The Queen Elizabeth Academy Review 2026: Oversubscribed 11 to 16 academy in Atherstone

Atherstone’s secondary option is a medium-sized academy (11 to 16) with a clear ambition to combine academic focus with a structured, character-led culture. It is part of Academy Transformation Trust and sets its public message around high expectations and respectful conduct, with a day that extends beyond lessons through planned enrichment slots.

The latest published Ofsted inspection report (visit June 2022, published 21 September 2022) judged the school Good.

On performance, the school’s GCSE outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), based on proprietary FindMySchool rankings derived from official data. Ranked 2408th in England and 3rd in Atherstone for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking).

This is a school that foregrounds routine and consistency. The published academy day shows a tightly structured timetable and a clear expectation that students use their time deliberately, with morning meetings before lessons and a defined enrichment block on three afternoons each week.

Leadership is presented in a slightly unusual way, reflecting wider trust structures. The senior leadership list includes an Associate Head of Academy, Mrs A Morris, alongside an Associate Trust Principal, Mr N Harding. On government records, Mrs Alison Morris is listed as the Headteacher or Principal. For parents, the practical implication is that day-to-day leadership visibility may sit with the on-site academy role, while trust leadership support is also part of the governance model.

Ethos is framed around aspiration and personal development, not only test outcomes. The school’s published materials describe a broad curriculum and a strong pastoral structure, including year leadership and additional support where needed. Facilities highlighted in school publications include a sports hall, a drama studio, a floodlit 4G pitch, and multiple computer suites.

The headline academic picture is best read through the school’s GCSE performance indicators and the England context embedded in FindMySchool percentile bands.

Ranking context (FindMySchool)

Ranked 2408th in England and 3rd in Atherstone for GCSE outcomes, placing performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). This is a FindMySchool ranking based on official data.

Attainment and progress

The school’s Attainment 8 score is 42.9 and its Progress 8 score is -0.3. For parents, that combination typically signals a cohort achieving around expected levels overall, with progress slightly below the national benchmark from Key Stage 2 starting points. (Progress 8 is designed so that 0 represents average progress.)

EBacc profile

The average EBacc APS is 3.87 compared to an England figure of 4.08 and 13% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure reported. In practice, this suggests EBacc entry and outcomes are likely not the dominant pathway for many students, and that families prioritising a strongly academic EBacc route should explore subject take-up and guidance at options time.

Parents comparing nearby schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages to view the same GCSE indicators side-by-side and keep like-for-like comparisons consistent.

The most recent inspection evidence points to a curriculum that has been actively reviewed and sequenced, with an emphasis on teachers checking what students remember and building learning in planned steps. Inspectors found that curriculum leaders had developed an aspirational curriculum and that teachers use frequent questioning and expect subject-specific vocabulary.

The school also uses knowledge organisers across subjects and year groups, with published materials covering a wide spread of curriculum areas including English, mathematics, science, modern languages, engineering and STEM, and vocational options such as hospitality and catering. For families, that points to a curriculum model where retrieval and structured content are important, rather than lessons relying on loosely guided discovery.

A practical question for prospective families is how the school balances breadth with depth at Key Stage 4. The published options guidance emphasises that choices must be made by a deadline and that a reserve choice is required, which is typical of schools managing staffing and class viability constraints.

Where Students Go Next

There is no sixth form, so all students move on at 16. The school’s own prospectus describes careers activity and experiences such as university visits and employer engagement, aligned to Gatsby benchmarks, which is helpful for students who need structured guidance ahead of post-16 transition.

Because destination percentages are not available here, parents should focus on the practical transition questions that matter most: the local college and sixth form options your child is considering, the GCSE subjects required for those routes, and the support available for applications and interviews. A useful approach is to ask how the school supports students who want A-level pathways, technical routes, and apprenticeships, since post-16 plans vary widely within comprehensive intakes.

Admission for Year 7 is coordinated through Warwickshire’s local authority process, using the Common Application Form. The county’s published timetable for September 2026 entry states that applications open on 1 September 2025 and close at 4.00pm on 31 October 2025, with offers issued on National Offer Day, 2 March 2026.

The school’s 2026 to 2027 admissions policy sets out oversubscription priorities in a standard sequence: looked-after and previously looked-after children, then siblings, then children of qualifying trust staff, then children living in the defined catchment area, and finally children outside catchment, with distance used as the tie-break within categories. The catchment is defined by the parishes of Atherstone, Baddesley Ensor, Mancetter, Baxterley, Merevale and Bentley.

Demand indicators also point to competition for places. In the latest published admissions demand data provided, the school is marked as oversubscribed, with 296 applications and 160 offers reported.

Families considering a move should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check distance precision, particularly where parish boundaries and straight-line measurements matter.

Pastoral staffing is explicit on the school website. The senior team list includes designated safeguarding leadership, and the school names Ms S Ressel as Designated Safeguarding Lead. The school also lists a counsellor within the pastoral team, Mrs S Ellis, which is a meaningful indicator of on-site wellbeing support beyond routine tutor systems.

The inspection evidence supports a picture of orderly routines and a focus on learning behaviours, underpinned by consistent classroom practice such as regular checks for understanding. For parents, the key question is fit: students who respond well to structure and clear adult expectations often do best in schools that emphasise routines and explicit learning habits.

Enrichment is organised as a planned offer rather than an informal collection of clubs. The academy day states that Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday run structured Xtra, Life and Prep activities from 3.05pm to 4.00pm, linked to character accreditation. That matters for working families and for students who benefit from staying on-site for supervised study and activities.

The school publishes seasonal club schedules. A recent extra-curricular programme includes Science Club, a Year 9 Cooking Class, Performing Arts activity (music and dance), and a spread of sports such as girls’ football, futsal, indoor cricket, badminton, tennis, cricket, and athletics team competitions.

The prospectus also highlights Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and an annual drama production, which typically provide inclusive opportunities for students who are not primarily sport-focused.

The published academy day sets arrival between 8.30am and 8.45am, with the school day running from 8.45am to 3.05pm. A free breakfast club runs daily from 8.00am to 8.30am, led by the Food Technology department.

For families planning routines, it is also useful to note that Tuesday to Thursday include supervised activity time until 4.00pm. Transport planning should be checked against Warwickshire’s school travel guidance and your own route options, especially where catchment and distance criteria influence admissions.

• No sixth form. All students move on after Year 11, so post-16 planning matters earlier than in 11 to 18 schools, particularly for students targeting A-level combinations with specific GCSE prerequisites.

• Competitive admissions profile. The published admissions policy prioritises catchment parishes and then distance. Families outside the defined parishes should treat admission as uncertain unless sibling or other priority criteria apply.

• Progress measure slightly below benchmark. A Progress 8 score of -0.3 suggests that, on average, students make slightly less progress than the national benchmark from their starting points. Families may want to discuss how intervention, tutoring, and structured study support are targeted, especially for core subjects.

• Extended day expectations. The timetable includes structured after-school activity on three days a week. This can be a strong positive, but it needs to fit family logistics.

The Queen Elizabeth Academy suits families looking for a structured, locally rooted secondary school with a clear routine, planned enrichment, and visible pastoral staffing. Academic outcomes sit around the middle of the England distribution in the FindMySchool GCSE ranking context, with a curriculum model that emphasises sequenced learning and regular checking for understanding. Best suited to students who do well with clear expectations and who benefit from an organised day that extends into supervised activities.