Robert Barclay Academy Review 2026: A steadily improving 11 to 18 academy in Hoddesdon

A secondary school can feel like two institutions at once. At Robert Barclay Academy, the clearest thread is direction of travel. The school opened in September 2016 (as an academy successor to Sheredes School) and has since worked through a period of staffing turbulence into a more settled phase, with a deliberately sequenced curriculum and clearer routines. The current headteacher is Mr Ced de la Croix, and the school is part of Scholars Education Trust.

For local families, the practical appeal is straightforward, this is a state school with no tuition fees, a published admission number of 150 for Year 7 (with Hertfordshire noting an agreed intake of 152 for September 2026). The harder question is fit. Results sit below England average overall, but there are signs of growing consistency in teaching, behaviour, and curriculum planning.

Robert Barclay Academy serves a mixed community intake across Hoddesdon and the wider Broxbourne area, with a size that is large enough for breadth but not so large that students disappear into the crowd. Current roll is listed at 792, against a capacity of 940, which usually means the site feels active without being stretched to the limit day to day.

The strongest cultural signal is the emphasis on predictable expectations, both for learning and conduct. External reviews describe a calm, purposeful environment where students generally behave well and bullying is reported as rare, with swift resolution when it does occur. Students are also described as respectful and open minded, with deliberate teaching that helps them engage with difference and prejudice, rather than leaving those conversations to chance.

Leadership stability matters here, because the school’s earlier years were marked by significant staffing change. That history still shows up as a theme in published reports, as a risk to consistency if recruitment becomes difficult again. The more recent picture is of leaders investing in staff training and curriculum sequencing, with routines that reduce low level disruption and leave more time for learning.

The headline performance message is mixed. GCSE outcomes are not among the strongest in England, but progress is slightly positive, and the school’s internal focus on curriculum clarity is aligned with what tends to raise outcomes over time.

GCSE results (most recent published)

• Attainment 8: 42.7

• Progress 8: +0.11 (a small positive score, indicating students make slightly above average progress from their starting points)

• EBacc average point score: 3.47

• Percentage achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc: 6.3%

In FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking based on official data, Robert Barclay Academy is ranked 2,847th in England and 1st in Hoddesdon for GCSE outcomes. This places results below England average overall, within the lower performance band nationally.

A practical implication for families is that the school is not currently a “results first” outlier, so students who need external structure and tight academic accountability should pay particular attention to how homework, revision, and intervention are organised in Years 10 and 11. The positive Progress 8 figure is encouraging, but the overall attainment picture suggests that consistency across subjects remains the work in progress.

A-level results (most recent published)

• A*: 1.27%

• A: 3.8%

• B: 18.99%

• A* to B: 24.05%

For context, the England average for A* to B is 47.2%, so the sixth form outcomes sit well below the national benchmark on this measure.

In FindMySchool’s proprietary ranking based on official data, the sixth form is ranked 2,354th in England and 1st in Hoddesdon for A-level outcomes.

That combination, locally strongest but nationally weaker, is common in smaller local areas with limited sixth form choice. The right question becomes whether the sixth form offers the subjects and support a particular student needs, not whether it competes with large sixth form colleges on raw grade distribution.

Parents comparing options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tools to view GCSE and A-level measures alongside nearby alternatives, especially useful where small differences in Progress 8 or Attainment 8 can translate into a different classroom experience.

Teaching is described as increasingly structured and deliberate, with a curriculum that is planned as a sequence rather than a collection of topics. The school’s approach is to identify the knowledge students need, build it on prior learning, and revisit it so it sticks. That sounds technical, but the impact is simple, fewer gaps, more confidence, and less time lost re-teaching basics in Year 10.

A distinctive feature mentioned in published inspection material is the use of curriculum immersion days, where students study an area in greater depth, with “the Cold War” given as an example. The point is not novelty, it is depth and coherence. When immersion is done well, students build a stronger mental model of a period or concept, which then improves extended writing and evaluation across humanities.

Sixth form teaching is framed around skills that matter beyond exams, including presentation, debating, and research. This is the right direction for a sixth form where many students will move into employment, apprenticeships, or vocational pathways, as well as university. It also indicates that academic literacy is being treated as a whole school priority, not something bolted on at the end.

One area that remains a clear development point is languages uptake at key stage 4. The published view is that languages entry is increasing but still low, which limits EBacc achievement and reduces the number of students continuing a language into later life. For parents who value languages, it is worth asking how the school is building early confidence in Years 7 to 9, and how option guidance is shaping uptake.

For Year 11 leavers, pathways will vary, some students will stay on for sixth form, others will move to colleges or apprenticeships, depending on grades, course availability, and personal preferences.

For the 2023/24 leaver cohort (cohort size 29), the recorded destinations show:

• 24% progressing to university

• 3% to further education

• 14% starting apprenticeships

• 48% entering employment

This profile suggests a school where post-16 and post-18 guidance needs to be practical and personalised, not one size fits all. The strongest sixth forms articulate two routes with equal seriousness, university where appropriate, and skilled employment routes where that better matches the student’s strengths.

