St Mark's West Essex Catholic SchoolSir Frederick Gibberd College
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Harlow.
Summary of the comparison
St Mark's West Essex Catholic School and Sir Frederick Gibberd College are secondary schools in Harlow.
St Mark's West Essex Catholic School scores 58 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Sir Frederick Gibberd College scores 51 out of 100 (grade D, below 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 Sir Frederick Gibberd College was judged in need of attention.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 50.0 for St Mark's West Essex Catholic School and 44.7 for Sir Frederick Gibberd College.
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 held broadly level at Sir Frederick Gibberd College (46.2 in 2023-24, 44.7 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | HarlowSt Mark's West Essex Catholic School | HarlowSir Frederick Gibberd College | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C58/100Stronger figure | D51/100 | |
| Local ranking | 29th of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | 55th of 80 in Essex | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: GoodStronger figure | Ofsted: Requires improvement | |
| School type | Academy converter | Free schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-19 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,099 | 880 | |
| Capacity | 1,120 | 800 | |
| Location | Harlow, CM18 6AA | Harlow, CM18 6RN | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 50.0 Stronger figure | 44.7 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 48.3% Stronger figure | 41.8% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 70.7% Stronger figure | 68.1% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 174 | 141 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 99 2024-25 | Not reported2023-24 | |
| A-level average points | 22.3 2024-25 · England 35.0 | Not reported2023-24 | |
| A-level average grade | D+ 2024-25 | Not reported2023-24 | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 25.3 2024-25 · England 35.8 | Not reported2023-24 | |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 1.6% 2024-25 · England 17.5% | Not reported2023-24 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,082 | 843 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 22.1% | 29.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 24.6% | 19.5% | |
| SEN support | 10.1% | 12.0% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.7% | 2.9% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.7% Stronger figure | 8.8% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 17.2% Stronger figure | 22.9% | 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 Mark's West Essex Catholic School
Sir Frederick Gibberd College
Full profiles: St Mark's West Essex Catholic School · Sir Frederick Gibberd College