Academy converter

The Stanway School

Mixed · ages 11–16 · no sixth formEssex, East of England · Colchester CO3 0QATrust: The Sigma TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
1,396of 1,400 places
Free school meals
16.2%
Year 11 cohort 2025
272
Ofsted
School remains Good, 7 June 2023Read the Ofsted report

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: The Stanway School (URN 115378, until 1 March 2012).

What the data says

The Stanway School has no sixth form. Of the 282 pupils who finished Year 11 there in 2023, 44% moved to a sixth form college, 37% to a further education college and 3% started an apprenticeship.

Sixth form colleges are the main next step: 44% of leavers went to one, roughly three times the England rate of 13%.

Physical Education is unusually popular at GCSE: 25% of the year group took it, against 11% of pupils across England.

GCSE results in 2025 were above the national picture: Attainment 8 of 48.2 against 46.1 across England and 45.1 in Essex, with 54% 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.

The Stanway School
Essex
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureThe Stanway SchoolEssexEngland
Pupils in the cohort28215,970607,348
Any sustained destination93%92%92%
Stayed in education88%86%86%
— school sixth form7%37%34%
— sixth form college44%9%13%
— further education college37%38%37%
— other education2%2%
Apprenticeship3%3%3%
Employment2%3%3%
No sustained destination6%5%6%
Destination unknown1%3%3%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureThe Stanway SchoolEssexEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)48.245.146.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths54%43%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths74%64%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects35%39%41%
EBacc average point score4.253.974.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort16%22%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils37.531.134.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils50.248.950.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language4%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
English Language26999%89%16%20%73%
Mathematics26999%88%19%22%80%
English Literature26497%86%17%21%78%
Combined Science23386%65%12%9%64%
Geography12947%41%20%25%66%
History12446%41%29%26%69%
French9334%18%31%29%77%
Citizenship Studies8431%3%17%19%80%
Physical Education6925%11%14%24%71%
Media Studies4717%4%9%20%60%
Religious Studies4115%31%44%32%80%
Graphic Communication3814%1%21%23%82%
Food Preparation and Nutrition3513%8%20%21%66%
Computer Science3513%13%17%30%63%
Biology3413%23%65%45%94%
Fine Art3212%9%19%28%94%
Chemistry3111%23%71%47%100%
Physics3111%23%74%46%100%
Spanish238%19%26%27%65%
Electronics228%0%5%70%64%
Drama156%7%20%27%73%
Design and Technology114%11%0%23%73%
Music93%5%11%33%56%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Small Business Management106
Childcare Skills41
Building / Construction Operations (General / Combined)31
Health Studies21
Tourism13
Dance: General9

Other secondary schools in Essex

Alec Hunter Academy

Academy sponsor led · 1,058 pupils

80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.7

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

Bmat Stem Academy

University technical college · sixth form · 240 pupils

84% stayed in education · Attainment 8 28.1

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.