Colne Community School, Colchester
Colne Community School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Colchester, part of The Sigma Trust. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2023. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 13th-highest of the 15 schools in Colchester with published results, and 2,280th of 3,298 across England. It was 86% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- 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
Colne Community School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Colne Community School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.5 in Essex and 47 across England.
41% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Essex and 47% in England.
That is in line with 2025, when the score was 43.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.08: pupils made about 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, against 46 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 18 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 29 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Sports Studies and History.
Getting a place at Colne Community School
For September 2026 entry, 234 families put Colne Community School as their first choice and 330 named it as one of their preferences, for 256 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Colne Community School
The trust
Colne Community School is one of 12 schools run by The Sigma Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.8 in 2024/25.
Where pupils go next
Of the 246 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 83% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 36% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 122 pupils (9.5%) received SEN support and 45 (3.5%) 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 Alresford (Essex) Rail Station, about 2.5 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Colne School (opposite), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 35 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Essex (97).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Colne Community School issued 79 suspensions, 6.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its June 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
21.7%
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 0.04 to -0.08 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 47.2 to 42.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 47% to 41% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 42.3 | 40.9% |
| Disadvantaged(48) | - | 28.0 | 20.8% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(187) | - | 46.0 | 46% |
| Boys(118) | - | 41.5 | 39.8% |
| Girls(117) | - | 43.1 | 41.9% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(13) | - | 55.0 | 53.8% |
| Non mobile(227) | - | 43.1 | 41.9% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 9 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 246 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.23%
Exclusion rate
79
Suspensions
6.16%
Suspension rate
40 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,283 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 4 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Colne Community School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Colne Community School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Colne Community School 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
- 8
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 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 Colne Community School
Will you get a place at Colne Community School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Colne Community School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Colne Community School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Colne Community School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Colne Community School for 2019 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
86%
Available places
1,282 pupils
1,499 places
217 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(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
122
SEN Support
45
EHC Plans
13.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,289
Total Pupils
667
Boys
622
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
78
Teachers
16.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£55,891
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,694
Per pupil
£9191k
Total funding
£273k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.5%
Overall absence
22.5%
Persistent absence
1,320
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
Colne Community School
Questions parents ask about Colne Community School
What are GCSE results like at Colne Community School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Colne Community School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 42.3. 41% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Colne Community School's Ofsted rating?
Colne Community School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2023. At its previous graded inspection in 2018 it was rated Inadequate.
What is the catchment area for Colne Community School?
No fixed boundary. When Colne Community School is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Colne Community School?
Colne Community School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 1499 places.
How big are the classes at Colne Community School?
Classes at Colne Community School average 26.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Colne Community School?
Colne Community School has around 1289 pupils on roll. 22% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Colne Community School?
8.5% of sessions were missed at Colne Community School in 2024/25. 22.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Colne Community School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Colne Community School 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 Colne Community School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 8 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 5 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 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 Colne Community School?
Colne Community School is at Church Road, Brightlingsea, Colchester, Essex, CO7 0QL.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)