William de Ferrers School Review 2026: A large Chelmsford secondary in a period of change

William de Ferrers School is a sizeable 11 to 18 academy serving South Woodham Ferrers and the surrounding area, with a published capacity of 2,076 pupils. It is also a school in transition: it joined the Chelmsford Learning Partnership (CLP) trust in April 2024, and leadership changed soon after, with James Donaldson joining as executive headteacher in September 2024.

The most recent Ofsted inspection took place on 24 to 25 September 2024. It judged the quality of education as Requires improvement, with Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, Leadership and management, and Sixth form provision all graded Good.

Parents looking for a state-funded secondary with a sixth form will find a school that offers strong personal development structures, a clearer behaviour culture than in the recent past, and practical preparation for next steps. The key question is consistency in classroom learning, which is where the school is still working to raise the standard across subjects.

This is a big school by Essex standards, and it operates like one. The tone is purposeful, and the systems matter. A recent behaviour policy reset has helped establish clearer boundaries, with consistent expectations across staff teams. The reported experience is that most pupils respond well to this clarity, which tends to reduce day-to-day friction and increases time on learning.

Pastoral messaging emphasises confidence and character, and the enrichment offer is positioned as part of that, rather than a bolt-on. The school highlights participation in clubs, visits and wider opportunities, and pupils are encouraged to take part in activities that build leadership and resilience, including the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

A notable feature is the school’s specialist SEND base, the Acorn Centre, described in official reporting as a welcoming and inclusive space. This matters because it signals that support is designed into the school’s model, rather than being purely reactive.

On headline performance indicators, the data points to outcomes that are below the England midpoint for comparable schools, with some encouraging signs alongside clear areas to improve.

GCSE performance and ranking context

Ranked 2,887th in England and 12th in Chelmsford for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), this places the school below England average overall, within the bottom 40% of schools by this measure.

The underlying GCSE metrics reinforce that picture. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 41.2, and the Progress 8 figure is -0.41, indicating pupils, on average, make less progress than peers with similar starting points nationally. EBacc-related performance is also low on this dataset, with 8.7% achieving strong passes across the EBacc measure reported here.

A-level outcomes and ranking context

Ranked 2,227th in England and 11th in Chelmsford for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), sixth form results also sit below the England midpoint by this benchmark.

The grade profile shows 1.6% A*, 6.91% A, 19.68% B, and 28.19% achieving A* to B overall across the cohort’s A-level entries.

What this means for parents is that the school is not currently an outcomes-led option in the way top-performing Essex schools are. The more relevant evaluation is whether your child will respond well to structured expectations, and whether the school’s push for consistent teaching practice aligns with what your child needs to progress.

Parents comparing local results should use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to view this performance alongside nearby alternatives, including schools with similar intakes.

The school’s curriculum intent is clear. What tends to work best is when teachers use strong subject knowledge to explain new content and check understanding in the moment. A consistent classroom routine is also in place, including short starter activities intended to help pupils recall prior learning, which can reduce the “cold start” problem at the beginning of lessons.

The core challenge is that this quality is uneven across subjects and classes. In weaker teaching, pupils do not always build knowledge securely, and the pace or task selection does not reliably support independent work. That matters because pupils can appear busy without actually mastering the content, which shows up later in assessment performance.

Reading is a priority area. The school recognises that identifying pupils’ reading levels and providing well-matched text and intervention has not been implemented consistently enough. For families with children who need literacy catch-up, it is worth asking direct questions about how reading is assessed, which interventions are used, and how progress is tracked term by term.

The sixth form offers a mix of vocational and academic qualifications, with an emphasis on preparing students for the practical demands of higher education, apprenticeships and employment. Students are taught how to study independently and receive careers guidance designed to support realistic post-18 choices, rather than a one-track university narrative.

Destination data for the 2023/24 leavers cohort (83 students) shows a mixed set of next steps: 41% progressed to university, 16% to apprenticeships, 36% into employment, and 2% into further education. This is a profile that will suit students who want multiple credible routes, including employment and apprenticeship pathways, not just university as the default destination.

