The Sandon School
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Secondary
Post 16
PUPILS
1280
AGES
11 - 18
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Academy converter
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
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Can I Get My Child Into This School?

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This pupil heat map shows where pupils currently attending the school live.
The concentration of pupils shows likelihood of admission based on distance criteria

Source: All attending pupils National School Census Data, ONS
0845 603 2200

This School Guide heat map has been plotted using official pupil data taken from the last School Census collected by the Department for Education. It is a visualisation of where pupils lived at the time of the annual School Census.

Our heat maps use groups of postcodes, not individual postcodes, and have naturally soft edges. All pupils are included in the mapping (i.e. children with siblings already at the school, high priority pupils and selective and/or religious admissions) but we may have removed statistical ‘outliers’ with more remote postcodes that do not reflect majority admissions.

For some schools, the heat map may be a useful indicator of the catchment area but our heat maps are not the same as catchment area maps. Catchment area maps, published by the school or local authority, are based on geographical admissions criteria and show actual cut-off distances and pre-defined catchment areas for a single admission year.

This information is provided as a guide only. The criteria in which schools use to allocate places in the event that they are oversubscribed can and do vary between schools and over time. These criteria can include distance from the school and sometimes specific catchment areas but can also include, amongst others, priority for siblings, children of a particular faith or specific feeder schools. Living in an area where children have previously attended a school does not guarantee admission to the school in future years. Always check with the school’s own admission authority for the current admission arrangements.

3 steps to help parents gather catchment information for a school:

  1. Look at our school catchment area guide for more information on heat maps. They give a useful indicator of the general areas that admit pupils to the school. This visualisation is based on all attending pupils present at the time of the annual School Census.
  2. Use the link to the Local Authority Contact (above) to find catchment area information based on a single admission year. This is very important if you are considering applying to a school.
  3. On each school page, use the link to visit the school website and find information on individual school admissions criteria. Geographical criteria are only applied after pupils have been admitted on higher priority criteria such as Looked After Children, SEN, siblings, etc.

How Does The School Perform?

Good
NATIONAL AVG. 2.09
Ofsted Inspection
(22/03/2018)
Full Report - All Reports
62%
NATIONAL AVG. 38%
5+ GCSEs grade 9-4 (standard pass or above) including English and maths



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Progress Compared With All Other Schools

UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 15% of schools in England) Below Average (About 18% of schools in England) Average (About 35% of schools in England) Above Average (About 16% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 16% of schools in England)

School Results Over Time

2019 2022 2023 2020 Covid-19 2021 Covid-19 UNLOCK

% of pupils who achieved 5+ GCSEs grade 9-4
2019 2022 2023 2020 Covid-19 2021 Covid-19 UNLOCK

% of pupils who achieved GCSE grade 5 or above in both English and maths
2019 2022 2023 2020 Covid-19 2021 Covid-19 UNLOCK

% of pupils who achieved 3 A levels at AAB or higher
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Molrams Lane
Sandon
Chelmsford
CM2 7AQ
01245473611

