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Thurstable School

Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Academy

Maypole Road, Tiptree, Colchester CO5 0EW · thurstable.co.uk · 01621 816526

On the mapSearch near CO5 0EW

Overview

Ofsted
No overall grade
2019 framework · inspected May 2025
GCSEs, 2024/25
41.9
average Attainment 8 score. Essex 45.1, England 46
Demand for places
0.8
first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
Pupils
932
73% of 1,275 places
Local authority
Essex
Sixth form
No
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
18.5%
First language not English
2.7%
School census 2025/26
Trust
Thurstable School

The official school record (Department for Education)

Admissions

For Year 7 in September 2026, 147 families put the school first and 184 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.

First choices against places

20222023202420252026September 2022: 172 (Places 195)172September 2023: 158 (Places 170)158September 2024: 183 (Places 194)183September 2025: 139 (Places 156)139September 2026: 147 (Places 184)147Places 184
Year 7PlacesFirst choicesPer place% offered
September 2026Sept 20261841470.8100%
September 2025Sept 20251561390.9100%
September 2024Sept 20241941830.9100%
September 2023Sept 20231701580.9100%
September 2022Sept 20221951720.9100%

Results

In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 41.9, and 42% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Essex it was 45.1, and across England 46.

In 2018/19 the average A level result was grade C- (27.4 points per entry).

GCSE results

Attainment 8

2019/20 to 2020/21: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1921/2222/2323/2424/252016/17: 44.7 (England 46.3)44.72017/18: 46.0 (England 46.5)46.02018/19: 45.6 (England 46.7)45.62021/22: 51.3 (England 48.8)51.32022/23: 47.0 (England 46.3)47.02023/24: 44.7 (England 45.9)44.72024/25: 41.9 (England 46.0)41.9England 46.0
2024/25TrendSchoolEngland
▼41.946.0
▼42.0%45.4%
●63.9%64.8%
▲47.3%40.5%
●3.894.09

Where Year 11 leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
School sixth form8.6−22.7
Sixth form college41.4+21.2
Further education32.9+0.6
Apprenticeship2.4−2.1
Employment3.3+0.8
Not in a lasting destination7.10
Activity not captured4.3+3.8

A levels and other 16 to 18 results

A level average grade

15/1616/1717/1818/192015/16: 24.4 (England 30.5)D+2016/17: 24.8 (England 31.1)D+2017/18: 23.9 (England 32.1)D+2018/19: 27.4 (England 32.9)C-England 32.9
2018/19TrendAverage gradeProgress
35 studentsC- (27.4)Average -0.21
35 studentsC- (27.4)Average -0.21
8%AAB or better
91.2%finished their course
Earlier years: A levelStudentsAverage gradeProgress
2017/1847D+ (23.9)-0.43
2016/1746D+ (24.8)-0.34
2015/1649D+ (24.4)-0.16

Where sixth-form leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
University32.4−7
Other education1.4−2.9
Apprenticeship8.1+6.7
Employment37.8+6.8
Not in a lasting destination17.6+0.7
Activity not captured2.7−4.3

Ofsted

Ofsted inspected Thurstable School on 20 May 2025 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.

Overall
No overall grade
Inspected
20 May 2025
Graded inspection

Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports

Graded areas

Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentGood
Leadership and managementGood
Sixth formGood

Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, Sept 2022

Earlier inspections

September 2019 to November 2025

  • May 2024Monitoring visitEffective action
  • Sept 2022Requires improvement
    Quality of educationRequires improvement
    Behaviour and attitudesGood
    Personal developmentGood
    Leadership and managementGood
    Sixth formGood
    SafeguardingEffective
  • Nov 2021Ungraded inspectionConcerns
    SafeguardingEffective

Before September 2019

  • Apr 2016Good
    Outcomes for pupilsGood
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentGood
    Personal development, behaviour and welfareGood
    Leadership and managementGood
    16 to 19 study programmesGood
    SafeguardingEffective
  • Oct 2014Requires improvement
    Outcomes for pupilsRequires improvement
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentRequires improvement
    Leadership and managementGood
    16 to 19 study programmesGood

What parents said

70% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (126 replies, to 1 September 2025).

Recommend
70%
Replies
126
12% · 1 Sept 2025
Child is happy at school▼78% agreeEngland 89%
Child feels safe▼87% agreeEngland 90%
Pupils are well behaved▼74% agreeEngland 84%
School has high expectations●83% agreeEngland 84%
Child does well▼79% agreeEngland 87%
Told what child will learn▼80% agreeEngland 84%
Told how child is doing●87% agreeEngland 85%
Good range of subjects▼85% agreeEngland 91%
Can join clubs and activities▲94% agreeEngland 91%
Supports personal development▼72% agreeEngland 79%
Concerns are dealt with properly▼72% agreeEngland 77%

based on the 89% who raised concerns

Bullying dealt with quickly▲63% agreeEngland 50%

based on the 35% who had a child bullied

Gets the SEND support they need▲71% agreeEngland 67%

based on 38 parents (30%) with SEND

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