The Harleston Sancroft Academy Review 2026: All through schooling with an Outstanding early years start

An all through school can remove a major source of family stress, the jump from Year 6 to Year 7. Here, that continuity is central to the design: the school opened as a single 3 to 16 academy in September 2022, and it operates across two sites less than a mile apart within Harleston.

The latest Ofsted inspection (24 and 25 June 2025, published 08 September 2025) graded Quality of education, Behaviour and attitudes, Personal development, and Leadership and management as Good, with Early years provision graded Outstanding. This split outcome matters for families, it signals a strong foundation in the earliest years, alongside a wider school improvement story that is still in motion, particularly in primary outcomes.

Leadership has been stable through the transition into an all through structure. Rob Connelly is named as headteacher on both the school website and the Ofsted report, and the school’s own history page states he was appointed Executive Headteacher of the Harleston Federation in 2021.

For day to day routines, the school publishes unusually clear timings. The day begins at 08:40 and ends at 15:20 for both phases, with detailed breakdowns by key stage and nursery session patterns.

The strongest thread running through the available evidence is a deliberate “all through” culture rather than two separate schools sharing a name. The curriculum is designed to build knowledge from early years through to Year 11, and the school has developed consistent teaching principles and routines to support that progression.

A second defining feature is the Church of England identity, which is integrated into routines as well as messaging. The published timetable includes collective worship in the primary phase (08:50 to 09:10) and a daily registration and collective worship slot in the secondary phase. The school also frames its vision around “Life in all Its Fullness” (John 10:10), linking this directly to relationships, wisdom, and aspiration. In practice, this tends to translate into values language that appears in behaviour systems and leadership roles, rather than feeling like an add on reserved for assemblies.

The most recent inspection evidence points to a calm, respectful behaviour culture with clear systems, and a pastoral approach described through the school’s own phrase, “connect before we correct”. That kind of language is more than branding if it is consistently used by staff and understood by pupils, and the inspection narrative suggests it is. It also fits the needs of a 3 to 16 school, where younger pupils benefit from high structure, and older pupils benefit from predictable, fair responses when issues arise.

The school’s community orientation is unusually concrete. Examples referenced in official inspection material include pupils growing vegetables in the early years garden, taking part in town parades, and a cross age programme called “Tots to Teens” where older pupils support younger children. These details matter because they show what community means on a Wednesday afternoon, not just as a slogan.

Because this is an all through school, the most useful way to read performance is as two linked stories: primary outcomes, and GCSE outcomes.

Primary (Key Stage 2) outcomes

In 2024, 51.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The England average in the same measure was 62%. At the higher standard, 6.67% reached greater depth, compared with the England average of 8%. Science was 77% at the expected standard, compared with the England average of 82%.

FindMySchool rankings (based on official data) place the school at 14,124th in England for primary outcomes, and 3rd locally in Harleston. This sits below England average overall, and the key implication for parents is that the primary phase is in a period where improvement work needs to translate into consistently stronger Year 6 outcomes.

It is also worth reading the primary picture alongside the school’s stated priorities. The Ofsted report describes deliberate action to close gaps in pupils’ knowledge and to address historic underperformance by the end of Year 6, with improvement work particularly focused on how writing is taught across the curriculum and how precisely teachers check pupils’ understanding. Those two priorities align directly with the results profile, which is strongest in reading compared with writing and mathematics combined.

Secondary (GCSE) outcomes and progress

At GCSE level, FindMySchool rankings place the school 2,184th in England for GCSE outcomes, and 1st locally in Harleston (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This sits broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), a position that will feel solid rather than headline grabbing.

The school’s 2024 Attainment 8 score is 47.3, and the Progress 8 score is 0.04. A Progress 8 score above zero indicates progress that is above the England average for pupils with similar starting points. The implication here is that, while outcomes are not in the elite bracket, students are broadly making the progress they should, and slightly more.

