St John Payne Catholic School, ChelmsfordThe Boswells School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Chelmsford.
Summary of the comparison
St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford and The Boswells School are secondary schools in Chelmsford.
St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford scores 62 out of 100 (grade C, average) and The Boswells School scores 59 out of 100 (grade C, average). St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford is ahead on our composite score.
St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford was judged Good and The Boswells School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 48.7 for St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford and 49.1 for The Boswells School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford (54.3 in 2021-22, 48.7 in 2025-26) and has fallen at The Boswells School (53.7 in 2021-22, 49.1 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | ChelmsfordSt John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford | ChelmsfordThe Boswells School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C62/100Stronger figure | C59/100 | |
| Local ranking | 17th of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | 27th of 80 in Essex | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Voluntary aided school | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,241 | 1,423 | |
| Capacity | 1,220 | 1,431 | |
| Location | Chelmsford, CM1 4BS | Chelmsford, CM1 6LY | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 48.7 | 49.1 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 46.2% | 46.9% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 65.8% | 71.1% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 184 | 239 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 102 | 90 | |
| A-level average points | 32.7 | 38.0 Stronger figure | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | B- | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 33.7 | 37.2 Stronger figure | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 11.4% Stronger figure | 10.5% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,210 | 1,409 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 18.1% | 16.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 10.2% | 10.6% | |
| SEN support | 9.9% | 10.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 3.0% | 2.3% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.1% Stronger figure | 7.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 14.6% Stronger figure | 18.8% | 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
A-level average points
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 John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford
The Boswells School
Full profiles: St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford · The Boswells School