Bmat Stem Academy

BMAT STEM Academy is performing well overall, achieving a good rating in all inspected areas including the quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership, and sixth-form provision. Since its opening in April 2018, this is the first inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school fosters a positive learning environment where students enjoy their studies and are treated as young professionals. Pupils demonstrate strong engagement, and the curriculum is ambitious, catering effectively to the needs of learners, particularly in STEM subjects.

Strengths

• Students enjoy learning and demonstrate positive attitudes.
• The curriculum is ambitious and meets the needs of students.
• Behaviour around the school is calm and orderly.
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Strong careers advice helps students understand their future opportunities.
• Students take pride in leadership roles and contribute positively to school life.
• Staff feel well supported and valued in managing workload.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few subjects, key learning information is not clearly articulated.
• Expectations for students' writing skills are not high enough.

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 Bmat Stem Academy attended 85.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 46.4% 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, 20.3% of pupils at Bmat Stem 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 Bmat Stem Academy had 11.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.2% 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, 17.5% of pupils at Bmat Stem Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.7% 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 Bmat Stem Academy received £8,088 and spent £7,814 for each of its 267 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £140,000 (£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

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

• Freshwaters Primary Academy Harlow
• Burnt Mill Academy Harlow
• Sir Frederick Gibberd College Harlow
• Little Parndon Primary Academy Harlow
• Cooks Spinney Primary Academy and Nursery Harlow
• Mark Hall Academy 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 Bmat Stem Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bmat Stem Academy is Good, from an inspection in March 2023.

When was Bmat Stem Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Bmat Stem Academy was last inspected in March 2023.

How many pupils does Bmat Stem Academy have?

Bmat Stem Academy has 240 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bmat Stem Academy cover?

Bmat Stem Academy for pupils aged 14 to 19.

Where is Bmat Stem Academy?

Bmat Stem Academy is at Velizy Avenue, Harlow, Essex, CM20 3EZ.