Manningtree High School

About Manningtree High School

Manningtree High School is a mixed, non-selective state secondary in the Essex town of Tendring, and it sits in a local authority that includes some of the highest-performing grammar schools in the country. The top three ranked schools in Essex by Progress 8 are King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford, Colchester Royal Grammar School, and Brentwood Ursuline Convent High School, all with scores above 1.0. Manningtree is a different proposition entirely, but it holds its own in a very different way. It is ranked 17th out of 86 state secondaries in Essex, and within the Tendring district it is the top-ranked school out of six. That local ranking matters because it reflects the school’s standing among its immediate neighbours, not the selective giants further afield. The school is oversubscribed, with 207 first-preference applications for 186 places in the 2025/26 admissions round, and a total of 513 applications overall. That level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, and the school is currently rated Good by Ofsted following its January 2025 inspection, a rating it has held consistently across its two most recent graded inspections.

Academically, Manningtree delivers results that are comfortably above the local average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.15 is positive and well above the Essex LA average of -0.18, meaning pupils here make more progress than their peers across the county. The Attainment 8 score of 49.2 is solid for a non-selective school, and 51.5% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 73.7% at the standard pass threshold. The EBacc entry rate is 39.8%, with 14% of pupils achieving the full EBacc at grade 5 or above. In its most recent Ofsted inspection, the school received Good ratings across all four graded areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The inspection report noted that the school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections, with the previous graded inspection in December 2014 also awarding Good overall. Nationally, Manningtree ranks in the top 38% of schools by Progress 8, and in the top 36% in the East of England region.

The school is well equipped for a secondary of its size, with facilities including a theatre, art studios, music rooms, a sports hall, tennis courts, and an ICT suite. There is no sixth form, so pupils leave at 16, but the school does have a Sixth Form Centre, which may be used for other purposes. The range of clubs is broad, with options including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, coding, chess, drama, and a gardening club. Sports on offer include rugby, netball, swimming, athletics, and badminton. For families with children who have special educational needs, the school lists provisions for a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. However, the Parent View responses for the SEND question are notably mixed: only 29% of respondents agreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need, while 67% disagreed. Overall, 71% of parents would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed that their child is happy, feels safe, and that the school has high expectations. This is a school that suits families in the Tendring area looking for a solid, oversubscribed local secondary with academic outcomes above the county average and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities.

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