St Mark's West Essex Catholic School
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St Mark's West Essex Catholic School is a converter academy in Harlow for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,099 pupils and room for 1,120. About 21 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 57 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 40% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2023.
Tripton Road, Harlow, CM18 6AA01279 421267st-marks.essex.sch.ukMr John Taylor headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 22 February 2023, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
170 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Essex | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 170 | 172 | 167 | 169 | 143 | 150 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 46.3 | 45.7 | 48.4 | 49.4 | 45.1 | 50.7 | 46.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.04 | +0.05 | -0.10 | -0.16 | +0.46 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 39% | 42% | 43% | 48% | 35% | 48% | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 61% | 62% | 63% | 68% | 62% | 70% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.32 | 4.23 | 4.50 | 4.41 | 4.03 | 4.67 | 4.06 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 73% | 72% | 73% | 63% | 52% | 67% | 39% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 42.3 | 37.3 | 36.4 | 36.0 | 40.9 | 41.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 47.1 | 47.3 | 50.9 | 52.0 | 45.9 | 52.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 30.9 | 32.0 | 31.3 | 27.2 | 29.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 63.3 | 65.9 | 67.0 | 55.8 | 63.4 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 21 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Drama (18% here, 60% across England), German (24% here, 63% across England), Music (31% here, 61% across England), Art and Design (32% here, 58% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 166 | 15% | 46% | 67% | 53% | 2,019 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 166 | 14% | 57% | 77% | 58% | 1,469 of 3,202 |
| English Language | 166 | 10% | 53% | 72% | 54% | 1,519 of 3,210 |
| Religious Studies | 158 | 28% | 59% | 70% | 60% | 1,035 of 1,825 |
| Combined Science | 124 | 8% | 31% | 58% | 36% | 1,810 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 85 | 19% | 54% | 66% | 51% | 1,133 of 3,116 |
| German | 80 | 4% | 24% | 55% | 63% | 553 of 571 |
| Business | 72 | 13% | 39% | 54% | 51% | 1,219 of 1,806 |
| History | 71 | 17% | 48% | 59% | 52% | 1,748 of 3,126 |
| Physical Education | 49 | 14% | 45% | 65% | 56% | 1,064 of 1,559 |
| French | 45 | 29% | 80% | 89% | 60% | 419 of 1,974 |
| Chemistry | 42 | 45% | 79% | 95% | 81% | 1,616 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 42 | 31% | 88% | 95% | 82% | 1,209 of 2,546 |
| Biology | 42 | 21% | 83% | 93% | 82% | 1,495 of 2,570 |
| Design & Technology | 39 | 18% | 46% | 62% | 50% | 780 of 1,478 |
| Computer Science | 22 | 9% | 50% | 64% | 56% | 1,080 of 1,861 |
| Drama | 22 | 0% | 18% | 46% | 60% | 821 of 844 |
| Art and Design | 19 | 21% | 32% | 58% | 58% | – |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 17 | 12% | 29% | 47% | 52% | – |
| Music | 16 | 0% | 31% | 50% | 61% | – |
| Other Modern Languages | 11 | 55% | 55% | 55% | 49% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
104 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 104 | 103 | 94 | 103 | 159 | 156 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 22.29 | 24.03 | 27.44 | 26.22 | 16.69 | 23.90 |
| Average A level grade | D+ | D+ | C- | C- | D- | D+ |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 25.26 | 27.74 | 29.23 | 27.23 | 18.96 | 27.03 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 2% | 9% | 7% | 3% | 0% | 8% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.23 | -0.15 | – | – | -0.38 | -0.20 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 24.75 | 27.39 | 28.38 | 34.38 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 96% | 85% | 98% | 95% | 94% | 91% |
A level subjects
17 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. Every gap at this school is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test. As a Roman Catholic school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
How places were given out for September 2026. The last place was given under this rule: Criterion 5.
