The Thomas Lord Audley SchoolPaxman Academy
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Colchester.
Summary of the comparison
The Thomas Lord Audley School and Paxman Academy are secondary schools in Colchester.
The Thomas Lord Audley School scores 56 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Paxman Academy scores 53 out of 100 (grade D, below average). The Thomas Lord Audley School is ahead on our composite score.
The Thomas Lord Audley School was judged Good and Paxman Academy was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 41.2 for The Thomas Lord Audley School and 42.4 for Paxman Academy.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at The Thomas Lord Audley School (37.9 in 2021-22, 41.2 in 2025-26) and has held broadly level at Paxman Academy (43.4 in 2023-24, 42.4 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | ColchesterThe Thomas Lord Audley School | ColchesterPaxman Academy | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C56/100Stronger figure | D53/100 | |
| Local ranking | 37th of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | 50th of 80 in Essex | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Free schools | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 940 | 873 | |
| Capacity | 840 | 900 | |
| Location | Colchester, CO2 8NJ | Colchester, CO2 9DB | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 41.2 | 42.4 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 35.1% | 36.4% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 50.9% | 57.8% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 171 | 173 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 921 | 886 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 35.7% | 32.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 4.5% | 15.1% | |
| SEN support | 15.4% | 12.5% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.6% | 4.4% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.6% Stronger figure | 8.2% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 20.3% Stronger figure | 21.8% | 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 Thomas Lord Audley School
Paxman Academy
Full profiles: The Thomas Lord Audley School · Paxman Academy