Havelock Academy Review 2026, a structured secondary and sixth form with a strong behaviour and reading focus

Clear routines and a defined culture sit at the centre of Havelock Academy’s offer. The academy frames expectations through the “Havelock Way” and organises pastoral support through an eight-house system, with houses named after Ross trawlers (including Archer, Eagle, Fortune, Illustrious, Jaguar, Ramillies, Tiger and Vanguard).

Leadership is long-settled. Ms Emma Marshall has been Principal since May 2019, which matters for families who want consistency in direction and behaviour standards.

Facilities are a practical strength, particularly for sport and community use, with on-site sports halls, a swimming pool, a floodlit multi-use games area and parking for events and lettings.

The academy positions itself as a disciplined, purposeful place, with house identity used to build belonging and accountability. The house structure is not presented as a cosmetic badge system. Each house has its own champions and tutor teams, and the language on the house pages leans heavily into aspiration, resilience and shared responsibility.

The “Havelock Way” is also used as the framework for classroom consistency. This shows up both in curriculum documentation and in behaviour communication to families, where staff describe staged responses to disruption and a removal-room approach designed to protect learning time. The tone of those communications is direct and explicit about high expectations, which will suit some families well and feel strict to others.

A notable feature is the way the academy talks about reading as a barrier to learning for a large proportion of new starters. The reading strategy page states that, on average, 70% of students join with a reading-age deficit, and the stated aim is fluent, age-appropriate reading so students can access the full curriculum. This is a useful marker of how the school understands its intake and where it is concentrating effort.

At GCSE, outcomes sit below England average on the FindMySchool ranking measure. Ranked 3,422nd in England and 6th in Grimsby for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the academy falls into the lower-performing band nationally, which corresponds to below England average overall.

The data points underline that picture. Attainment 8 is 36.4 and Progress 8 is -0.36, indicating students make less progress than similar pupils nationally from their starting points. EBacc performance measures are also weak with 5.3% achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc element reported here, and an EBacc average point score of 3.15 compared with an England figure of 4.08.

In the sixth form, results also sit below England averages on the FindMySchool rankings. Ranked 2,437th in England and 4th in Grimsby for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance again lands in the below-average national band. In the reported A-level grade profile, 20.31% of grades are A* to B, compared with an England benchmark of 47.2% A* to B, and 4.69% are A grades with 0% A*.

For parents, the practical implication is that Havelock’s strongest case is likely to be about structure, support and breadth of experience, rather than being a results-led destination. Families comparing local schools should use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools to set these figures alongside nearby options in a like-for-like view.

Curriculum documentation suggests a traditional secondary model with clear time allocations at Key Stage 3 and a broad menu through Key Stage 4. At Key Stage 3, the published weekly allocations include four hours each for English and maths, three hours for science, two hours each for geography, history and French, plus separate time for IT, music, performing arts, religious education and a dedicated Curriculum for Life strand.

Key Stage 4 is framed around a core suite that includes English language and literature, maths, science and core physical education, with an ambition to support EBacc breadth, plus a range of technical and creative options. The published options examples include GCSE art, GCSE photography, GCSE statistics, Cambridge National iMedia, and BTEC routes including performing arts, music and health and social care.

Reading is positioned as a whole-school priority rather than a KS3-only intervention. The stated strategy is about closing gaps in chronological reading age and enabling access to complex texts that many students would not be able to read independently on arrival.

Where Students Go Next

No published Russell Group or Oxbridge progression statistics were found on the academy website during this research pass, so the most reliable destination picture comes from the DfE 16 to 18 destination data. For the 2023 to 2024 cohort (34 students), 56% progressed to university, 6% to further education and 24% to employment. Apprenticeships are recorded as 0% in this cohort.

The best way to interpret these figures is as a signal of mixed routes rather than a single dominant pathway. For students who want university, the numbers indicate it is a common route, but not universal. For those who prefer employment routes, the employment share is sizeable enough to suggest post-18 preparation should be taken seriously. The academy’s careers and post-16 pages reference Unifrog-supported activities and structured guidance aligned to Gatsby Benchmarks, which should help students make realistic decisions about next steps.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through North East Lincolnshire’s admissions process. For September 2026 entry, the local authority timetable lists 31 October 2025 as the deadline for applications, with allocation notifications on 02 March 2026 and an acceptance expectation by 16 March 2026.

The published admission number for Year 7 is 220 in the local authority admissions material. Oversubscription criteria include looked-after and previously looked-after children, siblings, proximity within catchment, children of staff (under defined conditions), and named feeder primary schools, which include Edward Heneage Primary Academy and Fairfield Primary Academy.

