St Mark's West Essex Catholic SchoolBurnt Mill Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Harlow.
Summary of the comparison
St Mark's West Essex Catholic School and Burnt Mill Academy are secondary schools in Harlow.
St Mark's West Essex Catholic School scores 58 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Burnt Mill Academy scores 57 out of 100 (grade C, average). St Mark's West Essex Catholic School is ahead on our composite score.
St Mark's West Essex Catholic School was judged Good and Burnt Mill Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 50.0 for St Mark's West Essex Catholic School and 47.2 for Burnt Mill Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at St Mark's West Essex Catholic School (49.4 in 2021-22, 50.0 in 2025-26) and has risen at Burnt Mill Academy (40.7 in 2021-22, 47.2 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | HarlowSt Mark's West Essex Catholic School | HarlowBurnt Mill Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C58/100Stronger figure | C57/100 | |
| Local ranking | 29th of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | 33rd of 80 in Essex | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,099 | 959 | |
| Capacity | 1,120 | 1,200 | |
| Location | Harlow, CM18 6AA | Harlow, CM20 2NR | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 50.0 Stronger figure | 47.2 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 48.3% | 49.1% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 70.7% Stronger figure | 65.3% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 174 | 173 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 99 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 22.3 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | D+ | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 25.3 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 1.6% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,082 | 951 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 22.1% | 31.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 24.6% | 17.9% | |
| SEN support | 10.1% | 14.5% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.7% | 1.1% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.7% Stronger figure | 8.6% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 17.2% Stronger figure | 23.1% | 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 Mark's West Essex Catholic School
Burnt Mill Academy
Full profiles: St Mark's West Essex Catholic School · Burnt Mill Academy