A secondary school that begins at Year 10 is unusual in England, and it immediately shapes day-to-day life here. Students arrive at 14, often from the partner lower school that educates Years 7 to 9, and they start GCSE courses straight away. The academy sits within The Basildon Academies Trust, which was established in September 2009 and later became a charitable trust in January 2022.
The headline picture is mixed. The latest inspection rated the academy Good overall (November 2023), with a clear note that behaviour and attitudes still required improvement. The school’s published outcomes remain a focus area, and leaders explicitly link underperformance to persistent absence for some students, alongside a renewed push on curriculum consistency, reading support, and structured interventions.
The academy’s identity is closely tied to its key stage specialist structure. Students move into a GCSE and post-16 setting earlier than is typical, which can suit teenagers who are ready for a sharper focus, clearer routines, and a more adult learning environment. The school’s own prospectus frames this model as enabling age-appropriate curriculum choices, support, challenge, and enrichment.
Pastoral work is positioned as a practical safety net rather than a bolt-on. The academy runs dedicated Wellbeing Centres designed to support students through anxiety, bereavement, self-regulation challenges, and short-term barriers to engaging fully in lessons. This includes a nurture programme for students who need a bespoke timetable, resourced learning zones, and a rolling programme of external agency support.
Relationships appear to be a meaningful strength. The latest inspection describes positive staff-student relationships and students’ sense of being valued, while also noting frustration when learning is disrupted. That combination matters for parents: there is warmth and guidance, but also a live improvement agenda around consistency and classroom calm.
The FMS Inspection Score is FindMySchool's proprietary analysis based on official Ofsted and ISI inspection reports. It converts ratings into a standardised 1–10 scale for fair comparison across all schools in England.
Disclaimer: The FMS Inspection Score is an independent analysis by FindMySchool. It is not endorsed by or affiliated with Ofsted or ISI. Always refer to the official Ofsted or ISI report for the full picture of a school’s inspection outcome.
This is a school where the data points need careful reading, because the overall judgement and the outcomes sit in tension.
At GCSE level, the academy’s most recent published indicators point to significant challenge. Attainment 8 is 26.6, and Progress 8 is -1.44, which indicates students, on average, made substantially less progress than similar students nationally from their starting points. Entry to the English Baccalaureate pathway appears limited in the outcomes results, with 1.5% achieving grade 5 or above across the EBacc components.
In FindMySchool’s rankings based on official data, the academy is ranked 3812th in England for GCSE outcomes and 4th locally in Basildon. This places performance below England average, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure (83rd percentile).
At A-level, the most recent published grade distribution is also well below typical benchmarks: 8.05% of grades were A* to B, including 1.15% at A and none at A*. In FindMySchool’s A-level ranking based on official data, the academy is ranked 2554th in England and 1st locally in Basildon for A-level outcomes, again sitting in the below England average band.
Two context points are important for families weighing these figures. First, the school’s own inspection report explicitly links weaker published outcomes to high levels of persistent absence among some students, alongside a focus on catching up missed learning through effective curriculum implementation. Second, students arrive at 14, which can amplify the impact of attendance and engagement patterns because GCSE learning begins immediately on entry.
Parents comparing local schools should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to look at outcomes side-by-side, particularly if you are weighing this pathway against a more conventional 11 to 16 or 11 to 18 route.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
A-Level A*-B
8.05%
% of students achieving grades A*-B
GCSE 9–7
—
% of students achieving grades 9-7
Curriculum planning is described as joined-up across the Trust, with the Upper and Lower academies working together so knowledge builds coherently from Key Stage 3 into Key Stage 4. The latest inspection describes the curriculum as carefully sequenced into manageable chunks, with frequent checks on learning.
The academy also makes some structural choices that signal a “raise the floor” approach. For example, all students in Key Stage 4 study French, and the school describes targeted reading support for students who need it, including those at an early stage of learning English. The implication for parents is that the school is aiming to widen access to a broader curriculum, rather than narrowing options early for lower-attaining students.
Intervention is explicitly part of the operating model. The school sets out a menu that includes an Out of Hours Learning Programme, twilight sessions, Saturday school, and half-term school, alongside digital learning tools and curriculum pathways catering for specific needs. For the right student, this can be an advantage: structured additional time, clear follow-up after assessments, and predictable support. For students who already find school demanding, families should ask how interventions are targeted and how workload is managed week to week.
Because the school includes a sixth form, it is helpful to look at the published destination breakdown for recent leavers. For the 2023/24 cohort (88 students), 16% progressed to university, 6% moved into apprenticeships, and 36% entered employment; a further 2% went into further education. This is a pragmatic destination profile, and it aligns with the academy’s emphasis on vocational pathways and employment readiness alongside academic routes.
The inspection report also highlights careers education and exposure to visitors, and it notes that Key Stage 4 students are prepared for next steps and that students can study a range of vocational courses, including in the sixth form.
For post-16 entry, the sixth form offers two pathways: an Advanced Pathway oriented around A-levels (with minimum grade 4 in English and maths and additional subject requirements), and an Engage Pathway designed around resits alongside Level 1 or Level 2 qualifications. This structure can suit students whose GCSE profile is uneven, or who need a clear route to rebuild English and maths while still progressing.
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Requires Improvement
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good
FMS Inspection Score calculated by FindMySchool based on official inspection data.
Admissions are shaped by the academy’s unusual entry points.
Essex’s published admissions directory sets the Year 10 published admission number at 455 for September 2026. The process is distinctive: students in Year 9 at the partner lower academy must sign the transfer register at the Upper Academy by the Local Authority’s published closing date. External applicants (from other schools) apply via the Local Authority using the Upper Academy application route and deadlines published in Essex’s admissions timetable.
