The Gilberd SchoolSt Helena School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Colchester.
Summary of the comparison
The Gilberd School and St Helena School are secondary schools in Colchester.
The Gilberd School scores 73 out of 100 (grade B, strong) and St Helena School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average). The Gilberd School is ahead on our composite score.
The Gilberd School was judged Outstanding and St Helena School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 49.9 for The Gilberd School and 42.4 for St Helena School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at The Gilberd School (54.1 in 2021-22, 49.9 in 2025-26) and has fallen at St Helena School (46.1 in 2021-22, 42.4 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | ColchesterThe Gilberd School | ColchesterSt Helena School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | B73/100Stronger figure | D54/100 | |
| Local ranking | 9th of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | 43rd of 80 in Essex | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,588 | 986 | |
| Capacity | 1,600 | 1,000 | |
| Location | Colchester, CO4 9PU | Colchester, CO3 3LE | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 49.9 Stronger figure | 42.4 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 49.7% Stronger figure | 36.0% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 70.9% Stronger figure | 56.3% | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 296 | 197 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,574 | 987 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 16.3% | 31.3% | |
| English as an additional language | 12.2% | 19.0% | |
| SEN support | 10.2% | 14.2% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 2.4% | 2.5% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.1% Stronger figure | 8.0% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 15.7% Stronger figure | 20.8% | 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
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.
The Gilberd School
St Helena School
Full profiles: The Gilberd School · St Helena School