Work experience is highlighted as part of the wider careers provision, with students gaining placements in the local community. For many families, this is one of the most tangible indicators of a careers programme that is doing more than running assemblies. If your child is likely to pursue an apprenticeship or employment at 18, ask what the school does to help students secure placements, prepare for interviews, and build a CV that shows real experience rather than generic “participation”.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through Hertfordshire County Council, while Robert Barclay Academy remains its own admissions authority. The published admission number is 150 for Year 7, and Hertfordshire notes an agreed intake of 152 for September 2026.

The clearest insight for parents is demand. In the last two published allocation years:

• 2024: 523 applications for 150 offers

• 2025: 547 applications for 150 offers

That is sustained oversubscription, even though a large proportion of offers can be explained by priority rules such as siblings and distance within the priority area. In 2025, the largest single category of offers was siblings (61 offers), which matters for families without an older child already in the school.

Hertfordshire lists the priority area for the school as including Broxbourne, Cheshunt, Hoddesdon, Nazeing, Northaw and Cuffley, Stanstead Abbots, and Waltham Cross. Allocation within that is then shaped by the school’s admissions rules, including “nearest school” and distance based criteria. The furthest distances offered are published in metres, not miles, and they vary by rule and year, which is a reminder that proximity helps but never guarantees an offer in an oversubscribed year.

Key dates for September 2026 entry (Hertfordshire secondary transfer)

• Applications open: 01 September 2025

• On time deadline: 31 October 2025

• National offer day: 02 March 2026

If you are considering a late application or changes, Hertfordshire also publishes continuing interest and appeal windows, and families should follow that timetable closely.

Parents who are weighing whether they are realistically close enough should use FindMySchoolMap Search to sense check their address and the school gate distance, then compare that with recent allocation patterns published by the local authority.

Pastoral strength is often the make or break factor for a school that is still improving outcomes. The available evidence points to students generally feeling safe, with adults taking mental and physical wellbeing seriously, and with clear expectations that reduce uncertainty. Students are described as seeking help from adults when concerned, which is an important indicator of trust.

The school’s earlier monitoring history placed a strong focus on safeguarding processes and operational rigour, including record keeping and consistent oversight. In more recent published material, safeguarding is described as effective and underpinned by vigilance, clear reporting routes for staff, and close work with external agencies where needed.

For families, the practical questions to ask during a visit are: how are pastoral teams structured by year group, what is the response time when bullying is reported, and what options exist for students who need help managing anxiety, attendance, or friendship conflict. The published material suggests strong intent and improving systems, but the day to day experience often depends on staffing levels and consistency.

Extracurricular life is an area where the school is candidly described as having room to grow. The most recent published view is that clubs and other opportunities exist, but participation is relatively low, particularly among students with special educational needs and disabilities and those eligible for additional funding. That matters because extracurricular participation is often where confidence, identity, and belonging are built, especially for students who are not naturally academic high flyers.

Two specific strands do stand out in published information:

1. Curriculum immersion days (mentioned earlier) are a form of enrichment that sits inside the timetable rather than after school. For families who cannot reliably manage late pick-ups or additional transport, this model matters, it builds depth without relying on after school attendance.

2. Sixth form contribution to wider school life, including structured support for younger pupils in reading and mathematics, points to leadership opportunities for older students and extra academic support for lower years. This kind of cross-age mentoring can be a quiet driver of culture, younger pupils see older role models, and sixth formers develop responsibility and communication skills.

The implication is that enrichment exists, but families who prioritise clubs, sport, music, or a very busy co-curricular calendar should explore this carefully. Ask what runs weekly, how students sign up, whether transport home is available after clubs, and how the school is trying to increase participation, particularly for students who may be hesitant to join in.

Robert Barclay Academy is in Hoddesdon, serving families across the Broxbourne area. Admissions are coordinated through Hertfordshire, and transport planning should factor in both local bus routes and rail links to Broxbourne for families commuting from further afield.

School day timings and any before school or after school supervision arrangements should be checked directly with the school, as the official website could not be accessed for verification during this review.

For travel planning, Hertfordshire’s Intalink resources can help families map bus routes around Hoddesdon and Broxbourne, which is useful for students travelling independently as they move into key stage 4 and sixth form.

• Results remain a work in progress. GCSE attainment and A-level grade distributions sit below England benchmarks, even though Progress 8 is slightly positive. Families should ask how intervention works in Year 11, and what academic support looks like in the sixth form for students aiming for higher grades.

• Oversubscription is real. Recent application numbers exceed places available, and siblings account for a large share of offers. If you do not already have a child at the school, distance and priority area rules become more decisive, and outcomes change year to year.

• Extracurricular participation is reported as low. Opportunities exist, but take up has been identified as an area for improvement, particularly among some groups of students. If clubs and enrichment are central to your child’s confidence, explore the current offer in detail.

• Languages uptake at GCSE is a weak point. If your family values languages as a core part of education, ask how the school is encouraging take up, and what languages pathways look like from Year 7 to Year 11.

Robert Barclay Academy is best understood as a school with improving systems and clearer curriculum intent, rather than one already delivering top tier outcomes. Behaviour, safety, and expectations are described as settled, and the school’s use of structured curriculum planning and immersion days suggests serious attention to teaching quality.

Who it suits: families in the Hoddesdon and Broxbourne area who want a state-funded 11 to 18 option with an improving culture, a calmer day to day experience, and practical careers guidance, and who are prepared to engage actively with academic support at GCSE and post-16. The main challenge is matching the school’s current results profile and enrichment offer to your child’s ambitions and learning style.