Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy, Maldon
Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy is an all-through school for pupils aged 5 to 16 in Maldon, part of Keys Co-Operative Academy Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy in detail
Getting a place at Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy
Across Essex, 83% of families were offered their first-choice secondary school for 2026 entry, and 97% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Essex lodged 542 appeals against secondary school offers; 406 reached a hearing and 57 succeeded (14% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state secondary schools to Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy are Plume School (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.2); and Lift Maltings (4.6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 40.6).
The trust
Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy is one of 3 schools run by Keys Co-Operative Academy Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
19 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy (as of September 2025): 84% would recommend the school, 90% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school has high expectations for their child (68%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 17 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 29% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 29% to a further education college and 18% into work.
Who goes there
59.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (12%).
In 2026, 44 pupils (77.2%) received SEN support and 13 (22.8%) 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
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bentalls Shopping Centre (opposite), 50 metres away.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy are Heybridge Primary School (0.4 miles); Maldon Primary School (0.9 miles); St Francis Catholic Primary School, Maldon (0.9 miles); and All Saints Maldon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Heybridge Primary SchoolMaldon Primary SchoolSt Francis Catholic Primary School, MaldonAll Saints Maldon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport)
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school gives pupils who have struggled in mainstream education a genuine second chance. Staff have high expectations and help pupils gain qualifications they didn't think were possible. The school creates a warm, nurturing environment where anxious pupils learn to engage and succeed again, with enrichment activities like rock climbing, beekeeping and canoeing that build confidence and resilience.
Key Strengths
- Ambitious, tailored curriculum matched to pupils' individual needs and aspirations, including vocational courses and work placements
- Strong systems for identifying pupils' needs and providing personalised support, including de-escalation strategies
- Comprehensive personal, social, health and economic education with therapeutic sessions and enrichment activities
- Effective reading provision with specialist teaching and phonics programmes
- Strong careers education programme with good links to post-16 providers and employers
Areas for Improvement
- Unclear school-wide approach to developing pupils' speaking and communication skills (oracy)
- Too many suspensions when pupils first join the secondary setting, with some pupils receiving repeat suspensions
- Need to improve pupils' ability to explain and discuss their ideas in some lessons
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with staff well trained in recognising changes in pupils' behaviour and applying appropriate de-escalation methods.
Extracurricular Activities
Rock climbing, beekeeping, motorbike maintenance, swimming, canoeing in Danbury, work placements, vocational courses
Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy is an alternative provision school that successfully prepares pupils with complex needs to return to full-time education. The school has improved from its previous 'Requires improvement' rating and now provides good quality education with a tailored, ambitious curriculum.
At a Glance
59.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
19 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Keep up with Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy.
- LSC at Heybridge Primary560m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Mid Essex Co-Operative 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
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
30%
Available places
57 pupils
190 places
133 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Maldon
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Maldon
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.
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
13
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
57
Total Pupils
37
Boys
20
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
37
Teachers
1.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£62,835
Mean salary
2026 data
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy
What is Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy's Ofsted rating?
Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy is oversubscribed, Essex allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy?
Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy has around 57 pupils on roll. 60% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy: LSC at Heybridge Primary (560m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy?
Mid Essex Co-Operative Academy is at The Street, Heybridge, Maldon, Essex, CM9 4NB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)