The Regis School Review 2026: Oversubscribed 11 to 19 academy with strong student culture

High expectations are visible here, from the “every lesson counts” teaching routines to the way students move calmly between lessons. The school is part of United Learning and frames its ethos around bringing out the best in everyone, with a clear emphasis on character, rights-respecting work, and preparation for adult life.

Families should know two things early. First, demand is real: the school is oversubscribed in the latest application data, with around 1.5 applications per offered place (436 applications for 291 offers). Second, the timetable is designed to add learning time where it matters most, with a later Lesson 5 for Year 11 on selected days and for sixth form students daily.

The school’s public language is purposeful. “Limitless ambition” and “every lesson counts” are not treated as slogans; they translate into predictable routines, explicit instruction, and structured lesson cycles. This matters for students who do best with clarity and momentum, particularly those who are rebuilding confidence after a difficult Key Stage 2 or adapting to the larger scale of secondary school.

Student culture is reinforced through visible leadership roles. The Ofsted report describes a calm, orderly environment, with students behaving well in lessons and around site, and with bullying described as rare and dealt with promptly. The same report highlights active participation in school and community life, including charity fundraising and student leadership responsibilities, which helps create a sense that older students set the tone rather than simply share the space.

A distinctive feature is the school’s emphasis on rights-respecting and character education. External recognition includes the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Gold Award and recognition as a school of character, and the school’s own character curriculum materials present this as a structured programme rather than occasional assemblies. For families, the practical implication is that personal development here is likely to feel organised and taught, not left to chance.

Leadership information is clearly published on the school website. The Principal is Mrs Joanne Lewis, and the wider senior team includes an Executive Principal role alongside vice principals and assistant principals. The school website does not consistently publish a principal appointment start date, so families who want that level of detail should ask directly at open events.

This is a state school, so the key question is not whether results are “worth the fees”, it is whether outcomes and support justify the competition for places.

At GCSE, the school’s current profile sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile) on this dataset, which is a fair summary for parents deciding between several local comprehensives. Ranked 2,115th in England and 2nd in Bognor Regis for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), performance looks solid rather than selective-school level, with the more positive signal coming from Progress 8 at +0.25, indicating students make above average progress from their starting points.

Attainment 8 is 44.7, the EBacc average point score is 3.96, and 15.8% achieved grades 5 or above in the EBacc measure recorded here. Taken together, this profile suggests a school where learning gains and consistency of teaching matter at least as much as raw headline grade distribution.

At A-level, the picture is similar in positioning. Ranked 1,189th in England and 2nd in Bognor Regis for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), results sit in the same broad “middle 35%” England band. Grade distribution shows 8.73% A*, 10.32% A, 28.57% B, and 47.62% A* to B. Against an England A* to B average of 47.2% that A* to B rate is effectively in line with England.

One important contextual point is trajectory. The most recent Ofsted inspection (7 and 8 March 2023) concluded that the school continues to be good; it also describes improved exam outcomes since the previous inspection and highlights strong GCSE and A-level results in 2022.

Parents comparing nearby schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages to view these measures side-by-side, including how Progress 8 and ranking bands align with their shortlist.

Teaching is designed to be consistent across subjects. The school’s published Teaching and Learning handbook sets out core principles: explicit instruction, routines to maximise learning time, frequent checks for understanding, and lesson structures described as “I Teach, We Check, You Practice”. The benefit for students is a shared classroom experience that is easier to settle into, especially for those who struggle when expectations vary significantly from teacher to teacher.

Subject strength is not presented as a scatter of individual departments; it is framed around the curriculum being broad and ambitious, planned with trust subject specialists. The Ofsted report points to mathematics as a particular strength, with students encouraged to think deeply and develop reasoning, and it also describes staff having good subject knowledge and teaching enthusiastically.

There is also a clear focus on literacy. The inspection report describes regular opportunities for students to read with teachers and targeted specialist support for weaker readers. For families, this is a meaningful indicator: secondary schools that take reading seriously tend to be better placed to lift outcomes across the curriculum, particularly in humanities and vocational coursework where language skills drive grades.

The main development point is about curriculum consistency across subjects. The Ofsted report notes that, in some subjects, the curriculum is not yet securely embedded, leading to less secure recall for some students. In practical terms, families should ask how the school has supported subject teams since 2023 to ensure consistency across departments, not just in the strongest areas.

Because the school has a sixth form, destinations matter at two points: post-16 transition and post-18 progression.

For post-18, the available destinations dataset for the most recent cohort shown here indicates that 52% progressed to university, 27% entered employment, 4% started apprenticeships, and 1% went to further education, with a cohort size of 92. This is a mixed destinations picture rather than a one-track university pipeline, which may suit students who want a range of credible options supported within one setting.

On Oxbridge, the recorded application and outcome data here shows five applications, one offer, and one acceptance in the measurement period, with Cambridge accounting for the offer and acceptance. These numbers are modest in absolute terms, but they signal that the school supports the process for highly competitive courses where appropriate, rather than treating it as someone else’s job.

The school’s news and enrichment materials also indicate a strong emphasis on careers education and citizenship, including a dedicated careers office referenced in the Ofsted report, and a Year 12 enrichment programme that includes leadership and supporting younger students. These features typically correlate with better informed post-16 and post-18 choices, especially for students who do not have a fixed plan at 15.

For post-16 entry, the school publishes a sixth form information evening for September 2026 entry and provides an application route via its prospectus page. Families should treat sixth form choice as a deliberate decision, even for internal students, and ask about entry requirements by subject, guided study expectations, and how vocational and academic pathways are balanced.

