Landau Forte College Review 2026: An Outstanding Derby secondary where character education is treated as part of the curriculum

A school day that starts with tutor time at 8.30 and ends with scheduled enrichment until 16.25 tells you a lot about priorities here. Landau Forte College is structured, busy, and unapologetically ambitious for pupils from Year 7 through Year 11, with a relatively compact sixth form on top. The most recent Ofsted inspection (March 2024) judged the school Outstanding across every category, including sixth form provision.

The language you will see repeatedly is “Best me”, a deliberate character programme woven into expectations for behaviour, learning habits, and wider participation. Parents weighing it up should expect clear routines, high accountability, and a culture where enrichment is not an optional extra. For families who want a strong, ordered mainstream school with a defined approach to personal development and a credible post-16 offer, it is an option worth taking seriously.

Landau Forte College sits in Derby city centre and serves a broad intake, but the internal tone is deliberately consistent. Expectations are explicit, pupils are held to account, and the school frames this as a route to confidence and maturity rather than compliance for its own sake. In the March 2024 inspection narrative, pupils are described as feeling safe and happy, with strong relationships underpinning the high expectations.

The “Best me” strategy is central to how the school describes its culture. It is not simply a poster message. It shows up in how pupils are encouraged to build tenacity, empathy, and social confidence, and in how personal development is treated as planned rather than ad hoc. For parents, the implication is a school that will push pupils to develop habits, routines, and resilience alongside exam preparation.

Leadership continuity is also part of the story. The Principal is Alison Brannick, appointed in 2015 and taking up the post from 1 January 2016, giving the school a stable leadership era across several accountability cycles. In practice, that tends to translate into fewer swings in policy and a clearer sense of what the school is trying to achieve year to year.

Scale matters in atmosphere. Ofsted lists 1,250 pupils on roll, with 186 in the sixth form, so it is a large secondary with a smaller post-16 layer. That mix often suits students who want the social breadth and facilities of a big school, but who also value a sixth form that still feels closely managed.

For GCSE performance, Landau Forte College ranks 1,214th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 5th in Derby. Its England position sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The headline GCSE indicators in the latest dataset show: Attainment 8 of 54.1; EBACC average point score of 5.12; and Progress 8 of +0.43. The EBACC point score suggests a comparatively strong academic entry profile for EBACC subjects, while a positive Progress 8 score indicates pupils typically make above-average progress from their starting points.

At A-level, the picture is similar in shape. Ranked 736th in England and 4th in Derby for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school again sits within the middle 35% of A-level providers in England (25th to 60th percentile). The most recent A-level grade distribution shows 8.13% at A*, 25.09% at A, and 56.89% at A* to B. That A* to B share is above the England average of 47.2% a useful marker for students who want a sixth form that can support strong outcomes without requiring a specialist setting.

A sensible way to interpret these results alongside the March 2024 Outstanding judgement is that the school is not relying on a narrow cohort or selective admissions to sustain its standards. It is attempting to drive consistent progress through curriculum design, routines, and a structured approach to learning.

Parents comparing local schools should use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages to view these indicators side by side, using the Comparison Tool to see how GCSE and A-level outcomes stack up against other Derby options.

The school’s curriculum messaging is clear: knowledge is carefully sequenced, revisited, and assessed in ways intended to reduce forgetting. One concrete mechanism is the use of “Do Now” retrieval starters at the beginning of lessons, paired with a curriculum compendium that helps staff map where knowledge and skills are taught across subjects.

There is also a deliberate approach to breadth and options. Ofsted describes a model in which pupils in key stage 4 study four options, with many continuing a language, and where option choices beginning in Year 9 are designed not to narrow the overall curriculum too early. The implication for families is that academic choice is framed as keeping doors open, rather than early specialisation that might suit only a subset of pupils.

Homework and independent study are supported structurally. The school runs an Information Centre available until 16.25 Monday to Thursday, and also a supervised Homework Club in “T6” from Monday to Wednesday until 16.25. For many families, this matters as much as any policy statement because it provides a practical route to consistent study routines, especially for pupils whose home environment is busy or space-limited.

Post-16 teaching is framed around both academic rigour and explicit preparation for next steps. The sixth form timetable includes an additional afternoon enrichment session (15.25 to 16.25), and the school outlines a programme of extension, careers support, and structured personal development activities.

Sixth form, university, and employment pathways

Landau Forte’s own destinations page presents a strong university pipeline and also highlights employment with training and apprenticeships. It lists “Destination Leavers 2025” as: Higher Education (University Degree) 90; Employment 5; Apprenticeship 4; Higher Education (Foundation Degree or Course) 2; Gap Year (going to University in 2026) 8. It also names a wide spread of course destinations including Cambridge, Oxford, Warwick, Durham, Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham, Loughborough and others, across subjects from Natural Sciences and Law through to Nursing, Computer Science and Architecture.

Because the website publishes both university destinations and Oxford and Cambridge examples, it is reasonable to treat university progression as a core outcome for many sixth form students, while also acknowledging alternative pathways. The site also references apprenticeships at employers including Rolls Royce and Deloitte, which will appeal to families for whom employment routes with training are a genuine Plan A rather than a fallback.

The dataset also provides an additional destination lens for the 2023/24 leaver cohort: 57% to university, 19% to employment, 5% to apprenticeships, and 2% to further education. (Percentages may not sum to 100% due to reporting conventions.) Together, these sources suggest a sixth form where university is the dominant route, but not the only one, and where employment outcomes are visible rather than hidden.

Oxbridge

In the measurement period captured nine students applied to Oxford and Cambridge combined, one offer was made, and one student accepted. This is not an Oxbridge conveyor belt, but it is a sixth form where students do apply, and where a small number secure places, aligning with the school’s stated emphasis on aspiration and structured support.

