Winterbourne Academy Review 2026: Large, comprehensive 11 to 18 with a growing Post 16 offer

Scale matters at Winterbourne Academy. With a published capacity of 1,880 and 1,783 pupils recorded on the most recent Ofsted listing, this is one of the biggest secondary schools in South Gloucestershire, which shapes everything from timetable breadth to the social experience.

Leadership has also been a recent anchor point. The headteacher is Mrs Jenny Cartwright, having served as interim headteacher since December 2022, with the appointment subsequently confirmed by the Trust.

For families, the key headline is predictability. Academic outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England based on the school’s placement in the FindMySchool GCSE and A level rankings. The school’s values and character language are clearly articulated on the website, including community, equity and ambition, plus the PRIDE character values used across school life.

A school of this size can feel very different depending on the child. Some students thrive on the pace and breadth, enjoying the chance to reset friendship groups, try new activities, and find their “people” across a large year cohort. Others prefer a smaller setting where staff and students know each other more tightly. The school’s own framing leans towards inclusion and belonging, and its published values and PRIDE character language (Participation, Respect, Integrity, Determination and Excellence) are designed to give a shared vocabulary across tutor time, lessons, and wider routines.

The trust context is also part of the picture. Winterbourne Academy is part of Olympus Academy Trust, and the website reflects a shared approach across trust schools, including Post 16 being positioned as an “Olympus Post 16” offer with common application stages and open events.

For parents, the practical implication is that systems matter. Clear routines, consistent expectations and reliable communication become more important in large schools, because they are how families experience the school day to day. The published structure of the day, including core operational hours and a sixth period for Post 16 teaching and many after school activities, signals a school that is trying to make time for both study and enrichment within a busy timetable.

At GCSE, Winterbourne Academy is ranked 2,065th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 31st within the local area used. This sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England, which is the 25th to 60th percentile.

The underlying attainment picture is consistent with that positioning. The Attainment 8 score is 47.9 and Progress 8 is -0.16, which indicates that, on average, students’ progress from Key Stage 2 starting points is slightly below average. The EBacc average point score is 4.06, close to the dataset’s England average of 4.08. The share achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc subjects is 9.8%, a figure that suggests many students are not following the full EBacc pathway to higher grades, or that entry patterns are selective.

For sixth form, the A level ranking is 1,093rd in England (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 17th in the local area used. This again reflects performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England. The grade distribution shows 6.37% at A*, 16.56% at A, and 51.27% at A* to B. The dataset’s England average for A* to B is 47.2%, so the headline A* to B outcome here sits above that benchmark.

One important contextual point is breadth. A large 11 to 18 school can serve a genuinely wide ability range, and the most useful way to read the data is often by asking: “Is the school helping my child move forward from their starting point?” Progress 8 is one indicator for this, but it is not the whole story. Families comparing options locally should use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view GCSE and sixth form outcomes side by side using the Comparison Tool, then test fit through open events and conversations with staff.

Winterbourne Academy’s structure makes it capable of offering an expansive curriculum across Key Stage 3 through Key Stage 5, and the school clearly positions Post 16 as more than a bolt on. The school day information explicitly references a sixth period for Post 16 teaching and for many after school activities, which matters because it tells you where learning time is being found in the week.

The Post 16 pathway is also framed with clear expectations. Across Olympus Post 16, the published expectation is at least five good pass grades at GCSE (grades 9 to 4), including English Language and Maths, for students intending to study A levels or equivalent vocational courses, with additional course level requirements. This is a helpful level of transparency, because it sets a realistic baseline for internal and external applicants.

For students who are motivated by independent learning, the enrichment offer includes options that explicitly build study habits. The school’s enrichment programme lists Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) as a timetabled option, alongside Core Maths, which are both commonly used to support transition to higher level study and to strengthen university and apprenticeship applications.

For sixth form leavers, the available outcomes data shows a mixed picture, which is typical of large community sixth forms serving a broad intake. For the 2023/24 cohort 48% progressed to university, 10% started apprenticeships, 33% entered employment, and 1% progressed to further education. These figures suggest that Post 16 pathways are not solely focused on traditional university routes, and that applied, employment, and apprenticeship outcomes are also material.

For families interested in highly selective university routes, there is also a small but real Oxbridge pipeline in the available data. In the measured period, four students applied, one received an offer, and one accepted a place. The numbers are small, so it is best read as evidence that the route exists, rather than as a defining feature of the sixth form.

