St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford

About St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford

St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford is a voluntary aided school in Chelmsford, Essex, England, for pupils aged 11–18. It has 1,210 pupils on roll. The school has a Roman Catholic religious character. At GCSE, pupils achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 48.7 (2025/26). 14.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 10.6% have English as an additional language.

School Information

Local Authority

Essex →

School Type

Voluntary aided school

Phase

Secondary

Age Range

Ages 11–18

Gender

Mixed

Pupils / Capacity

1,210 / 1,220 (99%)

Sixth Form

Has a sixth form

Nursery

No Nursery Classes

Religious Character

Roman Catholic

Admissions Policy

Non-selective

Who attends this school — useful context if you’re considering teaching here.

Source: DfE School Census, 2025/26, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Official Department for Education results, pupil destinations and attendance.

Progress 8 isn’t published for this year group: their Key Stage 2 baseline (2021 SATs) was cancelled during the pandemic, so a progress measure can’t be calculated. GCSE figures are provisional and may be revised.

Source: Department for Education performance tables, 2025/26, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Some independent schools’ qualifications (e.g. IGCSEs) are not all reflected in these figures.

Staffing at this school, with the trend over recent years — useful if you’re considering working here.

Data for the 2024/25 academic year (trend lines show 3 years). Source: DfE School Workforce Census, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. State-funded schools only.

How this school is funded and where the money goes — per pupil.

Source: DfE school finance returns (CFR for council-maintained schools, AAR for academies), 2024-25, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Per-pupil figures are calculated from total income/expenditure.

Contact Details

Address

Patching Hall Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 4BS

Phone

01245256030

Headteacher

Thomas Coen

Website

www.sjp.essex.sch.uk

Frequently asked questions

What type of school is St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford?

St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford is a voluntary aided school in Chelmsford, Essex, England, for pupils aged 11–18.

How many pupils does St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford have?

St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford has 1,210 pupils on roll, according to Department for Education data.

How does St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford perform at GCSE?

Pupils at St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford achieved an average Attainment 8 score of 48.7 in 2025/26.

Where is St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford?

St John Payne Catholic School, Chelmsford is located at Patching Hall Lane, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 4BS.