ongar, Essex, CM5 0FF
0.54 miles
High Ongar Primary School
The Street, High Ongar, Ongar, Essex, CM5 9NB
0.75 miles
Chipping Ongar Primary School
Greensted Road, Ongar, Essex, CM5 9LA
1.32 miles
Dr Walker's CofE Primary School
Walker Avenue, Fyfield, Ongar, Essex, CM5 0RG
1.75 miles
Moreton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Moreton, Ongar, Essex, CM5 0JD
2 miles
St Andrew's CofE Primary School
School Green Lane, North Weald, Epping, Essex, CM16 6EH
3.13 miles
Blackmore Primary School
Nine Ashes Road, Blackmore, Ingatestone, Essex, CM4 0QR
3.26 miles
Kelvedon Hatch Community Primary School
School Road, Kelvedon Hatch, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0DH
3.52 miles
Doddinghurst Church of England Junior School
Church Lane, Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0NJ
4.04 miles
Doddinghurst Infant School
Church Lane, Doddinghurst, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 0NJ
4.07 miles
Matching Green Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Little Laver Road, Matching Green, Matching Green Ce Primary School, Harlow, Essex, CM17 0QB
4.1 miles
Bentley St Paul's Church of England Primary School
Ashwells Road, Bentley, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9SE
4.76 miles
Coopersale and Theydon Garnon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Brickfield Road, Coopersale Common, Epping, Essex, CM16 7QX
4.91 miles
Name Distance
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