The same directory notes that the Upper Academy is the only school in the Basildon area that admits into Year 10 as a normal year of entry, which is important context for families considering a mid-secondary move.
The academy will admit up to 70 external applicants in Year 12; if oversubscribed, distance is used as the tie-break after priority groups. The school’s sixth form admissions information indicates that applications have previously closed in March, with interviews running through the year and enrolment taking place on GCSE results day in August. Families should treat those timings as indicative and confirm the current cycle for September 2026 entry on the school’s published admissions pages.
Parents looking at Year 10 entry should use FindMySchoolMap Search to understand how travel time and practical distance could affect daily routine, even when the allocation process is not a simple “nearest school” model.
The wellbeing offer is detailed and operational. The Wellbeing Centres list named staff roles spanning SEND leadership, designated safeguarding leads, and enhanced provision leadership, and the school describes short- and long-term interventions, external agency support, and a nurture programme for students needing a small-group timetable.
The inspection report adds two useful points of reassurance and specificity. It references effective support for students with social, emotional and mental health needs within the school’s own provision, and it indicates that this support improves behaviour and wellbeing for those students.
The inspection also states that safeguarding arrangements are effective. For parents, the practical next step is to ask how safeguarding culture is reinforced in daily routines, how concerns are raised, and how the enhanced provision interacts with mainstream timetables.
Enrichment is deliberately timetabled. The school day schedule shows enrichment running Tuesday to Thursday after the formal 3:00pm finish. That matters for families managing transport or caring responsibilities, because many clubs sit inside a predictable weekly pattern.
What distinguishes the extracurricular offer is the mix of mainstream and niche clubs. A recent enrichment timetable includes GCSE Music Club, Science Club, Chess Club, EPQ support, British Sign Language, Esports, an Otaku Club, a Dungeons & Dragons session, and Lego Therapy, alongside targeted catch-up in maths, engineering, and coursework support. These are concrete examples of a school trying to meet varied needs, from academic consolidation to social confidence building.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is also part of the offer, with Bronze positioned for Year 10 and a clear explanation of the volunteering, skill, physical, and expedition components. For many teenagers, this is an effective way to rebuild self-belief and routine, particularly when combined with the school’s broader emphasis on personal development.
Students arrive at 8:25am. The published timetable shows tutor time from 8:30 to 9:00 and an end to the formal school day at 3:00pm, with enrichment running Tuesday to Thursday. The attendance policy also specifies different end times by year group, with 3:00pm for Year 10 and Year 13 and 3:30pm for Year 11 and Year 12.
The academy publishes term and holiday dates for 2026-27, with the autumn term running from 01 September 2026 to 18 December 2026, spring term from 04 January 2027 to 25 March 2027, and summer term from 12 April 2027 to 21 July 2027 (with inset days shown separately).
The site is served by local bus routes that include a stop on Wickford Avenue, which is useful context for older students travelling independently.
Wraparound care is not typically a feature of a Year 10 to Year 13 setting, and the school’s published materials focus on enrichment rather than before-school or after-school childcare.
Outcomes remain a live challenge. GCSE and A-level measures in the latest published results are low, and Progress 8 is significantly negative. Families should ask what has changed since those cohorts, especially around attendance, teaching consistency, and intervention targeting.
Behaviour consistency is still bedding in. The most recent inspection notes that some students experience disruption in lessons and that expectations are not yet consistently understood by all. This can matter a great deal for a teenager who needs calm to learn.
The Year 10 transfer process is atypical. Entry relies on specific local processes and deadlines, including a transfer register for internal progression and Local Authority coordination for external applicants. Parents should read the Essex timetable carefully to avoid missing the window.
Sixth form enrichment is an improvement priority. The inspection report notes that sixth form students need more enrichment opportunities to broaden interests and readiness for next steps. If sixth form is your main interest, ask how the post-16 offer has been strengthened since November 2023.
This is a distinctive pathway for teenagers entering Year 10 and beyond, with a strong emphasis on wellbeing infrastructure, vocational breadth, and structured intervention. The challenge is that published outcomes remain weak, and classroom disruption is explicitly flagged as an area still improving.
Best suited to students who will benefit from a highly structured support system, a clear transition into GCSE study at 14, and a sixth form that offers both academic and resit-oriented routes. For families considering it, the deciding factor is often whether the school’s current trajectory and attendance culture match your child’s needs.
The most recent inspection (November 2023) judged the academy Good overall, with strengths in curriculum planning and personal development, alongside an explicit improvement focus on behaviour consistency. Published outcomes data is weaker than most schools, so parents should look closely at how attendance, intervention, and classroom routines have changed for current year groups since those results.
This is a state-funded academy, so there are no tuition fees. Families should still budget for standard secondary costs such as uniform, equipment, trips, and optional activities.
Year 10 is the normal point of entry. Students typically transfer from the partner lower academy at the end of Year 9, using a transfer register process set out by the Local Authority. External applicants apply through the Local Authority using the published Year 10 timetable and forms for the relevant admissions year.
Recent published measures show a low Attainment 8 score and a substantially negative Progress 8 figure at GCSE, alongside a low proportion of top A-level grades. The school attributes weaker outcomes partly to persistent absence in the relevant cohorts and describes structured interventions and curriculum consistency work to address gaps.
The academy runs Wellbeing Centres designed to provide short- and long-term interventions, including support for mental health, self-regulation, and bereavement, plus a nurture programme and access to external agencies. This is a core part of the school’s model rather than an add-on.
Get in touch with the school directly
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