There is no published Oxbridge data in the available dataset for the measurement period, so it would be inappropriate to imply a high Oxbridge pipeline. For highly selective university applicants, parents should ask how the school supports top-end applications (super-curricular programmes, subject extension, and application coaching), and what recent outcomes look like.

For Year 7 entry, applications are coordinated by Essex County Council. For the September 2026 intake, the standard application window ran from 12 September 2025 to 31 October 2025. Late applications are treated as late and processed after on-time applicants.

Oversubscription is a realistic factor. Essex’s 2026/27 admissions directory lists a Published Admission Number of 225 for September 2026, with 436 applications (all preferences) received for September 2025, indicating demand of roughly two applications per place.

The published oversubscription criteria for the school prioritise, in order:

• Looked-after and previously looked-after children

• Students attending named feeder primary schools (including local schools such as Cold Norton Primary, Collingwood Primary, Elmwood Primary, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary, St Mary’s CE (VA) Primary School, Woodham Ferrers, Trinity St Mary’s CE (VA) Primary School, and Woodville Primary School)

• Siblings already at the school (excluding the final year)

• Children living in the priority admission area (map available from the school)

• Children of school staff (under defined criteria)

• Remaining applicants allocated by distance, using straight-line measurement by the local authority

If you are considering moving for admission, use FindMySchoolMap Search to check how your address aligns with the school’s priority area approach and distance tie-break, then validate assumptions against the local authority’s published rules.

Pastoral systems appear to be a strength in the school’s current model. Clear behaviour expectations support calmer learning conditions, and pupils are taught about online safety and contextual safeguarding risks such as county lines, alongside relationships education.

Support for pupils with SEND is a visible part of the school’s structure, with the Acorn Centre highlighted as an inclusive space. Where this matters most is in mainstream lesson delivery, where the effectiveness of adaptation can vary, and parents may want to understand what the school is doing to ensure pupils with additional needs consistently access appropriately pitched work.

The same Ofsted report confirmed safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular breadth is used to build confidence and personal development, rather than being treated as optional “extras”. The school’s enrichment offer includes the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, sports clubs, and opportunities such as learning the ukulele.

The implication for families is practical. For pupils who benefit from structured belonging, clubs can provide a stable identity inside a large school, and they can be particularly valuable for Year 7 transition and for pupils who do not immediately find their peer group through lessons alone.

Work experience is built into the experience for older year groups, with Year 10 and Year 12 placements referenced as part of the school’s personal development and careers approach. That tends to benefit students who are still forming a sense of direction, since real workplace exposure can sharpen subject choices and motivate more consistent study habits.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the normal extras that vary by child and key stage, such as uniform, trips, and optional activities.

Published information accessible via official sources does not set out a single definitive school-day start and finish time, or wraparound arrangements, so parents should confirm timings directly with the school, especially for transport planning.

For travel, some families use dedicated school transport routes published by local operators serving South Woodham Ferrers and the surrounding villages.

• Teaching consistency is the main improvement area. The quality of education was graded Requires improvement at the most recent inspection, reflecting uneven teaching practice across the school.

• Reading support needs close scrutiny for some pupils. Identification of reading needs and delivery of effective catch-up support has not been consistent enough, which can affect access to the full curriculum.

• Admission is competitive. A PAN of 225 with 436 applications (all preferences) suggests demand is high. Families should treat the priority area and distance tie-break seriously.

• A period of structural change can feel unsettled. Joining a trust and appointing new staff can accelerate improvement, but it also means routines and expectations may shift over time.

William de Ferrers School is a large, non-selective Essex secondary with a sixth form that is strengthening its culture, behaviour systems and careers preparation under new trust leadership. Outcomes data suggests the academic picture is still below where the school wants it to be, and the priority is raising consistency in teaching and reading support.

Best suited to families who value clear expectations, a structured approach to behaviour, and multiple credible post-16 routes including vocational pathways and apprenticeships, and who are comfortable asking detailed questions about subject-level consistency and literacy support.