William de Ferrers SchoolPlume School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
William de Ferrers School and Plume School are secondary schools.
William de Ferrers School scores 50 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Plume School scores 54 out of 100 (grade D, below average). Plume School is ahead on our composite score.
William de Ferrers School was judged the expected standard and Plume School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 43.8 for William de Ferrers School and 42.2 for Plume School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at William de Ferrers School (43.5 in 2021-22, 43.8 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Plume School (45.5 in 2021-22, 42.2 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | ChelmsfordWilliam de Ferrers School | MaldonPlume School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D50/100 | D54/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 56th of 80 in Essex | 47th of 80 in Essex Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,237 | 1,789 | |
| Capacity | 2,076 | 1,841 | |
| Location | Chelmsford, CM3 5JU | Maldon, CM9 6AB | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 43.8 Stronger figure | 42.2 | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 41.9% Stronger figure | 37.7% | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 62.4% | 62.7% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 234 | 292 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 53 | 140 | |
| A-level average points | 30.1 | 32.2 Stronger figure | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C | C+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 32.9 Stronger figure | 32.4 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 14.3% Stronger figure | 7.8% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,247 | 1,786 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 17.5% | 26.4% | |
| English as an additional language | 2.1% | 3.4% | |
| SEN support | 12.9% | 17.3% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.4% | 2.1% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 9.1% | 8.0% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 24.5% | 22.3% 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
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.
William de Ferrers School
Plume School
Full profiles: William de Ferrers School · Plume School