St Helena School, Colchester
St Helena 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 January 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 99% 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 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Essex (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Helena School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at St Helena School 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 down from 46 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.31: 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 34.7, against 45.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 10.7 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Geography and History.
Getting a place at St Helena School
For September 2026 entry, 116 families put St Helena School as their first choice and 601 named it as one of their preferences, for 178 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 St Helena School are Colchester Royal Grammar School (0.6 miles, selective, Attainment 8 80.9); 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 Philip Morant School and College (1.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 45.6).
Each of them had higher 2026 results than St Helena School.
Colchester Royal Grammar SchoolColchester County High School for GirlsSt Benedict's Catholic CollegePhilip Morant School and College
The trust
St Helena 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 196 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 86% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 43% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Who goes there
33.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 152 pupils (15.4%) received SEN support and 30 (3%) 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 Colchester Rail Station, about 640 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
1 bus stop is within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Helena School, 50 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 478 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Essex (97), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Helena School issued 130 suspensions, 13.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to St Helena School are North Primary School and Nursery (0.3 miles), St John's Green Primary School (0.8 miles), Braiswick Primary School (0.8 miles) and Queen Boudica Primary School (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
North Primary School and NurserySt John's Green Primary SchoolBraiswick Primary SchoolQueen Boudica Primary 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; 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 January 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Leadership & management.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development.
About
St Helena School is a coeducational secondary school with academy status, located in Colchester, Essex, England. The school is on Sheepen Road opposite Colchester Institute.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
33.5%
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 -0.18 to -0.31 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 42.2 to 42.4 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has remained stable at around 36% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 42.4 | 36% |
| Disadvantaged(55) | - | 34.7 | 29.1% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(142) | - | 45.4 | 38.7% |
| Boys(113) | - | 40.5 | 34.5% |
| Girls(84) | - | 44.9 | 38.1% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(38) | - | 51.4 | 55.3% |
| Non mobile(190) | - | 43.0 | 36.8% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 5 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 196 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.30%
Exclusion rate
130
Suspensions
13.17%
Suspension rate
61 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 987 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby secondary schools
Keep up with St Helena School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Helena School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Helena 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
- 40
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 40 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 35 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
10 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 St Helena School
Will you get a place at St Helena School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Helena School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Helena School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Helena School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Essex, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at St Helena School for 2014 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
99%
Near capacity
992 pupils
1,000 places
8 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(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
152
SEN Support
30
EHC Plans
18.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
986
Total Pupils
485
Boys
501
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
64
Teachers
15.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,429
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,185
Per pupil
£7712k
Total funding
£338k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.0%
Overall absence
20.8%
Persistent absence
1,042
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
St Helena School
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about St Helena School
What are GCSE results like at St Helena School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at St Helena School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 42.4. 36% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is St Helena School's Ofsted rating?
St Helena School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2024.
What is the catchment area for St Helena School?
No fixed boundary. When St Helena 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 St Helena School?
St Helena School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Helena School?
Classes at St Helena School average 24.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Helena School?
St Helena School has around 986 pupils on roll. 34% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Helena School?
8% of sessions were missed at St Helena School in 2024/25. 20.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Helena School?
Apply through Essex's coordinated admissions process, naming St Helena 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 St Helena School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 40 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 5 serious and 35 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 10 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 St Helena School?
St Helena School is at Sheepen Road, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3LE.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)