School profile

Colne Community School

Secondary · Academy converter · Colchester, CO7 0QL

Good

Map showing Colne Community School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,288 of 3,312

Worse than 69% of schools in England

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

Colne Community School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 27 Jun 2023

Ofsted rating
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,289
GenderMixed
Head teacherMr Neil Gallagher
TrustTHE SIGMA TRUST
Local authorityEssex
Opened01 Jan 2019
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 146795.

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.42.3, worse than England, worse than Essex45.346.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.59.6%, worse than England, worse than Essex63.2%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.40.9%, worse than England, worse than Essex44.2%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.8.1%, worse than England, worse than Essex12.9%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths56.6%, worse than England, similar to Essex58.5%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4235--

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 pupils1,289
Girls622
Boys667
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.21.7%
First language not English4%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,499
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.14%
Sixth form places2022/23248
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.122
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.45
Average class size26.1

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
88.4%
Other White
3.7%
White and Black Caribbean
1.6%
Other mixed
1.2%
White and Asian
1%
Other ethnic group
1%
White and Black African
0.7%
African
0.5%
Indian
0.3%
Irish
0.2%

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 teacher18.2
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.4
Teachers (FTE)70.9
Teaching assistants (FTE)13.92
Support staff (FTE)61.9
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2572.1
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2566
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/253
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/253.1

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.256
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.330
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.234
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.234
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

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 absence8.6%, worse than England, similar to Essex8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.22.1%, similar to England, similar to Essex21.4%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.4.8%, 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 rate6.2%
Pupils with one or more suspensions3.1%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
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.90.2%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.82.5%
Sixth form college41.1%
Further education36.2%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.5.7%
Apprenticeship5.3%
School sixth form4.9%
Employment2.4%

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 Colne Community School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.6 miPrimaryBrightlingsea Primary School and NurseryCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Colne Community School

What is Colne Community School's Ofsted rating?

Colne Community School is rated Good by Ofsted, last inspected on 27 Jun 2023.

How does Colne Community School rank in England?

Colne Community School ranks 2,288 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 69% of schools).

What are Colne Community School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 40.9% of pupils at Colne Community School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 42.3 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Colne Community School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Colne Community School made 256 offers from 330 applications (1.3 per offer), and 234 of 234 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Colne Community School?

Colne Community School has 1,289 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Colne Community School?

Colne Community School had 1,499 school places in 2024/25.

Does Colne Community School have a sixth form?

Yes, Colne Community School has a sixth form with 248 places in 2022/23.

How big are classes at Colne Community School?

At Colne Community School, the average class had 26.1 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 18.2 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Colne Community School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Colne Community School missed 8.6% of sessions (England 8%), and 22.1% 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.