For Year 7 entry, admissions are coordinated by West Sussex, not handled as a direct application to the school. For September 2026 entry, online applications open at 9am on 8 September 2025, with an on-time deadline of 31 October 2025. Offer notifications are issued on 2 March 2026 for applicants who applied on or before 28 November 2025, with later applications processed after the main round.

The school also signals its admissions cycle through open events. It publishes an open evening on Wednesday 24 September 2025 for prospective Year 7 students for September 2026 entry. Attending matters, not because it guarantees anything, but because it is the best way to test whether the routines and expectations fit your child.

Demand indicators in the latest admissions dataset show the school as oversubscribed, with 436 applications and 291 offers, equivalent to about 1.5 applications per place offered. That level of demand does not mean every year is identical, but it is enough to justify early planning and a realistic sense of competition. Families should use FindMySchool Map Search to understand how their home address typically performs against oversubscription criteria, alongside any sibling or looked-after child priorities that may apply.

For sixth form entry, the school publishes a September 2026 prospectus page and promotes an information evening (Wednesday 15 October, 6 to 7:30pm). The website does not present a single fixed application deadline on that page, so applicants should check the latest sixth form guidance and confirm deadlines directly.

Pastoral support is one of the school’s strongest externally evidenced features. The Ofsted report describes students feeling safe and well supported and highlights trust in the pastoral team. It also notes strengthened mental health support in response to the COVID-19 period, which is relevant because many current students’ learning habits and attendance patterns were shaped by that disruption.

The school’s approach to personal development appears structured rather than reactive. The inspection report highlights a well planned personal, social, health and economic programme that students describe as relevant, including in sixth form. Separately, the school’s published character education materials frame leadership as a progression, from early student roles through to Rights Respecting ambassadors and senior leadership roles. For families, this tends to translate into clearer expectations about behaviour, participation, and civic contribution.

Safeguarding is an area where families should expect clarity. The most recent Ofsted report states safeguarding arrangements are effective and describes a vigilant staff culture, experienced safeguarding team, and tight systems designed to ensure nothing is missed.

The school’s enrichment offer is unusually easy to evidence because it publishes a detailed extra-curricular clubs booklet by year group. That transparency matters: many schools promise clubs, fewer show what runs, when, and for which year groups.

Examples from the Autumn term clubs list include Tabletop Gaming, Dungeons and Dragons, Programming, Creative Writing, Choir, and First Aid (hosted in the Phoenix Centre at lunchtime). There are also activity options that broaden the typical sports menu, including trampolining and badminton, plus fitness hub sessions for older year groups. The implication is that students who are not drawn to traditional team sports can still find structured after-school belonging, which often improves attendance and behaviour as much as it improves confidence.

Sport and facilities are a genuine campus strength. The on-campus sports centre is described as a major community resource and includes a 25m swimming pool, floodlit 3G pitch, an 80 station fitness suite, a dance studio, climbing walls, and multiple tennis and five-a-side facilities. For students, this gives breadth, from competitive fixtures to recreation and fitness pathways that suit different personalities.

The Phoenix Centre adds a different kind of enrichment. The campus description lists a multi-functional hall, café area, kitchen with training facilities, music studio, sensory room, and counselling room, positioning it as a youth and community hub rather than a school-only building. For families, that suggests an ecosystem around the school that can support wider wellbeing and community engagement, not just timetable learning.

Timings are clearly published. The school day includes mentoring from 08:25 to 08:55, with the main day running to 15:00, and an additional Lesson 5 from 15:10 to 16:00 for Year 11 on selected days and for sixth form students daily. This structure is helpful for older students preparing for GCSE and A-level study, but it does require planning for transport and after-school commitments.

Transport and access are typical for a large secondary in Bognor Regis. Families should expect some students to travel by bus and others to walk or cycle from nearby neighbourhoods; the most practical step is to trial the route at the time your child would actually travel, including winter conditions and after-school finishes. The campus model also means some events and clubs may be held in shared facilities such as the sports centre and community hub, so students benefit from being confident moving around a large site.

There is no published wraparound childcare model in the primary-school sense, but the combination of later study sessions for older students and a structured clubs programme provides supervised time beyond 15:00 on multiple days.

• Competition for places. The school is oversubscribed in the latest demand data, at around 1.5 applications per offered place (436 applications for 291 offers). Families should treat application strategy and timelines as part of the process, not an afterthought.

• Later finishes for some students. Lesson 5 runs to 16:00 for sixth form students daily and for Year 11 on selected days, which is a positive for learning time but can complicate transport, part-time work, and caring responsibilities.

• Variation between subjects. The most recent Ofsted report praises curriculum ambition and teaching strengths, but also notes that, in some subjects, the curriculum is not yet securely embedded, which can affect recall and confidence for some learners. Ask what has changed since 2023.

• Best fit for students who like structure. The teaching model emphasises routines and explicit instruction. Many students thrive on that; a minority who prefer looser, discussion-led classrooms may need time to adapt.

This is a large, oversubscribed state secondary with a clear emphasis on calm classrooms, explicit teaching routines, and a serious approach to personal development. Results sit broadly in line with the middle range nationally on the available measures, but Progress 8 and the 2023 inspection narrative point to improved outcomes and a school moving with purpose.

It suits students who respond well to structure, want a wide range of clubs and leadership routes, and will benefit from a campus with strong sport and community facilities. The limiting factor is admission competition, so families should plan early and ground their expectations in the published West Sussex application timetable.