Paxman Academy
Paxman Avenue, Colchester, CO2 9DB
873 pupils · 97% of 900 capacity
- Phase
- Secondary
- Type
- Free schools
- Ages
- 11–16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Trust
- THE SIGMA TRUST
- Local authority
- Essex
- Free school meals
- 33.3%
Ofsted
Good (2024) — Rated under the pre-September 2024 inspection system
This school has not yet been inspected under the report-card system introduced in November 2025. When it is, this section will show a grade for each area — Ofsted says the new grades do not map onto the old ones, so we do not predict them.
Inspected 6 February 2024, published 13 March 2024. Read the full Ofsted report
England has three coexisting inspection systems — how we translate them into one signal.
Exam results
| Measure | 2024/25 |
|---|---|
| Attainment 8 score | 41.3 |
| Grade 5 or above in English & maths (strong pass) | 34.3% |
| Grade 4 or above in English & maths (standard pass) | 48.6% |
| Entering the English Baccalaureate | 17.1% |
Progress 8 is not published nationally for 2024/25 and 2025/26 while KS2 baselines are missing (no SATs in 2020/21). It returns from 2026/27.
“Not published (small cohort)” means the DfE suppressed the figure to protect small cohorts — it is not a zero.
Will my child get in?
Usually has places available — 0.6 first-choice applications per place (Sept 2026 entry)
| Entry | Places | 1st preferences | Total preferences | Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 2026 entry | 174 | 104 | 494 | 136 |
| Sept 2025 entry | 171 | 104 | 492 | 142 |
| Sept 2024 entry | 153 | 131 | 517 | 150 |
| Sept 2023 entry | 176 | 186 | 599 | 176 |
| Sept 2022 entry | 175 | 200 | 625 | 175 |
| Sept 2021 entry | 176 | 191 | 577 | 176 |
| Sept 2020 entry | 175 | 226 | 664 | 175 |
First-choice demand varies year to year, and the school’s admission criteria — not demand — decide who is offered a place. Use this as a rough signal, never a prediction.
Nearby alternatives
- Philip Morant School and College 1 km · Good (2023) · previous system
- St Benedict's Catholic College 1.5 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- Colchester County High School for Girls 1.5 km · Outstanding (2023) · previous system
- Colchester Royal Grammar School 2 km · Most areas: Exceptional (2026)
- The Stanway School 2.3 km · Good — confirmed 2023 · previous system
- The Thomas Lord Audley School 2.4 km · Standards maintained (2025)
Straight-line distance — not travel time, and not a catchment. Same phase, open schools only.
Data from DfE and Ofsted open data (OGL v3) — sources. School record updated 10 July 2026. Report incorrect data.