Paxman Academy, Colchester
Paxman Academy 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 February 2024. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 11th-highest of the 15 schools in Colchester with published results, and 2,261st of 3,298 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- 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
Paxman Academy in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at Paxman Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 46.5 in Essex and 47 across England.
36% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 45% in Essex and 47% in England.
That is up from 41.3 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.17: 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 33.1, against 47 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 13.9 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 24 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.
Getting a place at Paxman Academy
For September 2026 entry, 104 families put Paxman Academy as their first choice and 494 named it as one of their preferences, for 174 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 Paxman Academy are Philip Morant School and College (0.6 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.6); Colchester County High School for Girls (0.9 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 79.7); St Benedict's Catholic College (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 58.4); and Colchester Royal Grammar School (1.2 miles, selective, Attainment 8 80.9).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than Paxman Academy.
Philip Morant School and CollegeColchester County High School for GirlsSt Benedict's Catholic CollegeColchester Royal Grammar School
The trust
Paxman Academy 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 184 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 79% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 38% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Colchester City Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.
15 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Paxman Avenue (e-bound), 90 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Paxman Academy issued 64 suspensions, 7.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Paxman Academy are Gosbecks Primary School (0.2 miles), Kings Ford Academy (0.3 miles), King's Ford Infant School and Nursery (0.3 miles) and Prettygate Junior School (0.4 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Gosbecks Primary SchoolKings Ford AcademyKing's Ford Infant School and NurseryPrettygate Junior 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; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); 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 February 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
33.3%
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
Attainment 8 has declined from 43.4 to 42.4 (2024 to 2026), while gCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 41% to 36% (2024 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 42.4 | 36.4% |
| Disadvantaged(57) | - | 33.1 | 12.3% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(116) | - | 47.0 | 48.3% |
| Boys(95) | - | 41.3 | 35.8% |
| Girls(78) | - | 43.8 | 37.2% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(23) | - | 52.3 | 56.5% |
| Non mobile(164) | - | 42.7 | 37.2% |
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) - 184 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.34%
Exclusion rate
64
Suspensions
7.22%
Suspension rate
32 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 886 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with Paxman Academy
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Paxman Academy from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Paxman 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
- 22
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 18 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
6 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 Paxman Academy
Will you get a place at Paxman Academy? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Paxman Academy's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Paxman Academy:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Paxman Academy.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Paxman Academy for 2020 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
98%
Near capacity
885 pupils
900 places
15 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
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
107
SEN Support
35
EHC Plans
16.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
873
Total Pupils
462
Boys
411
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
52
Teachers
16.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,335
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,127
Per pupil
£6750k
Total funding
£301k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.2%
Overall absence
21.8%
Persistent absence
944
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
Paxman Academy
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Paxman Academy
What are GCSE results like at Paxman Academy?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Paxman Academy achieved an Attainment 8 score of 42.4. 36% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Paxman Academy's Ofsted rating?
Paxman Academy was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in February 2024.
What is the catchment area for Paxman Academy?
No fixed boundary. When Paxman 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 Paxman Academy?
Paxman Academy was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Paxman Academy?
Classes at Paxman Academy average 24.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Paxman Academy?
Paxman Academy has around 873 pupils on roll. 33% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Paxman Academy?
8.2% of sessions were missed at Paxman Academy in 2024/25. 21.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Paxman Academy?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming Paxman 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 Paxman Academy?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 22 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 18 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 6 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 Paxman Academy?
Paxman Academy is at Paxman Avenue, Colchester, Essex, CO2 9DB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)