60%
GCSE 9–4 · 2024/25
36%
GCSE 5+ · 2024/25
46.0
Attainment 8 · 2024/25
42%
EBacc entry · 2024/25
818.5
EBacc APS · 2024/25
987
Pupils · 2024/25
19%
EAL · 2024/25
21%
Persistent abs. · 2024/25
Ofsted inspection
Good
Ofsted inspection · 30/01/2024
Inadequate
Requires improvement
Good
Outstanding
Local authorityEssex
PhaseSecondary
School typeAcademy
Pupil : teacher ratio16.9:1
AdmissionsNon-selective
Religious characterNone
StatusOpen
Overview of St Helena School · Secondary · Essex
Part ofTHE SIGMA TRUST
How does this school perform?
Key Stage 4 · 2024/25 · trend since 2016/17
GCSE 9–4 incl. Eng & maths
60%
+4pp
64%60%55%
'19'22'23'24'25
'25 · 60%
GCSE 5+ incl. Eng & maths
36%
+4pp
40%36%32%
'19'22'23'24'25
'25 · 36%
Attainment 8
46.0
+4.4
46.143.941.6
'19'22'23'24'25
'25 · 46.0
EBacc entry
42%
+21pp
42%30%18%
'19'22'23'24'25
'25 · 42%
EBacc APS
818.5
+142.6
818.5697.4576.3
'19'22'23'24'25
'25 · 818.5
Pupils & context
2024/25
Pupils on roll
987
Pupil : teacher ratio
16.9
Workforce data · 2025/26
EAL
19%
FSM eligible
31%
SEN
17%
Overall absence
8%
Persistent absence
21%
Contact
Address
Sheepen Road, Colchester, CO3 3LE
Local authority
Essex
Website
Telephone
Email
—
History
All years · Historical DfE data by academic year
Secondary — Key Stage 4
GCSE attainment and Progress 8 — how pupils progressed from KS2 to KS4.
| Year | GCSE 9–4 | GCSE 5+ | Attainment 8 | Progress 8 | EBacc entry | EBacc APS | EBacc lang entry | Cohort |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | 60% | 36% | 46.0 | Not applicable | 42% | 818.5 | 44% | 987 |
| 2023/24 | 56% | 32% | 41.6 | -0.31 | 21% | 676.0 | 22% | 995 |
| 2022/23 | 58% | 33% | 42.2 | -0.18 | 22% | 654.9 | 24% | 994 |
| 2021/22 | 64% | 40% | 46.1 | -0.33 | 18% | 737.4 | 23% | 990 |
| 2018/19 | 55% | 33% | 42.6 | -0.31 | 22% | 576.3 | 36% | 946 |
| 2017/18 | 46% | 26% | 38.0 | -0.57 | 29% | 444.0 | 39% | 915 |
| 2016/17 | 56% | 35% | 43.9 | -0.08 | 18% | — | 37% | 888 |
Pupils & absence
| Year | Pupils | Pupil:teacher | SEN | EAL | FSM ever | Absence | Persistent absence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | 987 | 16.3 | 17% | 19% | 31% | 8% | 21% |
| 2023/24 | 995 | 16.8 | 15% | 17% | 29% | 7% | 20% |
| 2022/23 | 994 | 17.0 | 11% | 17% | 28% | 8% | 24% |
| 2021/22 | 990 | 17.5 | 11% | 14% | 28% | 10% | 32% |
| 2020/21 | 972 | 16.8 | 11% | 13% | 27% | — | — |
| 2018/19 | 946 | 17.4 | 11% | 14% | 28% | 5% | 13% |
| 2017/18 | 915 | 17.3 | 13% | 13% | 30% | 6% | 13% |
| 2016/17 | 888 | 16.0 | 14% | 13% | 33% | 5% | 8% |
School performance data © Crown copyright. Source: Department for Education.