Notley High School and Sixth Form, Braintree

Ofsted's report card from its 19 May 2026 inspection grades Notley High School and Sixth Form on 7 areas: 2 strong standard and 5 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders and staff at all levels are determined that every child thrives."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders have taken highly successful action to rapidly and substantially improve this school."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils in both key stage 4 and 5 typically achieve in line with national averages in national tests and examinations."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils' attendance has improved."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have taken highly effective steps to improve the quality of the curriculum."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Pupils at Notley receive a thoughtfully constructed, relevant weekly 'PDT' programme."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Students in the sixth form are highly positive about their experiences."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should further build on their work to ensure that pupils experience high-quality learning experiences across the curriculum, so that they achieve highly in national examinations and tests"; "Leaders should ensure staff use assessment skilfully to identify opportunities to accelerate pupils' progress through the curriculum and to deepen their understanding"; "Leaders should increase the range of opportunities for pupils to develop their independence, self-motivation and resilience".

In 2026, pupils at Notley High School and Sixth Form averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.1, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.5 in Essex and 47 across England.

49% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Essex and 47% in England.

That is up from 44.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.11: pupils made 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 36.8, against 48.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 11.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Religious Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 179 families put Notley High School and Sixth Form as their first choice and 362 named it as one of their preferences, for 206 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Notley High School and Sixth Form are Alec Hunter Academy (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 47.1); Tabor Academy (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 38.5); Lift New Rickstones (4.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.5); and Lift Maltings (6 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 40.6).

Notley High School and Sixth Form's 2026 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.

Notley High School and Sixth Form is one of 11 schools run by Bridge Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 47.8 in 2024/25.

Of the 221 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 48% to a further education college, 3% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 109 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 38% went on to university or other higher education, 10% to apprenticeships and 44% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

7.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 136 pupils (11.2%) received SEN support and 22 (1.8%) 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.

Notley High School and Sixth Form has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 8 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Braintree Rail Station, about 1130 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Notley High School (n-bound), 50 metres away.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Notley High School and Sixth Form stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In August 2026, police recorded 177 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Notley High School and Sixth Form issued 343 suspensions, 27.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 10 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Notley High School and Sixth Form are John Ray Infant School (0.1 miles), John Ray Junior School (0.1 miles), Notley Green Primary School (0.9 miles) and St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.