Notley High School and Braintree Sixth Form
84%
Capacity
1,255
Pupils
1.7x
Demand
About Notley High School and Braintree Sixth Form
Notley High School and Braintree Sixth Form is a mixed state secondary for ages 11 to 19, currently educating 1,255 pupils against a capacity of 1,500. The school serves a community where 17.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure that sits above the national average and reflects the demographic of its Braintree catchment. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 352 applications for 208 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.69 applicants per place. Of those, 168 were first-preference offers, indicating that while the school is popular locally, it is not the top choice for every family. The headteacher is Mark Barrow, and the school has no religious character.
Academically, Notley’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated the school as Requires Improvement overall, though there were notable bright spots. Leadership and management, personal development, and sixth-form provision were all judged Good, while behaviour and attitudes and quality of education were rated Requires Improvement. At KS4, the school’s Progress 8 score was -0.11, which is above the local authority average of -0.18 and places it 34th out of 86 schools in Essex. The Attainment 8 score was 44.1, and 62% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. At A-level, the school’s value-added score was 0.02, with an average points per entry of 32.66, equivalent to a C+ grade. The sixth form was rated Good by Ofsted, and the school ranks 3rd out of 8 in Braintree for Progress 8.
The school offers a wide range of facilities including a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, art studios, a library, and a dedicated sixth-form centre. Sports provision covers rounders, badminton, netball, rugby, hockey, and martial arts, while clubs include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, Model UN, Young Enterprise, and eco and gardening clubs. SEND support is extensive, with provisions for autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties, as well as a resourced provision. The school is oversubscribed, so families applying should be aware of the competition for places. Notley suits families who value a broad curriculum with strong sixth-form options and are comfortable with a school that is actively improving after a previous Inadequate rating.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Notley Road, Braintree, Braintree, CM7 1WY |
| Headteacher | Mark Barrow |
| Local Authority | Essex |
| Number of Pupils | 1,255 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 17.8% |
| School Capacity | 1,255 / 1,500 (84% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
11 Jul 2023Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 17 Oct 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.11)
1791st of 3,141
Nationally
208th of 350
In East of England
3rd of 8
In Braintree
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.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
34.0
'22/23
29.4
'23/24
32.7
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2339%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 247 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)39%
- FE college39%
- Sixth form college10%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Employment4%
- 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.
Where school leavers go
2022/2359%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 111 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
6%
Russell Group
10%
Top-third HE
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)59%
- Employment25%
- Apprenticeship9%
- Not sustained3%
- Further education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology39
- Sociology30
- Media/Film/Tv Studies24
- History20
- English Language and Literature19
- Biology18
- Business Studies:Single18
- Law13
- English Literature12
- Government and Politics12
- Mathematics10
- Art and Design9
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Resourced ProvisionSource: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed208
352
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
168 families put this school as their 1st choice (48% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:40 – 15:15
Source: notleyhigh.com. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
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 British85.4%
- White (other)5.3%
- Mixed4.6%
- Asian1.5%
- Black0.4%
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.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given 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.
5
Total schools
4
Oversubscribed
4
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 Notley High School and Braintree Sixth Form
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
Notley Road, Braintree
Braintree, CM7 1WY
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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