Foxford Community School Review 2026: Inclusive 11 to 18 academy with a broad sixth form

Foxford Community School is a mixed 11 to 18 secondary in Longford, Coventry, with a sixth form and a large intake. It sits within the Castle Phoenix Trust, and has been led since 2020 by headteacher Alison Gallagher.

This is a school whose story is about rebuilding confidence, raising expectations, and keeping a wide community together. The most recent graded inspection (6 and 7 December 2022, published 31 January 2023) judged it Good overall, with Good judgements across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision.

Results are more mixed. On FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking (based on official data), Foxford sits below England average, and the A-level picture is also below England average in headline grade distribution. For some families that will be a reason to look closely at support, curriculum fit, and the practicalities of day-to-day learning. For others, what matters most will be a settled, inclusive culture, a clear routine, and a sixth form that keeps options open locally.

Foxford serves a diverse Coventry community and works hard to make school feel orderly and supportive. High expectations are a recurring theme, not as rhetoric, but as an attempt to keep lessons calm and learning purposeful. The inspection evidence points to trusting relationships between staff and young people, alongside a culture where pupils and students are encouraged to seek help when they need it, whether that is academic support, pastoral support, or mental health support.

The school’s recent leadership story matters because it frames how families should interpret “current” culture. Alison Gallagher joined as acting headteacher in January 2020 and the appointment became permanent from October 2020. That timing means the leadership team has had a number of years to embed routines and rebuild systems post-pandemic, and families touring now are more likely to see an established model rather than a school in mid-transition.

Foxford is also a trust school. It joined Castle Phoenix Trust in October 2018, so many strategic decisions, including curriculum structure and professional development, will sit within a wider trust approach. For parents, the practical implication is that improvement work is not carried by one school alone. There is governance, central challenge, and shared expertise, which can be important in schools serving a broad intake.

Foxford is included in FindMySchool’s performance tables for both GCSE and A-level outcomes. The headline story is that outcomes sit below England average in these measures, with a need for families to focus on progress and support, not just raw grades.

GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool metrics)

• Ranked 3430th in England and 25th in Coventry for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places the school below England average, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure.

• Attainment 8 score: 37.3.

• Progress 8 score: -0.23, which indicates students make, on average, less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally.

• EBacc measures show limited high-grade entry and outcomes on the dataset provided, which may reflect curriculum choices, entry patterns, or cohort profile.

What this means for families

A Progress 8 score below zero does not mean a child cannot thrive here. It does mean that families should pay close attention to how learning is structured, how quickly gaps are identified, and how consistently support is applied across subjects. The inspection evidence points to effective curriculum sequencing in many subjects and a clear approach to assessment, including a structured improvement process for responding to feedback. The key question is consistency, particularly for students with additional needs.

A-level outcomes (FindMySchool metrics)

• Ranked 2386th in England and 23rd in Coventry for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places the school below England average, within the bottom 40% of schools in England on this measure.

• Grade distribution: A* 1.25%, A 5.63%, B 14.38%, A* to B 21.25%.

• England averages: A* to A 23.6%, A* to B 47.2%.

Implication for sixth form choices

For students targeting highly competitive courses, this suggests that careful subject selection, strong independent study habits, and close monitoring of progress will be important. Equally, the presence of a sixth form can be a major advantage for students who benefit from continuity, familiar staff, and a local route to post-16 study without changing environment at 16.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to assess GCSE and A-level performance side-by-side with nearby schools, rather than relying on reputation alone.

Teaching at Foxford is built around clear sequencing and reinforcement. Curriculum leaders have planned the order of topics so that learning builds logically, and teachers use questioning and assessment to check understanding. The practical benefit for students is that lessons are designed to link prior knowledge to new content, which can be particularly important in mixed-attainment classrooms.

A named whole-school approach to improvement is described as “STAR”, a structured way for pupils to respond to feedback and refine work. In a school where outcomes are an area for growth, these kinds of routines matter. They reduce variability between classrooms and make expectations clearer for students who do not have strong study habits yet.

Support for reading is also a defined feature. Many pupils arrive needing extra help with reading, and the school puts structured support in place to build fluency and confidence so that pupils can access the full curriculum. For families, this is particularly relevant for students transitioning from primary with literacy gaps, or for students who have moved schools and missed prior learning.

Special educational needs and disabilities support is present and leaders have put effective systems in place, but the improvement priority is consistency. Not all teachers consistently apply the school’s strategies for pupils with SEND, which can lead to work that is incomplete or not well-matched. For parents of children with SEND, the implication is simple: ask about day-to-day classroom adjustments, not just central support, and request clear examples of how targets are implemented across subjects.

