Harper Green School Review 2026: A large, community-focused 11 to 16 academy with a clear behaviour and culture model

A big secondary school needs a simple organising idea. Here, it is the expectation that students take part, work hard and do the right thing, reinforced through a structured house system and a consistent approach to behaviour and learning.

Academically, outcomes sit close to the mainstream middle of England’s picture on the FindMySchool GCSE measures. The school’s GCSE ranking is 2,623rd in England and 19th locally in Bolton (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), which places performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Progress measures indicate students make slightly less progress than similar pupils nationally, which is relevant context for families weighing support and stretch.

Leadership is clearly front-and-centre on the school website, and the headteacher profile emphasises long-term work on ethos and standards. The school is part of the Leverhulme Academy Church of England and Community Trust, although the school itself does not operate as a faith school.

The school’s story is rooted in local history. It opened in 1927 as Farnworth Central School, built around a central quadrangle that remains a defining layout feature in how the site is described. The early narrative is unusually detailed, including the first headmaster, Sam Astle, and later expansions in the 1960s and 1970s that added specialist spaces such as science and sport facilities.

In day-to-day culture, the house model is positioned as more than a badge on a lanyard. Students are allocated to one of four houses, Attenborough, Malala, Austen, or Mandela, with points, competitions and whole-school events used to build participation and leadership habits. That matters for families who want a structured approach to belonging, particularly in a large school where it is easy to feel anonymous.

Leadership visibility is also a theme. The headteacher, Ms Sally Heppenstall, is profiled prominently, with an emphasis on community, standards and staff commitment, and she is named as headteacher in the most recent inspection documentation. The appointment is confirmed as having taken place after the previous inspection in February 2020, which is a useful marker for parents interested in how recent the current leadership era is.

On the FindMySchool GCSE measures (based on official data), the school’s ranking sits in the middle range for England. Ranked 2,623rd in England and 19th in Bolton for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), it performs in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The underlying indicators show a mixed picture:

• Average Attainment 8 score is 42.9.

• Progress 8 is -0.11, which indicates slightly below-average progress from students’ starting points.

• The average EBacc APS is 3.66, below the England average figure shown (4.08).

• 10% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure used.

For parents, the practical implication is that the school’s outcomes are not built on a highly selective intake or unusually high headline metrics. Instead, the value proposition is likely to be about consistency, clarity of expectations, and how well the school identifies gaps and responds, especially for students who need catch-up in reading or additional learning support.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view these results alongside nearby secondaries, particularly to weigh Progress 8 and EBacc measures in a like-for-like way.

The curriculum intent is described in inspection evidence as carefully sequenced and ambitious, with clarity about what pupils should know at each stage. This matters in a large comprehensive setting because strong sequencing reduces variation between classes and creates a clearer path for students who join mid-year.

Reading is treated as a priority, including targeted support for pupils who find reading difficult, and this is framed as a whole-school expectation rather than a narrow intervention for a small group. That focus tends to show up in subject classrooms as well, because the expectation becomes consistent use of reading and vocabulary routines across the curriculum.

At GCSE, the EBacc signals suggest a cohort where uptake and attainment in the full EBacc suite may be more limited than at more academically selective schools. For some families, that is a positive, it usually correlates with broader flexibility in Key Stage 4 pathways and a practical focus on securing strong passes and workable post-16 routes. For others, especially families set on a high-EBacc pathway with multiple languages and humanities at GCSE, it is a point to probe in detail at open events.

This is an 11 to 16 school, so the primary transition point is after Year 11. The school describes structured careers education and guidance, and the inspection evidence points to a coherent programme helping students make decisions about future choices.

The school does not publish a single set of destination statistics in the data provided here, so it is not appropriate to state percentages for sixth form, college, apprenticeships or employment. What families can do instead is ask, at open evening or transition meetings, about three practical areas:

• How GCSE option pathways link to Bolton’s post-16 routes (sixth forms, colleges, and apprenticeships).

• How students are supported to secure interviews, placements, or taster days.

