Colchester AcademySt Helena School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Colchester.
Summary of the comparison
Colchester Academy and St Helena School are secondary schools in Colchester.
Colchester Academy scores 42 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and St Helena School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average). St Helena School is ahead on our composite score.
Colchester Academy was judged Good and St Helena School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 35.3 for Colchester Academy and 42.4 for St Helena School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Colchester Academy (34.3 in 2021-22, 35.3 in 2025-26) and has fallen at St Helena School (46.1 in 2021-22, 42.4 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | ColchesterColchester Academy | ColchesterSt Helena School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D42/100 | D54/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 72nd of 80 in Essex | 43rd of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy sponsor led | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 879 | 986 | |
| Capacity | 910 | 1,000 | |
| Location | Colchester, CO4 3JL | Colchester, CO3 3LE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 35.3 | 42.4 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 26.0% | 36.0% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 42.9% | 56.3% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 177 | 197 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 899 | 987 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 44.0% | 31.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 16.2% | 19.0% | |
| SEN support | 25.5% | 14.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.0% | 2.5% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 13.9% | 8.0% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 36.5% | 20.8% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Colchester Academy
St Helena School
Full profiles: Colchester Academy · St Helena School