Alec Hunter Academy
Academy sponsor led · 1,058 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.7
Academy converter
Plume School
- Pupils on roll
- 1,789of 1,841 places
- Free school meals
- 25.8%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 289
- Ofsted
- Good, 28 November 2023Read the Ofsted report
Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Plume School (URN 115318, until 1 January 2012).
What the data says
Of the 287 pupils who finished Year 11 at Plume School in 2023, 45% stayed on in Plume School’s own sixth form (Essex average 37%), 25% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Among the 122 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 40% went to university (Essex 35%, England 37%), and 12% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
Chemistry is unusually popular at GCSE: 60% of the year group took it, against 23% of pupils across England.
GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 42.9 against 46.1 across England and 45.1 in Essex, with 37% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Essex and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Plume School | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 287 | 15,970 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 89% | 92% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 81% | 86% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 45% | 37% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 10% | 9% | 13% |
| — further education college | 25% | 38% | 37% |
| — other education | 1% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 3% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 7% | 5% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 4% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Plume School | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 122 | 13,240 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 79% | 81% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 40% | 35% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 12% | 15% | 19% |
| Further education | 2% | 4% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 8% | 7% |
| Employment | 30% | 33% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 16% | 14% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Plume School | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 42.9 | 45.1 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 37% | 43% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 60% | 64% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 17% | 39% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.57 | 3.97 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 23% | 22% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 33.0 | 31.1 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 45.8 | 48.9 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 2% | 9% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 282 | 98% | 88% | 14% | 22% | 68% |
| English Language | 282 | 98% | 89% | 12% | 20% | 66% |
| English Literature | 274 | 95% | 86% | 11% | 21% | 67% |
| Physics | 173 | 60% | 23% | 17% | 46% | 75% |
| Chemistry | 173 | 60% | 23% | 12% | 47% | 66% |
| Biology | 173 | 60% | 23% | 16% | 45% | 80% |
| History | 146 | 51% | 41% | 21% | 26% | 52% |
| Business Studies | 110 | 38% | 18% | 9% | 20% | 55% |
| Combined Science | 100 | 35% | 65% | 1% | 9% | 32% |
| Design and Technology | 83 | 29% | 11% | 28% | 23% | 65% |
| Spanish | 80 | 28% | 19% | 10% | 27% | 75% |
| Geography | 63 | 22% | 41% | 14% | 25% | 46% |
| Fine Art | 62 | 21% | 9% | 11% | 28% | 52% |
| Physical Education | 50 | 17% | 11% | 14% | 24% | 74% |
| Psychology | 39 | 13% | 3% | 33% | 22% | 69% |
| Media Studies | 39 | 13% | 4% | 23% | 20% | 87% |
| Food Preparation and Nutrition | 38 | 13% | 8% | 3% | 21% | 55% |
| French | 36 | 12% | 18% | 33% | 29% | 78% |
| Computer Science | 35 | 12% | 13% | 23% | 30% | 57% |
| Drama | 29 | 10% | 7% | 21% | 27% | 90% |
| Sociology | 26 | 9% | 4% | 12% | 21% | 58% |
| Music | 21 | 7% | 5% | 19% | 33% | 52% |
| Religious Studies | 19 | 7% | 31% | 5% | 32% | 37% |
| Polish | 3 | 1% | 1% | — | 84% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing Engineering | 46 | 33% | — |
| Sports Studies | 37 | 26% | — |
| Childcare Skills | 34 | 24% | — |
| Multimedia | 32 | 23% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 21 | 15% | — |
| Dance: General | 12 | 9% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Plume School | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 291 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 140 | 6,944 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C+ | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 32.21 | 34.68 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | C+ | B- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 8% | 18% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Studies | 35 | 25% | 13% |
| Psychology | 29 | 21% | 23% |
| Mathematics | 25 | 18% | 31% |
| English Literature | 21 | 15% | 11% |
| Media Studies | 20 | 14% | 4% |
| Biology | 20 | 14% | 20% |
| Sociology | 20 | 14% | 13% |
| Law | 19 | 14% | 4% |
| English Language | 16 | 11% | 4% |
| Physics | 15 | 11% | 12% |
| History | 14 | 10% | 13% |
| Chemistry | 12 | 9% | 17% |
| Product Design | 12 | 9% | 2% |
| Geography | 12 | 9% | 10% |
| Photography | 9 | 6% | 3% |
| Drama | 8 | 6% | 2% |
| Graphic Communication | 7 | 5% | 2% |
| Fine Art | 7 | 5% | 3% |
| Physical Education | 6 | 4% | 3% |
| Further Mathematics | 6 | 4% | 5% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Computer Science | — | — | 5% |
| Religious Studies | — | — | 4% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 38 | 27% | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (All) | 37 | 26% | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (All) | 30 | 21% | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (All) | 23 | 16% | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (All) | 22 | 16% | — |
| Law | GCE AS level (All) | 21 | 15% | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | 20 | 14% | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (All) | 16 | 11% | — |
| Sports Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 14 | 10% | — |
| Chemistry | GCE AS level (All) | 12 | 9% | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 10 | 7% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 8 | 6% | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 7 | 5% | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | 7 | 5% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma at Level 3 | 6 | 4% | — |
| Photography | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Media Studies | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematical Studies | Core Maths Qualifications at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Spanish | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Photography | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Biology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Economics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Further Mathematics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Media Studies | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Physics | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Psychology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Sociology | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Economics | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Law | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Essex
Anglo European School
Academy converter · sixth form · 1,533 pupils
96% stayed in education · Attainment 8 55.6
Beauchamps High School
Foundation school · sixth form · 1,486 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 48.1
Becket Keys Church of England Free School
Free schools · sixth form · 1,152 pupils
93% stayed in education · Attainment 8 56.0
Bmat Stem Academy
University technical college · sixth form · 240 pupils
84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 28.1
Brentwood County High School
Academy sponsor led · sixth form · 1,097 pupils
78% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.2
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.