Year 11 and internal progression

Landau Forte is a school with sixth form provision on site, so many pupils will weigh staying on versus moving to a sixth form college or alternative provider. The practical advantage of staying is continuity of routines, known staff, and a familiar support system. Those considering alternatives should compare subject offer, enrichment expectations, and travel time, as the sixth form day includes a later scheduled session than many providers.

Year 7 entry

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through the local authority, not directly through the school. The school’s admissions page is explicit that its published guidance relates to Year 7 entry and that applications must be made through the local authority where you live, commonly Derby City Council.

For September 2026 entry, Derby’s published secondary admissions handbook sets the on-time application closing date as 31 October 2025, with National Offer Day on 2 March 2026. If your family lives outside Derby but wants a Derby city school, the council guidance is to apply via your home local authority, which then coordinates across borders.

The school also publishes a Year 7 Admissions Policy for 2026/27, including a planned admission number of 196 for September 2026/27. The same policy sets out defined catchment areas using named Derby City electoral wards, which is useful for parents trying to understand how geographic priority works in practice.

Demand for places is strong showing 1,156 applications for 191 offers, and an oversubscribed position, which is consistent with the importance of getting preferences and timing right. Where proximity and catchment rules matter, parents should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check how their home address relates to any published boundary descriptions and to understand how quickly local conditions can change from year to year.

Sixth form entry (Year 12)

Sixth form admissions are handled directly by the school and have separate deadlines for internal and external applicants. For entry in September 2026, the published deadlines are: Friday 7 November 2025 for existing students, and Tuesday 30 December 2025 for new students. The sixth form policy also sets a planned admission number of up to 80 students for Year 12 (including internal transfers), with a sixth form capacity of 145 across Years 12 and 13.

Those dates are early enough that families should plan ahead in Year 11, especially if they are applying from another school and need time to align subject choices, reference processes, and any internal assessment steps.

Pastoral support is built into the day structure through tutor time and the clear segmentation of sessions. The day begins with morning personal tutor time (8.30 to 9.00), which provides a consistent contact point for attendance, organisation, and early identification of issues.

The “Best me” approach is also framed as a personal development tool rather than simply behaviour management. Ofsted’s March 2024 report describes pupils developing confidence, positive attitudes to learning, and a sense of safety, while also describing staff holding pupils to account and maintaining high expectations across groups, including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities and disadvantaged pupils.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the official inspection documentation and the school’s own safeguarding framework indicates a systematised approach to reporting and oversight. The practical implication for parents is that the school is likely to be methodical about process and record keeping, which is often a positive indicator in large settings.

A useful way to think about enrichment at Landau Forte is that it is timetable-protected rather than squeezed in. The standard school day includes a dedicated enrichment slot (15.25 to 16.25). In the sixth form, that extra session remains part of the design, and students are also expected to participate in volunteering at least once a fortnight as part of the stated culture.

The school provides specific, named activities rather than vague “clubs”. In sixth form personal development, it references the sixth form debating club, sixth form book club, and a “Ready Steady Cook” competition, alongside formal inputs such as first aid training, mock interviews with local employers, public speaking training, an open day at a Russell Group university, and a week-long external work placement. That mix signals a sixth form that sees employability and confident communication as a core part of the offer, not a bolt-on.

For younger year groups, the house system is a major driver of participation. House competitions include The Landau Bake Off, Landau’s Got Talent, charity fundraising events, Accelerated Reader, poetry and creative writing competitions, and a weekly maths challenge. This matters because it creates multiple routes into school life: a pupil who is not sporty still has a structured way to contribute and be recognised.

Experiential learning also appears early. A Year 7 residential to Hesley Wood included activities such as archery, rafting, rock climbing and raft building, framed explicitly through the “Being My Best Me” characteristics. For some families, this will feel like a helpful confidence-builder at the point pupils are adapting to secondary routines.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is another anchor activity, with Bronze and Silver participation established and a “new for this year” Gold level referenced in December 2024 communications. For students who value recognised leadership awards, this provides a clear pathway across key stage 4 and into sixth form.

The daily structure is published clearly. Tutor time runs 8.30 to 9.00, with teaching sessions through to 15.10, followed by enrichment from 15.25 to 16.25. There is a lunch period within the middle of the day, and pupils are not permitted to go off-site at breaks, with food available on site.

For transport planning, the school’s city centre location will suit families using public transport routes into central Derby, and it can also work for walking or cycling depending on your neighbourhood. If you are comparing travel times across multiple schools, map the door-to-door commute at peak times, not just the distance, because city centre congestion patterns can change the experience quickly.

• Oversubscription is real. Recent admissions data shows far more applications than offers, and the local authority timetable is unforgiving on late submissions. Families should plan for the 31 October 2025 deadline for September 2026 entry and avoid last-minute preference changes.

• A structured culture will not suit every child. The school’s approach is built around high expectations, clear routines, and deliberate character education. For pupils who struggle with firm accountability without close home support, the pace and expectations may feel demanding.

• The sixth form is smaller than the main school. With 186 sixth formers on roll (Ofsted figure), it is not a large sixth form college environment. Some students will love the familiarity; others may want the breadth and independence of a bigger provider.

• The day can run later than many schools. Enrichment is scheduled until 16.25. That is a benefit for structured participation, but it has implications for travel, caring responsibilities, and part-time work planning for older students.

Landau Forte College is a high-performing mainstream academy with a clearly articulated culture, a timetable that protects enrichment, and an Outstanding inspection profile confirmed in March 2024. It suits families who want structure, high expectations, and a school that treats personal development as planned work rather than occasional assemblies. The primary challenge is admission demand and the need to engage early with deadlines and catchment logic.