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The Thomas Lord Audley School

Monkwick Avenue, Monkwick, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8NJ ·

Ofsted:Standards maintained· 2025
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At a glance

A state secondary academy for ages 11–16 in Colchester. Ungraded Ofsted inspection (March 2025): Standards maintained. GCSE results are below the England average (Attainment 8: 42.3 vs 46.1, 2024/25). Oversubscribed: 241 families put it first for 185 places (September 2026 entry).

Ages
11–16
Pupils
940
Gender
Mixed
Sixth form
No
Admissions
Non-selective
Local authority
Essex
Academy trust
THE SIGMA TRUST
Headteacher
Mr Simon Essex
Opened
Mar 2012

Inspection

Ofsted (framework in use until November 2025)

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Latest ungraded inspection (26 Mar 2025): Standards maintained

The school's last graded inspection took place before 2019.

Inspection reports describe the school on the day. Read the full report and visit the school before deciding.

Exam results

Department for Education performance tables

GCSE results, 2024/25 · 167 pupils

Attainment 8
42.3
England 46.1
Grade 5+ Eng & maths
41.9%
England 45.4%
Grade 4+ Eng & maths
61.1%
England 64.8%
Progress 8
-0.13
2023/24 · CI -0.35 to 0.09
This school
42.3
Essex
45.1
England
46.1

Attainment 8 over time

Progress 8 isn't published for 2024/25 because those pupils had no KS2 test results (tests were cancelled in 2020). Exams were not held in 2019/20 or 2020/21.

Admissions

Demand for places and how places are allocated

Search for your address on the map to see straight-line distances to schools.

Year 7 entry, September 2026 (national offer day data)

Offers made
185
1st preferences
241
All applications
494
1st prefs per place
1.30
More first choices than places

175 of 241 first-preference applicants were offered a place (73%). 1 offers went to families living in another council area.

Oversubscribed with first preferences

Catchment area

We don't have an official catchment boundary for this school. Many schools don't have one, and few councils publish boundaries as open data. We don't estimate catchments. Check the school's admissions policy or the council's admissions booklet.

Last distance offered

Not published nationally. Many councils publish the furthest distance offered for each school in their annual allocation reports. Past distances vary year to year with demand and sibling numbers, so they are not a guarantee.

How places are allocated: you apply through your home council. When a school has more applicants than places, it applies its published oversubscription criteria in order. These usually start with looked-after children, then siblings, then catchment or distance; faith schools may prioritise church attendance. Children with an EHC plan naming the school are admitted first. Apply on GOV.UK

Pupils

School census 2024/25

Pupils
921
Capacity
840
112% full
Girls / boys
47/53
Mixed
  • Eligible for free school meals (last 6 years)35.7%
  • English as an additional language4.5%
  • SEN support15.4%
  • Education, Health and Care plan4.6%
  • The black tick shows the median for state-funded secondary schools in England.
The Thomas Lord Audley School, Colchester · SchoolPatch