Thurstable School
similar schools
Thurstable School is a converter academy in Colchester for boys and girls aged 11 to 16. It has 932 pupils and room for 1,275. About 18 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 38 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 26% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Maypole Road, Tiptree, Colchester, CO5 0EW01621 816526thurstable.co.ukMr James Ketley head teacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 20 May 2025, 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.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 3 November 2021 | Ungraded | School remains Good (Concerns) - S5 Next |
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
205 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 | 205 | 210 | 206 | 198 | 181 | 155 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 41.9 | 44.7 | 47.0 | 51.3 | 45.6 | 46.0 | 46.0 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | -0.19 | -0.02 | +0.43 | -0.29 | -0.02 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 42% | 49% | 50% | 57% | 35% | 38% | 44% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 64% | 65% | 69% | 76% | 61% | 61% | 65% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 3.89 | 4.21 | 4.25 | 4.62 | 3.89 | 3.88 | 4.06 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 47% | 54% | 40% | 45% | 27% | 21% | 39% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 27.0 | 29.9 | 30.9 | 34.6 | 35.0 | 41.5 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 44.6 | 47.6 | 50.2 | 53.0 | 47.3 | 46.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 27.7 | 27.7 | 35.5 | 25.4 | 29.8 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 63.8 | 65.0 | 71.5 | 55.9 | 58.4 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 17 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.
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Art and Design (30% here, 58% across England), Business (24% here, 51% across England), Media / Film / TV (31% here, 55% across England), Spanish (37% here, 54% 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 | 201 | 17% | 50% | 72% | 53% | 1,666 of 3,211 |
| English Language | 201 | 14% | 51% | 68% | 54% | 1,683 of 3,210 |
| English Literature | 199 | 10% | 46% | 69% | 58% | 2,338 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 152 | 7% | 34% | 50% | 36% | 1,545 of 3,084 |
| Geography | 128 | 13% | 41% | 54% | 51% | 2,084 of 3,116 |
| History | 105 | 23% | 43% | 53% | 52% | 2,051 of 3,126 |
| Art and Design | 77 | 4% | 30% | 53% | 58% | 2,524 of 2,818 |
| German | 64 | 17% | 64% | 80% | 63% | 289 of 571 |
| Media / Film / TV | 45 | 11% | 31% | 44% | 55% | 522 of 580 |
| Biology | 45 | 18% | 69% | 80% | 82% | 2,029 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 42 | 24% | 74% | 81% | 81% | 1,822 of 2,537 |
| Physics | 42 | 29% | 67% | 83% | 82% | 2,047 of 2,546 |
| Business | 41 | 7% | 24% | 32% | 51% | 1,608 of 1,806 |
| Design & Technology | 36 | 6% | 33% | 50% | 50% | 1,087 of 1,478 |
| Spanish | 30 | 13% | 37% | 47% | 54% | 1,555 of 1,941 |
| Computer Science | 19 | 26% | 53% | 63% | 56% | – |
| Music | 16 | 19% | 50% | 69% | 61% | – |
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, 2024
131 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 131 | 150 | 153 | 117 | 117 | 129 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 26.54 | 25.73 | 30.69 | 27.43 | 23.92 | 24.77 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C- | C | C- | D+ | D+ |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 27.27 | 23.33 | 28.33 | 24.27 | 19.43 | 26.67 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 9% | 8% | 4% | 8% | 0% | 0% |
| A level progressA level value added | -0.51 | – | – | -0.21 | -0.43 | -0.34 |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 88% | 100% | 91% | 91% | 88% | 100% |
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. 1 of the 3 gaps 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.
335 places were empty (25% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 14% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
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 | 394 | – | 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: emotional and mental health (62), Autistic spectrum disorder (51), Specific learning difficulty (38), language and communications needs (13), Physical disability (7), Hearing impairment (2).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 932 | 1,031 | 1,141 | 1,201 | 1,196 | 1,208 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 19% | 16% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 9% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 3% | 2% | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 16% | 14% | 11% | 11% | 11% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 3% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 90.8% 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 | 9.2% | 7.5% | 9.4% | 10.0% | 6.5% | 6.0% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 5.9% | 5.5% | 7.8% | 8.5% | 5.0% | 5.1% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.3% | 2.0% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 24.2% | 19.8% | 28.3% | 30.5% | 18.4% | 15.5% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 16.5 | 16.0 | 18.8 | 16.6 | 9.9 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 206 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 79%, compared with 91% for everyone else.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 89% | 92% | 93% | 96% |
| Education | 85% | 85% | 81% | 89% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 5% | 6% | 4% |
| Work | 2% | 3% | 6% | 4% |
| Not in education, work or training | 7% | 7% | 4% | 4% |
After sixth form
Where the 89 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 60%, compared with 80% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 56% 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 | 78% | 76% | 82% | – |
| Education | 29% | 44% | 35% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 6% | 1% | 13% | 0% |
| Work | 43% | 31% | 34% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 15% | 17% | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honywood School | Academy | 4.7 miles | 849 | Good 2022 | 45 | Compare |
| Lift New Rickstones | Academy | 4.8 miles | 1,221 | Good 2023 | 29 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Thurstable 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 Thurstable 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Boswells School | Academy | 12.1 miles | 1,423 | Good 2023 | 49 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 38 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 38% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 28 to 48. 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 | -0.03 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 205 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 1.3 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.06 | DfE progress measure; 205 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.09 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | -0.01 | 2024/25; 1,030 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | -0.03 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 205 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | in line | -0.02 | 206 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 Thurstable School a good school?
It is about average. Thurstable School scores 38 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 26% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 28 to 48, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Thurstable School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Thurstable School not judged at its last full inspection on 20 May 2025.
How good are Thurstable School's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 42% 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 41.9, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished a little behind children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Thurstable School have?
932 pupils aged 11 to 16 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,275 places, so it is 73% full.
Is Thurstable School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 335 places were empty in 2024/25 (25% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Thurstable School?
Pupils were in school 90.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 24% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Thurstable School?
The average class had 25.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 3% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Thurstable School have a sixth form?
No. Pupils leave after Year 11 for a sixth form elsewhere, a college or an apprenticeship; 89% of 2022/23 leavers were still in education, work or training six months on.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Maypole Road, Tiptree, Colchester, CO5 0EW
- Telephone
- 01621 816526
- Website
- www.thurstable.co.uk
- Head Teacher
- Mr James Ketley
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Single-academy trust
- Thurstable School (1 schools)
- Local authority
- Essex
- Ward
- Tiptree
- Constituency
- Witham
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 August 2011 (academy converter)
- URN
- 137241 · LAESTAB 8815413 · UKPRN 10034841
- Formerly
- Thurstable School Sports College and Sixth Form Centre
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.
- 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.