Brigshaw High School Review 2026: Values-led 11 to 18 education in Allerton Bywater

Brigshaw High School is a large, mixed secondary with sixth form serving Allerton Bywater and the wider east Leeds area. Opened in 1972, it has the scale to offer breadth, but the direction is clear and values-led, with Resilience, Integrity, Respect and Equality framed as everyday expectations rather than wall-posters.

Duncan Roberts has been headteacher since April 2023, arriving with a strong focus on high expectations and a culture where students feel they belong. In the most recent inspection (October 2024), Ofsted reported that Brigshaw had taken effective action to maintain standards, and that safeguarding arrangements were effective.

The tone at Brigshaw is shaped by a simple proposition, effort and conduct matter. The school’s published values translate into practical routines: being punctual, being prepared, and treating others with respect. Resilience is positioned as sustained effort, Integrity as doing the right thing well, Respect as considering others, and Equality as a shared team standard.

Culture work shows up most clearly in how the school talks about behaviour and inclusion. Students are taught about equality and protected characteristics, and the “not in our school” approach is used as a common reference point for challenging discriminatory behaviour and bullying. That clarity matters in a large setting, where consistency is usually the difference between a calm day and a noisy one.

Scale is a feature here, not a footnote. The roll is 1,369 students, with 132 in the sixth form at the time of the October 2024 inspection. For families, that typically means wider peer groups and more course and activity options, but it also places a premium on strong pastoral systems. Brigshaw’s structure is explicit, students sit within Year Teams and Form Groups, with a Director of Year providing oversight of personal, social and academic development.

Brigshaw’s GCSE outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), based on the FindMySchool ranking derived from official data. Ranked 1,816th in England and 19th in Leeds for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the results indicate a school that performs solidly within its context rather than sitting at the very top of the Leeds table.

At GCSE, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 44.4 and Progress 8 is 0.05, which indicates slightly above-average progress from students’ starting points. A Progress 8 figure around zero is typically interpreted as broadly average progress; a positive score suggests the cohort made a little more progress than expected across eight GCSE subjects.

EBacc outcomes are more mixed. The average EBacc APS score is 4.08, and 22.3% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above across the EBacc measure, a figure that points to room for growth for families who place a high value on the traditional academic subject suite. The October 2024 inspection narrative aligns with this direction of travel, noting that the school is increasing the proportion of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate.

At A-level, outcomes sit below England average overall (bottom 40%), again based on the FindMySchool ranking derived from official data. Ranked 1,889th in England and 18th in Leeds for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this is a sixth form that works well for many students, but is less likely to be the first-choice route for families seeking highly selective A-level performance.

The grade profile shows 3.87% A*, 9.94% A, 20.99% B, and 34.81% A* to B. Compared with England averages for A* to A (23.6%) and A* to B (47.2%), this is below the national picture, and it helps set realistic expectations about sixth form outcomes.

Teaching and curriculum design at Brigshaw lean towards clear sequencing and routine. The inspection evidence points to a curriculum that builds carefully from what students learned in primary, with deliberate steps towards what they will need for later study and post-16 options. The school’s approach to checking learning is described as systematic, and leaders adapt curriculum content to strengthen progression where needed.

A useful example is mathematics, where the school has added depth for Year 10 in topics such as graphing and inequalities, explicitly to build foundations for those considering further mathematics in sixth form. That is a practical illustration of ambition: not “harder for the sake of it”, but additional conceptual security that supports later choices.

The main improvement point is also specific. At times, the school does not consistently check that students’ knowledge is secure before moving on. For parents, the implication is straightforward, ask how departments identify gaps, how they respond, and how quickly intervention happens, especially in core subjects where small misunderstandings compound.

For the 2023 to 2024 leaver cohort (92 students), 39% progressed to university. Smaller proportions moved into further education (1%) and apprenticeships (9%), and 24% went into employment. These figures suggest a mixed set of destinations, with university as the largest single pathway but not an overwhelming majority.

The sixth form also supports highly academic ambitions for a small number of students. In the Oxbridge measurement period, there were two Cambridge applications, one offer, and one acceptance, which indicates that the route is open for students with the right profile and support, even if it is not the dominant destination narrative.