At Key Stage 4, the school’s scale means destinations will vary. Some students will move into the in house sixth form, while others will choose colleges or specialist providers depending on subjects, travel, and preferred learning environment. The most constructive question for parents is how well the school supports informed choice at 15 and 16, including guidance on academic routes, technical routes, and apprenticeships.

Year 7 entry is coordinated by South Gloucestershire Council rather than by direct application to the school. For September 2026 entry, the published local authority deadline for applications is 31 October 2025, with offers made on 02 March 2026 and responses due by 16 March 2026.

Open events are a meaningful part of decision making. The school website includes an “Open Event for September 2026 Admissions” page noting that the secondary and Post 16 open evenings and day tours for that cycle have closed, which is a useful reminder that places on events may be limited and that timing matters.

For Post 16 entry (Year 12), the trust publishes a clear application sequence and an open event schedule. For the 2026 entry cycle, the Olympus Post 16 listing includes a Winterbourne Academy open event on Thursday 06 November 2025. The same page outlines a staged process from October to December, followed by interviews from January to April, and taster activity later in the year.

As with most non selective state secondaries, admissions is less about “passing” and more about timing, route, and criteria. Families should prioritise three practical checks early: home to school distance used by the local authority mapping system, transport practicality at peak times, and whether the school’s size suits the child socially as well as academically.

Pastoral systems carry a lot of weight in large schools, because they are how staff notice issues early and how students know where to go when something feels wrong. The website signposts a range of health and wellbeing resources, including school nursing service information, anti bullying content, immunisation information, and support for young carers.

From a parent perspective, the most important practical indicator is how consistently those systems are used, especially around the transition into Year 7. The school publishes a detailed transition timetable for the incoming cohort, including information evenings, transition days, summer school, and a Year 7 only first day in early September. That level of planning is often reassuring for children who want structure and for families who want visibility.

The school explicitly positions enrichment as a core strand of school life, with clubs typically running after school between 3.00pm and 4.00pm, updated three times a year. A practical detail that will matter to working families is the published provision of a free late bus after clubs on those days, which can make participation more realistic.

What stands out is that enrichment is not treated as purely recreational. Within Post 16, the enrichment options include British Sign Language and First Aid, Gold Duke of Edinburgh, volunteering, team sports, Core Maths, and the Extended Project Qualification, with the programme timetabled as two hours per fortnight. The implication is straightforward: students can choose activities that build employability and independence, not just those that fill time.

Facilities also broaden what is possible. The published facilities list includes a newly installed 3G pitch certified to FIFA and Rugby standards, a sports hall with viewing gallery, a 25m swimming pool with five lanes, sports fields with football and rugby pitches, and an auditorium. This kind of infrastructure can support both participation sport and higher commitment pathways, and it makes school productions, assemblies, and performances easier to stage at scale.

For students, the real question is whether they will actually use these opportunities. In large schools, students who get involved early tend to settle faster because activities create smaller communities within the bigger institution.

The published core operational hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am to 3.00pm, with a sixth period and many after school activities running 15:00 to 16:00 for Post 16 and enrichment.

Transport planning matters, particularly for a school drawing from multiple surrounding areas. The school publishes bus services guidance for families, including notes on eligibility and how travel assistance is handled for students whose nearest school differs, plus information on behaviour expectations for travel. For families prioritising clubs, the late bus mentioned in the enrichment information is a helpful operational detail.

• Size and scale. A large school can offer breadth and anonymity in equal measure. This suits students who like variety and independence; it can feel overwhelming for students who prefer a smaller social setting.

• Progress profile. Progress 8 sits slightly below average at -0.16. Families should ask how the school supports students who need to accelerate progress, particularly in Key Stage 4.

• EBacc pathway choices. The EBacc grade 5 or above figure is 9.8%, which points to either selective entry patterns or varied pathways. This is worth discussing if your child is aiming for a strongly academic GCSE suite.

• Admissions timing. For September 2026 entry, the local authority deadline is 31 October 2025, and open event windows can close. Families who leave planning late reduce their options.

Winterbourne Academy is a large, non selective 11 to 18 with the infrastructure and timetable architecture to offer real breadth, plus a Post 16 pathway that is clearly structured across the trust. Academic outcomes are broadly in line with the middle of the England distribution, with an A level A* to B figure that sits above the dataset’s England average.

This will suit students who benefit from choice, scale, and a strong enrichment menu, particularly those who want facilities such as a 25m pool, 3G pitch, and a structured Post 16 enrichment offer that includes EPQ and Gold Duke of Edinburgh. It is less well suited to students who need a smaller setting to feel known quickly, or families seeking a strongly EBacc heavy curriculum by default.