Honywood SchoolAlec Hunter Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
Honywood School and Alec Hunter Academy are secondary schools.
Honywood School scores 55 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Alec Hunter Academy scores 60 out of 100 (grade C, average). Alec Hunter Academy is ahead on our composite score.
Honywood School was judged Good and Alec Hunter Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 45.1 for Honywood School and 47.1 for Alec Hunter Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Honywood School (47.4 in 2021-22, 45.1 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Alec Hunter Academy (46.7 in 2021-22, 47.1 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | ColchesterHonywood School | BraintreeAlec Hunter Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C55/100 | C60/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 42nd of 80 in Essex | 25th of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 849 | 1,058 | |
| Capacity | 800 | 1,142 | |
| Location | Colchester, CO6 1PZ | Braintree, CM7 3NR | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 45.1 | 47.1 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 37.4% | 49.8% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 65.8% | 70.5% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 155 | 217 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 821 | 1,067 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 20.5% | 20.1% | |
| English as an additional language | 1.6% | 8.2% | |
| SEN support | 20.2% | 15.1% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 7.7% | 3.8% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.2% | 6.2% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 24.0% | 15.9% 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.
Honywood School
Alec Hunter Academy
Full profiles: Honywood School · Alec Hunter Academy