The EBacc average point score is 4.06, close to the England average figure shown (4.08). The percentage of pupils achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure is 8.2%.

For families, the practical reading is this: GCSE performance looks steadier than the primary picture, with a progress profile that suggests the secondary phase is adding value. The school’s challenge is to raise overall attainment without losing the stable behaviour and pastoral strengths that underpin learning.

The strongest evidence on teaching sits in how the school tries to make all through consistency real. The Ofsted report describes shared teaching principles across phases, centred on preparation, ambition, and connection, with clear explanations and structured opportunities for pupils to practise and discuss new knowledge.

Reading is treated as a whole school priority starting in nursery, with speech, language and communication activities embedded early, and phonics teaching supported by staff training and targeted catch up when pupils fall behind. In an all through school, early reading matters for far longer than the infant years, because weak decoding and limited vocabulary often become the hidden barrier to GCSE success. The reported approach suggests the school understands that risk and has put systematic work in place.

The more developmental area is writing. The school is described as developing a whole school approach to writing, but with too much variation in quality across the curriculum as the approach beds in. For parents, this is a useful lens to bring to any visit or conversation: ask how writing is taught beyond English, how subject teachers support extended responses, and how pupils get feedback that improves their accuracy and expression.

At secondary level, the published daily structure is five lessons plus a separate registration and collective worship slot after lunch, which tends to suit schools that want predictable routines and consistent pastoral touchpoints.

Year 6 to Year 7

One of the clearest practical benefits here is internal progression. The secondary admissions page explicitly notes that the external Year 7 application process does not apply to children currently attending the school’s primary phase. That usually signals an expected, smooth transition for internal pupils, and it can materially reduce the anxiety many families experience in Year 6.

This does not remove the need for thoughtful transition work, but it changes the texture of Year 6. Instead of “where will we get a place”, the question becomes “how will my child settle into a bigger site and secondary routines”.

Year 11 routes

There is no sixth form, so students typically progress to local sixth forms, further education colleges, apprenticeships, or training routes depending on fit. In the absence of published cohort destination figures, parents should expect the school to focus careers guidance on breadth of option rather than a single pipeline. The Ofsted report notes a planned careers programme in the secondary phase, while also indicating that subject specific guidance is not always as detailed as it could be.

For families, the implication is straightforward: start post 16 thinking earlier than you might in a school with an internal sixth form. Ask how Year 9 options link to post 16 routes, and how the school supports applications, interviews, and transition once offers are made.

Because this is a state funded academy within Norfolk local authority, there are no tuition fees. Places are allocated through coordinated admissions processes, with published local authority timelines and school phase specific arrangements.

Reception and primary entry

Norfolk’s published timetable for the 2025 to 26 coordinated admissions round lists Reception applications opening on 23 September 2025 and closing on 15 January 2026, with National Offer Day on 16 April 2026.

Demand indicators suggest oversubscription pressure at primary entry. There were 42 applications for 30 offers, a subscription proportion of 1.4, and first preference demand was level with first preference offers (proportion 1.0). The practical implication is that families should treat admission as competitive rather than automatic, and should read the published admissions policy closely.

For open events, the school has advertised Reception open day activity for the 2026 intake in early November, with booking indicated. The safest assumption is that this timing repeats annually, so families considering later intakes should look for open events in that same period and verify dates each year.

Year 7 entry

Norfolk’s coordinated secondary timetable lists applications opening on 11 September 2025 and closing on 31 October 2025, with offer day on 02 March 2026.

The school’s own secondary admissions page describes the application process as beginning early in the autumn term of Year 6, and it separates external applicants from internal primary phase pupils.

Demand indicators for Year 7 show higher pressure than Reception: 68 applications for 38 offers, a subscription proportion of 1.79, and first preference demand running slightly above first preference offers (proportion 1.03). Competition for places is therefore a meaningful factor for external applicants.

A practical tip for parents is to use FindMySchool’s Map Search to understand likely travel patterns and to sanity check alternatives, especially if you are applying from outside the immediate Harleston area.

