The Ongar Academy

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.

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

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 Ongar Academy attended 87.8% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 34.2% 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, 15.9% of pupils at The Ongar Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Ongar Academy had 13.7 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, 11.1% of pupils at The Ongar Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.1% 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 The Ongar Academy received £9,053 and spent £8,858 for each of its 519 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £582,000 (£1,121 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Bridge Academy Trust, income was £7,606 and spending £7,532 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 Ongar · Essex local authority: places and applications

The Ongar Academy is part of Bridge Academy Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Ongar Primary School Ongar
• High Ongar Primary School Ongar
• Chipping Ongar Primary School Ongar
• Mildmay Primary School Chelmsford
• Oaklands Infant School Chelmsford
• Moulsham High School Chelmsford
• Notley High School and Sixth Form Braintree
• Acorn Infant Academy Witham
• Richard de Clare Community Academy Halstead
• The Ramsey Academy, Halstead Halstead

What is The Ongar Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Ongar Academy is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was The Ongar Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

The Ongar Academy was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does The Ongar Academy have?

The Ongar Academy has 467 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Ongar Academy cover?

The Ongar Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are The Ongar Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.0, and 31% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Ongar Academy?

The Ongar Academy is at Fyfield Road, Ongar, Essex, CM5 0AN.