• How the school supports students whose first post-16 plan changes after results day.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through Bolton local authority rather than direct application to the school. The school’s published admissions timetable for the 2026 intake states:

• The application deadline is Friday 31 October 2025.

• Offer emails will be sent on Monday 2 March 2026.

The same admissions guidance also indicates the usual seasonal pattern: the online portal opens toward the end of the summer holidays, and open events typically take place in September and October. For the most recent cycle, an open evening took place on Thursday 18 September 2025, which is a useful reference point for families planning ahead.

Families trying to understand realistic chances should treat admissions as a local-authority process and focus on published criteria and prior-year allocation patterns, rather than relying on informal assumptions. If you are using FindMySchoolMap Search, it can help you understand your likely local context when combined with the local authority’s published rules, even where the last offered distance is not available for this school.

The inspection evidence points to a positive, welcoming atmosphere, with strong relationships between pupils and staff and clear expectations around behaviour and learning.

Safeguarding is described as effective, with a well-trained safeguarding team and strong links to external agencies, which is particularly relevant in a large, diverse community school serving a wide range of family circumstances.

The school also frames support for students with special educational needs and disabilities as a whole-school responsibility, with processes to identify and support needs including for mid-year joiners. In practical terms, families should ask how this looks for their child, for example, what adjustments are typical in lessons, how interventions are scheduled, and how communication with parents is managed.

A key strength is the way enrichment is positioned as part of the school’s core offer, not an optional add-on. There is a clear list of clubs and activities referenced for students moving from Year 6 to Year 7, which gives a concrete sense of what is available, rather than vague claims about variety.

Examples include:

• Robotics & Code Club, for students who want structured computing challenges beyond lessons.

• Musical Theatre Club, alongside Drama Club and Dance Club, which aligns with the school’s investment in performance spaces.

• Geography Club and History Club, which can suit students who enjoy subject extension without the pressure of competitions.

• Book Club and Homework Club, which are often the most practical clubs for building routines, confidence and friendships early in Year 7.

• Fishing Club, which stands out as a less typical offering and may appeal to students who prefer calmer, skill-based activities.

There is also evidence of a dedicated EAL Enrichment Club model, positioned as both academic support and a social anchor for students developing English.

Facilities matter here too. The school has highlighted a dedicated building used for Dance, Drama and Religious Education, and the library is described as a central learning hub, open from 08:00 to 15:30, with additional opening after the main school day mentioned for Year 7 transition families.

The school day starts with form time at 08:40 and ends at 15:10. The site opens at 08:00, with access to the library and refreshments before form time.

For travel, the school publishes nearby commercial bus routes and walking times from local stops, which is helpful for families planning independent travel from Year 7. Examples include services that run close to Plodder Lane and Harper Green Road, with short walks to the site.

The website content supports after-school enrichment and later library access, but it does not set out a current, clearly-defined wraparound childcare model in the way a primary school would. Families who need supervised care beyond enrichment should ask directly what is available and what is purely optional club provision.

• Progress measure context. Progress 8 is -0.11 a signal to ask how the school identifies pupils who are falling behind and what happens next, both academically and pastorally.

• EBacc pathway. The EBacc measures shown are relatively low (for example, average EBacc APS 3.66, and 10% meeting the EBacc threshold used). Families prioritising a language and humanities-heavy GCSE route should probe how option blocks and staffing support that ambition.

• Large-school experience. With capacity around 1,250 students, routines, house structures and pastoral systems matter. It can suit students who like breadth and clear systems, but some children do better in smaller settings.

• 11 to 16 only. Post-16 progression is a practical planning point. If you want continuity into sixth form, you will be choosing a new institution after Year 11.

This is a mainstream, non-selective secondary where the offer is grounded in clarity, routines and participation: a strong behaviour and culture framework, visible leadership, and a defined enrichment menu that gives students plenty of ways to belong. Academic results, on the FindMySchool GCSE measures, sit in the middle range for England, so the best fit is likely for families who value structured school culture and a broad practical offer, and who want to explore how the school supports progress for individual learners rather than relying on headline attainment alone. It suits students who respond well to clear expectations and who will engage with clubs, houses and wider school life.