Thurstable School
Maypole Road, Tiptree, Colchester, CO5 0EWOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Thurstable School is a secondary school in Colchester for ages 11 to 16. It is one of the 604 schools in Essex. It ranks 10th of 14 secondary schools in Colchester. Its latest Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, graded each key judgement and gave no overall Ofsted rating.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 20 May 2025, report published 23 June 2025
This inspection graded each key judgement and gave no overall effectiveness grade.
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 20 May 2025
Pupils learn, and increasingly achieve well at Thurstable School. They benefit from a well- taught, ambitious curriculum. Pupils meet a wide range of employers, education and training providers. Consequently, pupils are effectively prepared for their next steps. The school prioritises the development of pupils' character. They have opportunities to develop their leadership skills through the active school council. Pupils become informed and active citizens, learning about democracy and social issues. They broaden their interests when they attend a raft of clubs, from forensics to creative writing and cheerleading. The school offers a wide range of trips, visits and workshops. The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils understand these and most meet them. Pupils usually treat each other with kindness and respect. The majority of pupils strive to achieve highly and attend well. If pupils need support to focus on their learning, caring staff provide the help they require. The 'Endeavour centre' provides very effective support for pupils who find it hard to come to school. This helps them improve their confidence and resilience. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They know effective strategies to look after their well-being.
What the school should improve
- The school has not ensured that all pupils engage fully with their learning. As a result, some pupils do not display positive attitudes to learning or attend school well enough. The school should ensure that it builds on its work to ensure pupils consistently place a high value on their education so that they can achieve well.
- The school has not ensured that pupils have sufficient high-quality opportunities to practice and apply what they have learned. When this happens, some pupils do not gain the depth of knowledge and understanding that they need to achieve highly. The school should provide staff with the support they need to provide these opportunities for pupils.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
205 pupils in the year group
Pupil numbers and mix
932 pupils on roll, with places for 1,275
Schools near Thurstable School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honywood School | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 46.3 |
| Lift New Rickstones | 5 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 40.6 |
| Lift Maltings | 5 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | Attainment 8: 39.9 |
| The Stanway School | 6 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 48.2 |
| Paxman Academy | 6 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 41.3 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- THURSTABLE SCHOOL
- Age range
- 11 to 16
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Headteacher
- Mr James Ketley
- Phone
- 01621816526
- Address
- Maypole Road, Tiptree, Colchester, CO5 0EW
- Local authority
- Essex
- URN
- 137241
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.