The Ofsted report describes pupils feeling listened to, supported by trusted staff, and happy and safe across phases, and it states that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Beyond the headline, what stands out is the range of structured pupil responsibility roles used to support wellbeing and inclusion, including wellbeing ambassadors, a diversity crew, and junior librarians. These roles can look small, but they matter in a 3 to 16 school because they create cross age leadership ladders, and they provide legitimate, visible ways for pupils to contribute beyond sport or academic achievement.

The school also describes targeted support and nurture work in its published materials, including structured interventions and nurture approaches for some students. For parents of children who need extra emotional scaffolding, this is an area worth probing, ask what entry points exist for support, how quickly concerns are picked up, and how communication works between home and school.

Extracurricular life is where a growing all through school can feel either energising or stretched, depending on organisation. The evidence here points to a planned enrichment approach rather than ad hoc clubs.

In the secondary phase, the school states it runs a daily breakfast club from 08:00 in the canteen, and it keeps the library open every lunchtime for reading, study, games, or quiet time. That lunchtime access is often a quiet but meaningful support for students who need a calmer social space, or who want a reliable homework routine.

Community based enrichment is also explicitly present. Inspection evidence references town parades and cross age “Tots to Teens” work, which builds empathy and confidence while giving younger pupils aspirational role models. These kinds of programmes work best when they are treated as part of the school’s identity, not as a one off event, and the repeated emphasis suggests it is a consistent feature.

Reading culture has its own named structures. The Ofsted report describes “Reading Cafés” and the “Harleston Hundred” books initiative, both of which are signals of a deliberate reading for pleasure strategy rather than purely reading as a test skill. For families, the implication is that children who enjoy stories, discussion, and books as a shared social activity are likely to find their tribe, and children who do not yet enjoy reading may still benefit from the social framing.

In early years, enrichment is rooted in play and real life experiences such as gardening and cooking. This is consistent with the Outstanding early years judgement and suggests the school is investing in the quality of the youngest pupils’ daily experience, not just in compliance.

Published timings are unusually detailed. The school day starts at 08:40 and ends at 15:20 across phases, with staggered ends for Reception and Key Stage 1. Nursery runs as morning or afternoon sessions with separate drop off and collection gates, and the school sets out gate timings clearly.

For travel, the school is based in Harleston and operates across two sites less than a mile apart. Parents should factor this into daily logistics, particularly if they have children in both phases or need to coordinate drop off and pick up.

Wraparound care information for nursery and wider extended day arrangements exists in school materials, but the most stable published detail to rely on is the secondary breakfast club and lunchtime library access. For primary before and after school care, families should confirm the current provider and booking arrangements directly, as these can change year to year.

• Primary outcomes are the improvement priority. Year 6 outcomes in 2024 were below the England average on the combined reading, writing and mathematics measure. Families should ask how writing and mathematics are being strengthened across subjects, and what support looks like for pupils who need to catch up.

• External Year 7 entry is competitive. Demand indicators show 68 applications for 38 offers, so families applying from outside the primary phase should treat entry as uncertain and plan alternatives early.

• No sixth form changes the post 16 pathway. Students move on at 16, so families who want an “all the way to A level” route will need to plan for a separate post 16 choice and application process.

• Church of England ethos is integrated. Collective worship is part of the daily rhythm. This will suit many families, but those who prefer a fully secular routine should consider whether the faith dimension aligns with their expectations.

This is a modern all through academy that has invested heavily in creating consistent culture across ages, with a particularly strong start in early years. The secondary results profile looks steady, and progress measures suggest students are broadly moving forward well, while primary outcomes indicate the improvement work still needs to land fully in Year 6 results.

It best suits families who value continuity from nursery through to GCSE, want a structured behaviour culture, and are comfortable with an explicit Church of England identity embedded in daily routines. Admission remains the obstacle for external applicants, especially at Year 7.