Colchester Academy, Colchester
Colchester Academy is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Colchester, part of Penrose Learning Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 15th-highest of the 15 schools in Colchester with published results, and 3,089th of 3,298 across England. It was 85% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
- Progress (2024)
- Well below average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Colchester Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Colchester Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.5 in Essex and 47 across England.
26% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Essex and 47% in England.
That is down from 38.5 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.91: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.
Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 28.2, against 40.8 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.6 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.
Getting a place at Colchester Academy
For September 2026 entry, 105 families put Colchester Academy as their first choice and 238 named it as one of their preferences, for 160 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Colchester Academy are The Gilberd School (1.7 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 49.9); The Trinity School (1.8 miles, Attainment 8 49.6); St Helena School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.4); and Colchester Royal Grammar School (2.3 miles, selective, Attainment 8 80.9).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Colchester Academy.
The Gilberd SchoolThe Trinity SchoolSt Helena SchoolColchester Royal Grammar School
The trust
Colchester Academy is one of 9 schools run by Penrose Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 43.5 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 179 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 77% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 46% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 4% into work.
Who goes there
42.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 227 pupils (25.8%) received SEN support and 39 (4.4%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hythe (Essex) Rail Station, about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
13 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Sir Charles Lucas School (outside), 110 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 247 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and vehicle crime. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Colchester Academy issued 623 suspensions, 69.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Colchester Academy are Hazelmere Infant School and Nursery (under 0.1 miles), Hazelmere Junior School (under 0.1 miles), Roach Vale Primary School (0.2 miles) and Parsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Hazelmere Infant School and NurseryHazelmere Junior SchoolRoach Vale Primary SchoolParsons Heath Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its March 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Colchester Academy, formerly Sir Charles Lucas Arts College, is a secondary school in Colchester, Essex specialising in English and Health Sciences. It opened on 6 September 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
42.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has declined from -0.56 to -0.91 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 36.9 to 35.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 22% to 26% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 35.3 | 26% |
| Disadvantaged(78) | - | 28.2 | 16.7% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(99) | - | 40.8 | 33.3% |
| Boys(88) | - | 32.9 | 19.3% |
| Girls(89) | - | 37.7 | 32.6% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(16) | - | 52.5 | 50% |
| Non mobile(164) | - | 35.6 | 27.4% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 4 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 179 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.33%
Exclusion rate
623
Suspensions
69.30%
Suspension rate
163 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 899 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Colchester Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Colchester Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Colchester Academy is in Essex; for families living there:
- Essex's school travel policy: Education Transport Policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 18
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 14 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot.
7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Colchester Academy
Will you get a place at Colchester Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Colchester Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Colchester Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Colchester Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Colchester Academy for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Essex got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
85%
Available places
907 pupils
1,073 places
166 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Colchester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Colchester
Across Essex council
Places available
17,590
Applications
16,568
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
97.0%
All secondary applications across Essex council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
227
SEN Support
39
EHC Plans
30.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
879
Total Pupils
446
Boys
433
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
58
Teachers
15.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,786
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,853
Per pupil
£7707k
Total funding
£420k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
13.9%
Overall absence
36.5%
Persistent absence
975
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Colchester Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Colchester Academy
What are GCSE results like at Colchester Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Colchester Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 35.3. 26% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Colchester Academy's Ofsted rating?
Colchester Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in March 2023.
What is the catchment area for Colchester Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Colchester Academy is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Colchester Academy?
Colchester Academy was not full in 2025: it ran at 85% of its 1073 places.
How big are the classes at Colchester Academy?
Classes at Colchester Academy average 25.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Colchester Academy?
Colchester Academy has around 879 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Colchester Academy?
13.9% of sessions were missed at Colchester Academy in 2024/25. 36.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Colchester Academy?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Colchester Academy on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Colchester Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 18 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 14 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot. 7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Essex is 9 (the median across 614 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Colchester Academy?
Colchester Academy is at Hawthorn Avenue, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3JL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)