School Description

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Pupils told inspectors how much they value the school’s strong community ethos, and the way in which ‘everyone helps and supports each-other’. They interact in a mature and considerate manner with staff, get to work quickly in the classroom and maintain their focus well when work is challenging. Pupils are welcoming to visitors, and were keen to talk with inspectors about the many aspects of life and work at their school which they value. Among these is the broad curriculum; pupils can choose from a very wide range of subjects to study both at key stage 4 and in the sixth form. Effective careers information and guidance enable pupils to choose subjects and courses that fit well with their interests, ambitions and abilities. Most pupils make good progress and achieve well. As a result, all pupils who completed key stage 4 in 2017 entered into employment, further education or training. Many chose to enter the school’s large sixth form and typically, post-16 students make strong progress and achieve highly. Very many make successful applications for undergraduate study. Pupils also appreciate the calm, orderly atmosphere around the school; they told inspectors that disruption to their learning is unusual, and that more serious misbehaviour is a very rare occurrence. Often, pupils’ conduct within the classroom helps to quicken the pace of learning; when teachers seek to create discussion and debate, pupils are willing participants. Pupils listen to the views of their classmates respectfully, and are happy to be challenged to develop their thinking. Pupils, including the most able, told inspectors that these techniques deepen their learning. They help to ensure that, as one pupil commented, ‘the work’s just hard enough, but not so tough that you give up’. However, pupils told inspectors that the level of challenge they experience ‘depends on the teacher’. The school community is enriched via pupils’ participation in the many extra activities that teachers make available to them. Opportunities include a wealth of sporting activities, dance, drama, and creative writing clubs, as well as numerous trips and visits, such as the history ‘battlefields trip’ to Ypres. Provision for music is a particular strength; many pupils learn a musical instrument, play in the orchestra or sing in the choir. Others serve as elected form captains, or take up leadership positions as subject ambassadors or health champions. Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils take up these opportunities to the same degree that other pupils do. These activities promote pupils’ personal development well, and support the school’s ethos of ‘working together’. Together with other leaders and governors, you are rigorous in checking the quality of the school’s provision. You rightly make amendments to the curriculum so that pupils study the right courses or are entered for the appropriate examination papers in particular subjects, given their abilities. You identified that in the past some pupils did not achieve well in science because they were entered for the ‘triple science’ option at GCSE, which was too difficult for them. You have ensured that current pupils are studying for science qualifications that are a good fit, given their abilities. Leaders have analysed last year’s GCSE mathematics results carefully, and have identified where pupils did not perform well. Teachers are putting particular emphasis on these topics and techniques, and are adapting sequences of learning appropriately. Governors share your commitment to keep refining the school’s curriculum so that it meets the needs of all pupils. They understand the school’s key strengths and what needs to improve. Governors challenge you and other leaders robustly. They seek additional information about the quality of aspects of the school’s provision – including through visits and via independent reviews. They are particularly rigorous in ensuring that policies, procedures and provision all help to keep pupils safe. Governors have identified that teachers would welcome the opportunity to learn from each other. They are supportive of the plans you have put in place to facilitate this and to ensure that the most effective teaching techniques are both shared and widely adopted. Safeguarding is effective. The leadership team has ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Leaders and governors ensure that the correct checks are carried out before staff are appointed, and that all adults receive regular safeguarding training. This ensures that staff understand the kinds of risks that young people can be vulnerable to, including those that are specific to the school’s locality, and how to spot any changes in behaviour, appearance or attendance that might indicate an issue of concern. Staff follow the correct procedures in such cases, passing on any and all concerns. Leaders act with both sensitivity and determination to ensure that pupils get appropriate support from external agencies when that is needed. Their work to provide early help to pupils who need it is particularly effective. The wider curriculum promotes pupils’ understanding of risks and how to manage them. Pupils who spoke with inspectors were particularly knowledgeable about how to stay safe online. Staff and parents are rightly confident that pupils are well cared for at school. All pupils who spoke with inspectors indicated that they feel safe at school, and that instances of bullying are rare and dealt with effectively. The school’s records confirm this. Very many pupils benefit from the help provided by ‘peer mentors’. These professionally trained pupils listen to individuals who are experiencing academic or personal difficulties, offer advice and work with staff to ensure they get the necessary help. This helps to create a community in which all are known and valued – and one in which pupils readily choose to support one another. Pupils also appreciate the steps the school takes to help those with mental health issues, such as providing access to counselling or assistance from external agencies. Inspection findings The inspection team’s first line of enquiry was to establish how far leaders have reduced pupil absence. In recent years, overall absence has been slightly above the national average, and disadvantaged pupils’ rates of persistent absence have been above the national average for this group of pupils. Effective work with pupils and parents is helping to remove the barriers that have prevented some pupils from attending school regularly. Your recent changes to the way in which absence is tackled are ensuring that individuals’ poor attendance is tackled quickly before it becomes entrenched. Since the beginning of the academic year, overall attendance has increased and is above the national average. However, disadvantaged pupils’ attendance remains too low because a small number of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. We also agreed to establish how far leaders have ensured that disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their starting points. In 2017, overall, disadvantaged pupils had made too little progress by the end of key stage 4 and achieved less well in their academic qualifications than they should have done. Your monitoring indicates that typically, disadvantaged pupils currently on roll are making as much progress as other pupils with the same starting points. The work in pupils’ books is consistent with this, and disadvantaged pupils told inspectors that they are well supported. In large part, this is because staff know individual pupils well, identify the barriers that might hold back their learning and work effectively to remove them. However, a small number of disadvantaged pupils are not doing as well as they might because they do not attend school as often as they should.

The Sandon School Parent Reviews



unlock % Parents Recommend This School
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>32, "agree"=>48, "disagree"=>11, "strongly_disagree"=>9, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>36, "agree"=>49, "disagree"=>6, "strongly_disagree"=>7, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>16, "agree"=>48, "disagree"=>21, "strongly_disagree"=>12, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
My Child Has Not Been Bullied Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"my_child_has_not_been_bullied"=>55, "strongly_agree"=>7, "agree"=>14, "disagree"=>7, "strongly_disagree"=>9, "dont_know"=>9} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>17, "agree"=>41, "disagree"=>27, "strongly_disagree"=>10, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
I Have Not Raised Any Concerns Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"i_have_not_raised_any_concerns"=>14, "strongly_agree"=>31, "agree"=>24, "disagree"=>19, "strongly_disagree"=>12, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>7, "agree"=>32, "disagree"=>30, "strongly_disagree"=>26, "dont_know"=>5} UNLOCK Figures based on 57 responses up to 26-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>30, "agree"=>37, "disagree"=>21, "strongly_disagree"=>4, "dont_know"=>8} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>28, "agree"=>43, "disagree"=>19, "strongly_disagree"=>6, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>25, "agree"=>43, "disagree"=>21, "strongly_disagree"=>9, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>37, "agree"=>55, "disagree"=>4, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>52, "agree"=>43, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>2, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>23, "agree"=>43, "disagree"=>17, "strongly_disagree"=>6, "dont_know"=>11} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024
Yes No {"yes"=>73, "no"=>27} UNLOCK Figures based on 183 responses up to 26-03-2024

Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View

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