Located in Chelmsford, Thriftwood School is a not applicable school, serving pupils aged 5 to 19. The school is a academy special converter and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school. The school also offers a sixth form, allowing students to continue into post-16 education on site.
Thriftwood School currently has around 266 pupils on roll, which is about 100% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 66.2% boys and 33.8% girls. Around 49.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 8.4%. Persistent absence is recorded at 29.2%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (86.1%).
Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
Around 100% of pupils move on to sustained destinations after Year 11. Most continue into education (100%) , including 0% who stay in school sixth forms and 12% progressing to further education , while 0% enter apprenticeships .
| Address: | Slades Lane, Chelmsford, CM2 8RW |
| Website: | http://www.thriftwoodschool.com |
| Telephone: | 01245266880 |
| School Type: | Academy special converter |
| Education phase: | Not applicable |
| Local authority: | Essex |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Georgina Pryke |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 137554 |
Ofsted inspection date: 15/07/2025
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 5 - 19 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 266 |
| Number of Pupils: | 266 |
| Number of Boys: | 176 |
| Number of Girls: | 90 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 8.4% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 29.2% | 8.2% |
| White British | 86.10% | 229 |
| Other White | 3.40% | 9 |
| White and Asian | 1.90% | 5 |
| White and Black African | 1.50% | 4 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.10% | 3 |
| Caribbean | 0.80% | 2 |
| Other Black | 0.80% | 2 |
| African | 0.80% | 2 |
| Unclassified | 0.80% | 2 |
| Other Mixed | 0.80% | 2 |
| Irish | 0.40% | 1 |
| Pakistani | 0.40% | 1 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.40% | 1 |
| Chinese | 0.40% | 1 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.40% | 1 |
| Indian | 0.40% | 1 |
| Other Asian | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodcroft Nursery School Dorset Avenue , Great Baddow CM2 9UB | 3out of 4 | 2,453 yd | Local authority nursery school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School Barnard Road , Galleywood CM2 8RR | 3out of 4 | 678 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Galleywood Infant School Barnard Road , Galleywood CM2 8RR | 3out of 4 | 693 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Mildmay Junior School Robin Way , CM2 8AU | - not rated | 1,068 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Mildmay Infant and Nursery School Robin Way , Galleywood Road CM2 8AU | - not rated | 1,068 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Mildmay Primary School Robin Way , CM2 8AU | - not rated | 1,068 yd | Academy converter | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Baddow High School Duffield Road , Beehive Lane CM2 9RZ | 3out of 4 | 1,992 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Great Baddow High School Duffield Road , Beehive Lane CM2 9RZ | - not rated | 1,992 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Moulsham High School Brian Close , CM2 9ES | 3out of 4 | 1,996 yd | Academy converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Moulsham High School and Humanities College Brian Close , CM2 9ES | - not rated | 1,996 yd | Community school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chelmsford College Moulsham Street , CM2 0JQ | - not rated | 2,739 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thriftwood School Slades Lane , Galleywood CM2 8RW | - not rated | 0 yd | Community special school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Thriftwood School Slades Lane , Galleywood CM2 8RW | - not rated | 0 yd | Academy special converter | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Widford Lodge School Widford Lodge , Widford Road CM2 9AN | - not rated | 2,317 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| St Philip's Priory School 178 New London Road , CM2 0AR | - not rated | 2,997 yd | Other independent school | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| St Cedd's School 178a New London Road , CM2 0AR | - not rated | 3,094 yd | Other independent school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.