Passmores Academy, Harlow

From the headteacher's welcome: "Passmores Academy continues to be a vibrant and exciting place to be in every day. We are of course very privileged to have the amazing resources available in our lovely building, but that is not the best of us."

In 2026, pupils at Passmores Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 36.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.5 in Essex and 47 across England.

22% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Essex and 47% in England.

That is up from 34.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.67: 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 26.4, against 40 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Social Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 237 families put Passmores Academy as their first choice and 587 named it as one of their preferences, for 229 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 19 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Passmores Academy are St Mark's West Essex Catholic School (1 mile, Good, Attainment 8 50); Sir Frederick Gibberd College (1.1 miles, Attainment 8 44.7); Bmat Stem Academy (1.4 miles, Good, Attainment 8 29.9); and Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow (1.4 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 40.1).

Passmores Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

Passmores Academy is one of 6 schools run by The Passmores Co-Operative Learning Community, an academy trust.

Of the 233 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 64% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

8.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (75%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 217 pupils (18.1%) received SEN support and 96 (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.

The nearest railway station is Harlow Town Rail Station, about 2 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School (outside), 100 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 248 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, Passmores Academy issued 421 suspensions, 34.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Passmores Academy are Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Harlow (0.1 miles); Potter Street Academy (0.3 miles); Purford Green Primary School (0.3 miles); and Pear Tree Mead Academy (0.3 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.