Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, HarlowSir Frederick Gibberd College
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Harlow.
Summary of the comparison
Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow and Sir Frederick Gibberd College are secondary schools in Harlow.
Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow scores 34 out of 100 (grade F, weak) and Sir Frederick Gibberd College scores 51 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Sir Frederick Gibberd College is ahead on our composite score.
Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow was judged Requires improvement and Sir Frederick Gibberd College was judged in need of attention.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 40.1 for Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow and 44.7 for Sir Frederick Gibberd College.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow (38.7 in 2021-22, 40.1 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 | HarlowStewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow | HarlowSir Frederick Gibberd College | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | F34/100 | D51/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 75th of 80 in Essex | 55th of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Ofsted: Requires improvement | |
| School type | Academy converter | Free schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-19 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 978 | 880 | |
| Capacity | 1,050 | 800 | |
| Location | Harlow, CM18 7NQ | Harlow, CM18 6RN | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 40.1 | 44.7 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 29.4% | 41.8% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 50.3% | 68.1% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 187 | 141 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 989 | 843 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 36.6% | 29.0% | |
| English as an additional language | 20.3% | 19.5% | |
| SEN support | 12.1% | 12.0% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.0% | 2.9% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 11.5% | 8.8% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 33.3% | 22.9% 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.
Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow
Sir Frederick Gibberd College
Full profiles: Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow · Sir Frederick Gibberd College