Colne Community School
83%
Capacity
1,283
Pupils
1.3x
Demand
About Colne Community School
Colne Community School sits within Essex local authority, a large county with 86 secondary schools where it ranks 30th overall. In its immediate area of Tendring, it is the second-best performing school out of six, placing it in the top third locally. The top-performing schools in Essex are selective or faith-based — King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, Colchester Royal Grammar School and Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School — all with Progress 8 scores above 1.0, a very different academic profile. Colne is a mixed, non-selective 11-16 state school with 1,283 pupils, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 awarded it a Good rating across all categories, a significant improvement from its previous Inadequate judgement in 2018. The school is oversubscribed for 2025/26, receiving 348 applications for 274 places, with 239 first-preference offers made, suggesting strong local demand.
Academically, Colne Community School achieves a Progress 8 score of -0.08, which is classified as Average and sits above the Essex local authority average of -0.18. Its Attainment 8 score is 45.5, and 44.3% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, with 67.5% achieving grade 4 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.9, though only 3.3% of pupils entered the full EBacc and achieved the 9-5 threshold, while 47.2% entered the EBacc combination. Progress in English and maths is broadly similar, both at -0.07, with slightly weaker progress in the EBacc subjects at -0.17. The school’s open element Progress 8 score is -0.02, indicating that pupils perform close to expectations in non-core subjects. Nationally, the school ranks 1,726 out of 3,141 schools on Progress 8, placing it just above the median.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a theatre, swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis courts, playing fields, music rooms and an ICT suite, alongside a library and dining hall. Sports provision is varied, with options such as cross country, cricket, basketball, dance, athletics, martial arts, badminton, gymnastics and netball. Clubs include Debate, Orchestra, Young Enterprise, Model UN, Coding, DofE, Choir, Chess, Eco Club and Drama, giving pupils plenty of extracurricular choice. The school has a strong SEND offer, with provisions for Specific Learning Difficulty (Dyslexia), Moderate Learning Difficulty, Social, Emotional & Mental Health, Speech, Language & Communication, Hearing Impairment, Visual Impairment, Multi-Sensory Impairment, Physical Disability and Autistic Spectrum Disorder. With 19.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. It is best suited to families in the Tendring area seeking a well-resourced, improving secondary with good behaviour and leadership, though without a sixth form on site.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Address | Church Road, Colchester, Tendring, CO7 0QL |
| Headteacher | Neil Gallagher |
| Local Authority | Essex |
| Number of Pupils | 1,283 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 19.8% |
| School Capacity | 1,283 / 1,540 (83% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
27 Jun 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 19 Sept 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.08)
1726th of 3,141
Nationally
197th of 350
In East of England
2nd of 6
In Tendring
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/235%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 231 pupils).
- Sixth form college42%
- FE college38%
- Employment6%
- School sixth form (stay)5%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Not sustained4%
96% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
19Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed274
348
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
239 families put this school as their 1st choice (69% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British88.2%
- Mixed4.2%
- White (other)3.7%
- Asian0.6%
- Black0.2%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
2
Total schools
2
Oversubscribed
1
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Colne Community School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Church Road, Colchester
Tendring, CO7 0QL
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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