St Benedict's Catholic CollegeColchester County High School for Girls
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Colchester.
Summary of the comparison
St Benedict's Catholic College and Colchester County High School for Girls are secondary schools in Colchester.
St Benedict's Catholic College scores 68 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Colchester County High School for Girls scores 88 out of 100 (grade A, exceptional). Colchester County High School for Girls is ahead on our composite score.
St Benedict's Catholic College was judged Good and Colchester County High School for Girls was judged Outstanding.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 58.4 for St Benedict's Catholic College and 79.7 for Colchester County High School for Girls.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at St Benedict's Catholic College (54.5 in 2021-22, 58.4 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Colchester County High School for Girls (83.2 in 2021-22, 79.7 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | ColchesterSt Benedict's Catholic College | ColchesterColchester County High School for Girls | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C68/100 | A88/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 12th of 80 in Essex | 2nd of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Girls | |
| Pupils on roll | 905 | 1,198 | |
| Capacity | 876 | 1,020 | |
| Location | Colchester, CO3 3US | Colchester, CO3 3US | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 58.4 | 79.7 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 75.7% | 98.4% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 88.4% | 100.0% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 181 | 190 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 125 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 45.3 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | A- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 45.1 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 44.0% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 891 | 1,210 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 12.6% | 5.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 16.4% | 39.2% | |
| SEN support | 16.2% | 1.5% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.3% | 0.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 5.8% | 4.2% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 15.3% | 7.6% 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.
St Benedict's Catholic College
Colchester County High School for Girls
Full profiles: St Benedict's Catholic College · Colchester County High School for Girls