Where Students Go Next

Foxford has a sixth form, so “next steps” means both post-16 routes and post-18 destinations.

Where the school publishes detailed destination data can vary year to year. provided for 2023/24 leavers (cohort size 61), 69% progressed to university, 5% started apprenticeships, and 11% entered employment. This indicates that most sixth form leavers continue into structured education or training, with a meaningful minority moving straight into work-based routes.

Oxbridge measures are not available for this school in the measurement period, so it is not possible to give a reliable Oxbridge pipeline figure here.

For many families, the more useful question is practical: does the sixth form offer the right combination of subjects, guidance, and study culture for the student in front of you. The inspection evidence highlights clear and impartial careers advice and guidance for pupils and students, which matters when students are deciding between A-level routes, vocational options, apprenticeships, and local college alternatives.

Year 7 entry (Coventry coordinated admissions)

Year 7 admissions follow Coventry City Council’s coordinated process rather than a direct application to the school. For entry in September 2026, the council states that applications opened 1 September 2025, closed 31 October 2025, and offers are released on 2 March 2026.

Because oversubscription patterns can shift annually, families should treat any distance information, if published for a given year, as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. Where proximity matters, parents should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check their home-to-school distance precisely and to understand how that might compare to typical allocation patterns in Coventry.

Sixth form entry (internal and external applicants)

The school operates a separate sixth form application process. Publicly available admissions information indicates a deadline in early December, with interviews for internal applicants typically in early February. Where places are limited in specific subjects, students should expect entry requirements by subject and a focus on GCSE outcomes as part of suitability checks.

Pastoral support is not a “nice to have” in a large 11 to 18 school; it is central to whether students attend, behave, and learn. The inspection evidence supports a picture of pupils who know there is someone to talk to, and of a culture where bullying is addressed effectively when it occurs. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, and safeguarding arrangements are effective.

In practical terms, families should ask about the structure of pastoral leadership by year group, how attendance is monitored, and what happens when a student begins to disengage. For sixth form students, the quality of mentoring and study supervision can matter as much as subject teaching. A sixth form works best when independent study is actively taught, not assumed.

Extracurricular provision matters most when it is specific, regular, and easy to access. Foxford offers a range of clubs and activities that connect directly to learning and belonging.

Available information indicates an after-school timetable that includes subject-focused and creative options such as Reading Club, History Club, Spanish Club, Science Club, Choir, Art Club, and Band. Alongside this, the inspection evidence notes an LGBTQ+ group for pupils and enrichment opportunities for sixth form students, including students supporting a local foodbank.

The best extracurricular programmes do two things. They help students who are not naturally academic find a reason to engage, and they give high-attaining students extension and identity. Subject clubs can support knowledge-building outside lessons, while music and arts clubs can provide a structured community that improves attendance and confidence. For students considering sixth form, enrichment opportunities also matter for personal statements, apprenticeships, and interviews.

School day and routine

Published timings indicate the school day starts at 8.45am and ends at 3.15pm, with reception open 8am to 4pm. Families should confirm any year-group variations, and should ask directly about breakfast provision, after-school supervision, and holiday support, as these vary between schools and are not always set out in detail publicly.

Travel and access

The school describes access via the M6 (Junction 3) and A444, and notes on-site parking for visitors and staff, alongside bus route access. For families relying on public transport, the practical priority is not just the route but the reliability at peak times, especially for winter mornings and for students staying after school for clubs.

• Results below England average in headline measures. FindMySchool rankings place Foxford below England average for both GCSE and A-level outcomes. Families should ask how the school identifies learning gaps and how it supports students who need additional help to catch up.

• Consistency for students with SEND. Strategies and support are in place, but consistency of classroom application has been identified as an improvement priority. Parents of children with SEND should discuss subject-by-subject adjustments and how these are monitored.

• Sixth form fit depends on the student. Most leavers in the 2023/24 cohort progressed to university, but grade distributions are below England average. Students who need a highly academic, top-grade environment should explore options carefully, including subject availability and study culture.

• Admissions deadlines are fixed. Coventry’s Year 7 deadline for September 2026 entry was 31 October 2025, with offers on 2 March 2026. Missing key dates can materially reduce the chance of securing a preferred place.

Foxford Community School is a large, inclusive Coventry secondary with a local sixth form, steady leadership, and a Good inspection profile. The academic picture in the provided dataset is below England average in headline measures, so families should focus on support, consistency, and subject fit rather than expecting effortless top-end outcomes.

Who it suits: students who benefit from a structured, supportive environment; families prioritising continuity through to sixth form; and pupils who will engage with clubs, enrichment, and pastoral systems alongside classroom learning.