Demand is material, even if it does not always translate into long waiting lists. The North East Lincolnshire admissions guide includes a table for the 2025 to 2026 cycle showing Havelock Academy with 232 total preferences and 156 allocated on National Offer Day.

For sixth form entry, the published policy in the same local authority document sets minimum academic thresholds. It states a requirement of five GCSEs at grades 4 to 9 (or equivalent) including English and maths, plus minimum GCSE grade 6 for A-level study, and minimum GCSE grade 7 for A-level maths and physics. The Year 12 admission number is 100 across the split-site sixth form arrangement, with 70 places at Havelock Academy and 30 at King Edward VI Academy in Spilsby, and 10 places described for external applicants, with additional external intake only if undersubscribed by internal progression.

Open events are typically advertised in the early autumn. A recent Year 5 and 6 open evening was listed for late September, which suggests the academy tends to schedule its main pre-Year 7 open event around that point in the year, with current details published on the academy website.

Parents assessing catchment practicality should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise distance position relative to common allocation patterns, and to sense-check travel and timing against alternatives.

Pastoral support is presented through the house system and an emphasis on clear behaviour routines. Behaviour communication to families is explicit about staged sanctions and a removal-room approach intended to keep lessons calm and reduce interruption for students who are ready to learn.

Internal support structures are also clearly defined. The academy describes The Hive as an alternative provision centre in a separate building, intended to support students who have disengaged from mainstream education due to social, mental health or behavioural issues. There is also an internal isolation approach described as an alternative to fixed-term suspension, with students educated for six hours a day while removed from mainstream for a short period.

The January 2023 Ofsted inspection graded the school Good across all areas, including sixth form provision.

An unannounced urgent Ofsted inspection in January 2025 judged safeguarding to remain effective and stated that leaders had taken effective action to maintain behaviour and attitudes.

Sport is an obvious pillar, supported by facilities that many state secondaries cannot offer on one site. The academy lists a sports hall, gymnasium, swimming pool, tennis courts, three full netball courts, playing fields and a new fitness suite, with a free sports enrichment programme running at lunchtimes and after school.

The implication for students is straightforward: participation is logistically easy, and sport can sit as a regular part of the week rather than an occasional add-on.

Music is also set up as a mainstream entitlement rather than a niche offer. The music pages and curriculum description reference performance and composition, plus extra-curricular opportunities including choir and various bands.

For students who want a visible platform, the house system adds another route through inter-house activity. The house pages and academy communications reference house competitions, including singing competitions, which can be a meaningful confidence-builder for students who prefer performance, leadership and community recognition to purely academic badges.

The academy also highlights wider enrichment and community engagement, including lettings and community use of facilities such as sports halls, pitches and the theatre and arts spaces.

Published timings for the 2025 to 2026 academic year show morning tutorial beginning at 8.20am and the core day running until 2.50pm, with gates opening at 8.00am for students attending breakfast club and at 8.15am for line-up. Year 11 period 6 sessions for English, maths or science are listed on Mondays and Tuesdays from 2.50pm to 3.50pm.

For travel and pick-up logistics, the academy states it has ample parking when hosting multiple groups for sports and facility use, which is useful for evening events and fixtures.

• Results trend. Current GCSE and A-level performance indicators sit below England averages in the FindMySchool dataset. Families for whom exam outcomes are the primary driver should compare nearby options carefully using like-for-like measures.

• Behaviour reset still bedding in. The January 2025 urgent inspection was triggered by concerns about behaviour, and while standards were judged maintained, the report notes that new approaches were not yet consistently embedded across staff. This can feel unsettled while it is being stabilised.

• Sixth form entry is selective in practice. Published entry thresholds include minimum GCSE profiles and higher subject expectations for some A-level routes. This clarity helps students plan, but it can limit options for those who need a broader safety net post-16.

• A very structured culture. Staged sanctions, removal rooms and strong routines suit students who like predictability and clear boundaries. Students who respond better to a looser style may need careful transition support.

Havelock Academy is best understood as a highly structured, routines-led secondary with a clear emphasis on behaviour consistency, reading catch-up and accessible enrichment through sport, music and house identity. It will suit families who value a defined culture, strong pastoral architecture through houses, and practical facilities that enable regular participation outside lessons. The main trade-off is that published outcomes data sits below England averages, so families for whom academic results are the deciding factor should shortlist thoughtfully and use saved comparisons across local alternatives.