| Entry | Places | Applied at all | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 180 | 485 | – | LA |
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (37), emotional and mental health (34), Autistic spectrum disorder (26), language and communications needs (13), Other difficulty or disability (11), Specific learning difficulty (8).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,099 | 1,082 | 1,067 | 1,044 | 1,072 | 1,042 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 20% | 18% | 17% | 16% | 15% | 13% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 24% | 25% | 26% | 26% | 24% | 25% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 10% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 7% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.3% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 6.7% | 6.2% | 7.4% | 7.2% | 5.1% | 5.8% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.7% | 4.6% | 5.1% | 4.9% | 3.6% | 4.6% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 2.0% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1.2% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 17.3% | 14.7% | 20.4% | 17.3% | 13.1% | 13.7% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 8.6 | 9.1 | 10.5 | 9.3 | 6.1 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 167 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 90%, compared with 98% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 96% | 95% | 98% | 95% |
| Education | 90% | 91% | 94% | 94% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Work | 2% | 4% | 3% | 0% |
| Not in education, work or training | 1% | 4% | 1% | 3% |
After sixth form
Where the 88 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 84% went on to degree-level study or training.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 94% | 95% | 89% | – |
| Education | 75% | 82% | 71% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 2% | 3% | 4% |
| Work | 16% | 11% | 16% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 5% | 3% | 7% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
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
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 secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bmat Stem Academy | University technical college | 630 m | 240 | Good 2023 | 2 | Compare |
| Sir Frederick Gibberd College | Free school | 660 m | 880 | No overall grade 2024 | 13 | Compare |
| Burnt Mill Academy | Academy | 0.9 miles | 959 | Good 2023 | 41 | Compare |
| Passmores Academy | Academy | 1.0 miles | 1,199 | Good 2024 | 9 | Compare |
| Stewards Academy - Science Specialist, Harlow | Academy | 1.0 miles | 978 | Requires improvement 2024 | 4 | Compare |
| Mark Hall Academy | Academy | 1.6 miles | 867 | No overall grade 2025 | 11 | Compare |
| Leventhorpe | Academy | 4.4 miles | 1,463 | Good 2024 | 54 | Compare |
| The John Warner School | Academy | 4.6 miles | 726 | Inadequate 2022 | 2 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares St Mark's West Essex Catholic School with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Mark's West Essex Catholic School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debden Park High School | Academy | 7.6 miles | 1,046 | No overall grade 2025 | 68 | Compare |
| Redden Court School | Academy | 13.5 miles | 1,058 | Outstanding 2022 | 83 | Compare |
| St Thomas More Catholic School | Academy | 14.3 miles | 1,296 | Outstanding 2024 | 90 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 57 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 57% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 46 to 67. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | in line | -0.01 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 170 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 19% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old) | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 3.6 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.01 | DfE progress measure; 170 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | +0.01 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.07 | 2024/25; 916 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | -0.03 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 170 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | above | +0.04 | 167 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is St Mark's West Essex Catholic School a good school?
It is about average. St Mark's West Essex Catholic School scores 57 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 40% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 46 to 67, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is St Mark's West Essex Catholic School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated St Mark's West Essex Catholic School good at its last full inspection on 22 February 2023.
How good are St Mark's West Essex Catholic School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 39% 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 46.3, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about level with children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does St Mark's West Essex Catholic School have?
1,099 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,120 places, so it is 98% full.
Is St Mark's West Essex Catholic School oversubscribed?
Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.
What is attendance like at St Mark's West Essex Catholic School?
Pupils were in school 93.3% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 17% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at St Mark's West Essex Catholic School?
The average class had 22.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 13% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does St Mark's West Essex Catholic School have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was D+. 17 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Tripton Road, Harlow, CM18 6AA
- Telephone
- 01279 421267
- Website
- www.st-marks.essex.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr John Taylor
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic, Diocese of Brentwood
- Single-academy trust
- St. Mark's West Essex Catholic School (1 schools)
- Local authority
- Essex
- Ward
- Bush Fair
- Constituency
- Harlow
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 August 2011 (academy converter)
- URN
- 137058 · LAESTAB 8815458 · UKPRN 10034771
- Formerly
- St Mark's West Essex Catholic School
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Essex council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.