School profile

Sir Frederick Gibberd College

Secondary · Free schools · Harlow, CM18 6RN

Requires improvement

Map showing Sir Frederick Gibberd College

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#1,884 of 3,312

Similar to most schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Sir Frederick Gibberd College Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 3 Dec 2024

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Requires improvement
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Sixth form provision
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFree schools
Ages11 to 19
Pupils880
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMs Jo Doyle
TrustBMAT EDUCATION
Local authorityEssex
Opened02 Sept 2019
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 143697.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.44.7, similar to England, similar to Essex45.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.68.1%, better than England, better than Essex63.2%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.41.8%, worse than England, similar to Essex44.2%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.9.2%, worse than England, worse than Essex12.9%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths61.7%, similar to England, better than Essex58.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4141--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils880
Girls403
Boys477
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.27.6%
First language not English19.5%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,700
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.48.2%
Sixth form places2024/25500
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.108
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.24
Average class size23.1

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
58.5%
Other White
16.4%
African
8.5%
Other mixed
4.2%
Other Black
2%
White and Black Caribbean
1.6%
Pakistani
1.6%
Indian
1.4%
Other Asian
1.4%
Other ethnic group
1.3%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher14.6
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.2
Teachers (FTE)60.4
Teaching assistants (FTE)10.81
Support staff (FTE)19.81
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2555.4
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2546.4
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/254
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.138
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.349
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.123
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.123
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)1

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolEssexEngland
Overall absence8.3%, similar to England, similar to Essex8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.20.4%, similar to England, similar to Essex21.4%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.5%, worse than England, worse than Essex4%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate29.8%
Pupils with one or more suspensions15.1%
Permanent exclusion rate0.4%
Permanent exclusions3

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.96.6%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.94.8%
Further education54.3%
School sixth form39.7%
Apprenticeship1.7%
Sixth form college0.9%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.0.9%
Employment0%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Sir Frederick Gibberd College
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.2 miPrimaryAbbotsweld Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miPrimaryWilliam Martin Church of England Junior SchoolAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.4 miSecondarySt Mark's West Essex Catholic SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.4 miPrimarySt Luke's Catholic AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.6 miPrimaryWilliam Martin Church of England Infant and Nursery SchoolAcademy converter
Good
0.6 miSecondaryStewards Academy - Science Specialist, HarlowAcademy converter
Requires improvement
0.7 miPrimaryJerounds Primary AcademyAcademy sponsor led
Good
0.7 miSecondaryBmat Stem AcademyUniversity technical college
Good
0.7 miPrimaryThe Downs Primary School and NurseryAcademy converter
Good
0.7 miPrimaryHare Street Community Primary School and NurseryCommunity school
Outstanding

Frequently asked questions about Sir Frederick Gibberd College

What is Sir Frederick Gibberd College's Ofsted rating?

Sir Frederick Gibberd College is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 3 Dec 2024. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Sir Frederick Gibberd College rank in England?

Sir Frederick Gibberd College ranks 1,884 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (similar to most schools).

What are Sir Frederick Gibberd College's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 41.8% of pupils at Sir Frederick Gibberd College got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 44.7 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Sir Frederick Gibberd College?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Sir Frederick Gibberd College made 138 offers from 349 applications (2.5 per offer), and 123 of 123 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Sir Frederick Gibberd College?

Sir Frederick Gibberd College has 880 pupils aged 11 to 19.

What is the capacity of Sir Frederick Gibberd College?

Sir Frederick Gibberd College had 1,700 school places in 2024/25.

Does Sir Frederick Gibberd College have a sixth form?

Yes, Sir Frederick Gibberd College has a sixth form with 500 places in 2024/25.

How big are classes at Sir Frederick Gibberd College?

At Sir Frederick Gibberd College, the average class had 23.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 14.6 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Sir Frederick Gibberd College?

In 2025/26, pupils at Sir Frederick Gibberd College missed 8.3% of sessions (England 8%), and 20.4% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.