Sixth form entry expectations are clearly stated. The minimum entry requirement is five GCSE passes at grade 4 or above, plus subject-specific entry requirements that vary by course. The school can offer resits in English Language and mathematics where grade 4 has not been achieved, but notes that resits require additional curriculum time and can affect timetables.

Year 7 entry follows the Leeds coordinated admissions timetable. For September 2026 entry, applications opened on 1 September 2025, with the national deadline on 31 October 2025. Offers are released on 2 March 2026.

The school is within a defined catchment area and the trust publishes a catchment map, which families should review carefully as boundaries can be unintuitive on the ground (a road can sit on the “wrong” side). For families using distance or boundary criteria, the practical move is to use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check your address against the published catchment and, where relevant, compare with historic allocation patterns.

Open events follow a familiar secondary pattern. Brigshaw has historically held Year 7 open evenings in early October, and it also welcomes visits at other points in the year by arrangement. Because published dates can refer to past cycles, families should confirm the current schedule directly via the school’s latest open event listing.

Sixth form applications are made directly to the school. External applicants are considered individually and may be subject to references. Interviews are part of the process, and course viability depends on student numbers and resources.

Pastoral structures are designed to make a large school feel manageable. Students sit within a Year Team and Form Group, with daily form time positioned as the anchor for guidance and support. The Director of Year role is described as responsible for personal, social and academic development, and is the key escalation point when issues persist.

The school’s day-to-day support offer includes a Student Services desk that is open before school and at breaks and lunch, covering practical needs such as equipment and timetables. This kind of “friction removal” is easy to underestimate, but it matters for attendance and readiness, particularly for students who struggle with organisation.

Anti-bullying reporting is made explicit, with a clear stance that bullying is not tolerated and that reports will be investigated. For families, the key question is how consistently concerns are logged, responded to, and followed up. The existence of a defined reporting route makes it easier to hold the school to its own process.

Extracurricular breadth is one of Brigshaw’s clearest assets, and it serves more than one purpose. Activities provide students with belonging and identity, but also help leadership develop, especially in sixth form where students are involved in running clubs.

Named examples include Chinese Mandarin and choir, both highlighted as part of the wider club programme. Sixth form students also support clubs such as debating and games, which gives a tangible leadership pathway rather than a purely symbolic prefect role.

There are also structured programmes that tend to shape a student’s week and peer group. Duke of Edinburgh is available, and the school’s “Big Performance” provides a visible route for students interested in performance and production work. The implication for families is that a student who throws themselves into activities is likely to have a richer experience and stronger peer connections; for quieter students, it is worth asking how staff encourage participation without pressure.

The school day is clearly timetabled. Gates open at 08:00 and students are expected to be on site by 08:25 for an 08:30 start. Lessons run through to 15:00, with extra-curricular clubs and homework club operating after school. Breakfast club is available in the canteen.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for normal secondary costs such as uniform, equipment, trips and optional activities.

For transport, there are public bus options and dedicated school services in the area. Arriva’s 163 route is one commonly referenced service linking Leeds and Castleford, and West Yorkshire Metro publishes school route information for Brigshaw.

• Sixth form outcomes are below England average. The A-level ranking sits in the bottom 40% of schools in England, and the grade profile is below England averages for A* to A and A* to B. For families prioritising high A-level performance, it is worth comparing local sixth form alternatives carefully.

• EBacc grades 5+ are a weaker point. With 22.3% achieving grade 5 or above across the EBacc measure, families who want a strongly academic EBacc pathway should ask how subject uptake and attainment are being improved.

• A large school needs strong day-to-day systems. Brigshaw has clear pastoral structures, but scale can still feel impersonal for some students. It is worth asking how the school identifies students who are quiet, anxious, or at risk of disengagement.

• Curriculum checking is not consistently secure. The inspection evidence notes that, at times, the school does not check securely enough that knowledge is embedded before moving on. This matters most in maths, sciences and languages where gaps compound.

Brigshaw High School offers a clear values-led culture, a broad curriculum, and a wide set of activities in a large 11 to 18 setting. GCSE performance is solidly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England, with slightly positive Progress 8, while sixth form results are less strong and need realistic expectations. Best suited to families who want a structured mainstream secondary with strong routines, clear behaviour expectations, and plenty of opportunities beyond lessons, especially for students who will engage in clubs and leadership.