School Chooser

Langham Oaks

Special · ages 10-16BoysAcademy82 pupilsColchesterEssex
School Chooser ScoreNot scoredWe don't score this type of school.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, October 2024
Strong pass in English and maths0%England 46%
Attendance73.4%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families59%Far more than most schools
PlacesFull82 pupils, 80 places
Pupils per teacher6.0School workforce census

Langham Oaks is a sponsored special academy in Colchester for boys aged 10 to 16. It has 82 pupils, 2 more than it has places for. About 58 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

School Road, Langham, Colchester, CO4 5PA01206 271571langhamoaks.co.ukMr Alan Wells headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 1 October 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

14 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.

Average GCSE score4.6
England 46.8
Official name: Attainment 8
Strong pass in English and maths0%
England 46%
Official name: Grade 5+ in English and maths
Standard pass in English and maths0%
England 66%
Official name: Grade 4+ in English and maths
Progress from age 11-1.76In each subject, pupils here finished well over a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level. (From 2023/24, the latest year there is. The government didn't work it out for the 2025 year group.)Official name: Progress 8
Trend
Average GCSE score
2018 to 2025
2018: 9.79.720182019: 8.28.220192022: 10.810.820222023: 6.16.120232024: 4.94.920242025: 4.64.62025
Since 2018: -5.1
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023202220192018EssexEngland
Pupils at the end of Year 11141517121016
Average GCSE scoreAttainment 84.64.96.110.88.29.746.046.8
Progress from age 11Progress 8-1.76-1.38-1.55-1.94-1.81
Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%44%46%
Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths0%0%0%0%0%0%65%66%
Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score0.310.320.330.720.600.644.064.15
Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry0%0%0%0%0%0%39%41%
Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged10.8
Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers4.85.610.56.4

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

7 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 110%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading scoreOfficial name: Reading average scaled score
Maths scoreOfficial name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 0%0%20172018: 0%0%20182019: 0%0%20192023: 0%0%20232025: 0%0%2025
Since 2017: +0%
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017EssexEngland
Pupils tested7566910
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%0%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%0%0%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score88.090.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score86.087.0104.8104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score87.087.0105.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard0%0%0%0%10%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard0%0%0%0%0%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)0%0%0%0%0%
Reading progressReading progress score-13.8-12.6
Maths progressMaths progress score-15.0

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Essex council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.

Pupils on roll82Census January 2026
Places80102% full
Pupils from low-income families59%59% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support0%0 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan100%82 pupils with a plan
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)67%£63,200 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls82 / 0
White British pupils83%

Specialist SEND provision. A special school for pupils with social, emotional and mental health.

To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Essex with social, emotional and mental health provision.

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: emotional and mental health (81), Autistic spectrum disorder (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll827573777778
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals59%64%59%65%58%68%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support0%0%0%0%0%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans100%100%100%100%100%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 73.4% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance73.4%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school66.7%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils48.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission17.2%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence26.6%32.1%32.3%35.0%43.5%34.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence9.4%18.9%22.2%25.9%38.8%24.6%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence17.2%13.2%10.1%9.1%4.7%10.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence66.7%66.7%79.7%68.7%92.7%62.2%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate48.058.980.580.546.2
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

What pupils do next

After GCSEs

Where the 17 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.

Still in education, work or training53%and stayed there for at least six months
Earlier years
Destination2022/23 leavers2021/22 leavers2020/21 leavers2019/20 leavers
Still in education, work or training53%67%50%86%
Education53%67%50%86%
Apprenticeship0%0%0%0%
Work0%0%0%0%
Not in education, work or training18%17%30%14%

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers13.6full-time equivalent, 14 people
Pupils per teacher6.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers93%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants14.5full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£53,922
Teachers who left in the year26%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher12.62024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other special schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£37,867England £30,720. Total £2.8m
Income per pupil£33,200England £33,526. Total £2.5m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,480England £11,966
Money in reserve19%A healthy amount put by: £476k, £6,344 per pupil. England 16%
Money in against money out-£350kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£37,867spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m3912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate42 per 1,000 people54% lower than the England average
Typical house price£325,000Colchester
Nearest bus stop110 mSchool, 4 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Langham Primary AcademyAcademy540 m101Good 2023Compare
Boxted St Peter's Church of England SchoolChurch of England1.1 miles206Good 202282Compare
Stratford St Mary Primary SchoolCouncil2.2 miles88Good 202381Compare
Ardleigh St Mary's Church of England Primary AcademyAcademy2.3 miles81Requires improvement 202218Compare
Brinkley Grove Primary SchoolFoundation2.4 miles403Not inspected59Compare
The Trinity SchoolFree school2.4 miles780No overall grade 202539Compare
The Gilberd SchoolAcademy2.4 miles1,588Not inspected81Compare
Dedham Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England2.5 miles202Good 202481Compare

Questions parents ask

Is Langham Oaks a good school?

Langham Oaks doesn't have a score yet. Ofsted rated it not judged at its last inspection in October 2024.

What is Langham Oaks's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Langham Oaks not judged at its last full inspection on 1 October 2024.

How good are Langham Oaks's GCSE results?

In summer 2025, 0% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 4.6, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished well over a grade behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.

How good are Langham Oaks's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 0% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Langham Oaks have?

82 pupils aged 10 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 80 places, so it is 103% full. It is a boys' school.

What is attendance like at Langham Oaks?

Pupils were in school 73.4% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 67% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

Does Langham Oaks have specialist SEND provision?

Yes. It is a special school for social, emotional and mental health. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
School Road, Langham, Colchester, CO4 5PA
Telephone
01206 271571
Website
www.langhamoaks.co.uk
Headteacher
Mr Alan Wells
Type of school
Sponsored special academy (Academy special sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Special school, ages 10-16
Gender
Boys
Multi-academy trust
SEAX Trust (5 schools)
Local authority
Essex
Ward
Rural North
Constituency
Harwich and North Essex
Setting
Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 April 2015 (new provision)
URN
141512 · LAESTAB 8817000 · UKPRN 10049201

Recent changes

  • New KS4 results for 2024/25

Where these figures come from