Brockington College Review 2026: A Community School with Musical Spirit

Standing in the heart of Enderby, Brockington College serves as a large secondary school with a distinct Church of England character. The school is a significant hub for the local Leicestershire community, operating with a capacity for 1,200 students. Following its transition to an academy and a recent period of leadership change, the school is currently navigating a path of improvement. It is a school that balances a traditional academic framework with a particularly strong emphasis on the performing arts and music, often described as a specialist college for these disciplines. The atmosphere is one of transition, where established values are being realigned with higher academic expectations for a diverse student body.

The campus at Brockington College feels like a busy, purposeful village. The school is part of the Embrace Multi Academy Trust, having joined to benefit from collaborative regional support. This partnership has brought a renewed focus on standardising the quality of education across all year groups. The Church of England ethos is not just a formal label; it provides a framework for the school's values of compassion, forgiveness, justice, koinonia, perseverance, wisdom, learning, and respect. These are visible in the daily interactions between staff and students.

Mr Jon Barton currently leads the college as Acting Principal, having taken over the role in August 2025. His leadership is focused on refining the curriculum and addressing consistency in teaching across the college. Students generally describe the school as a safe and welcoming environment, though they acknowledge that rules regarding behaviour and attendance have become more stringent in recent years. The physical environment is well maintained, following a major redevelopment project, with dedicated wings for creative arts that serve as the creative engine of the school day.

The academic performance at Brockington College reflects a solid, typical standing within the England landscape. In the most recent validated data, the school achieved an Attainment 8 score of 46.4, which sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). This score indicates that students generally achieve grades in the 4 to 5 range across their eight best subjects.

Brockington College ranks 2,545th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), and ranks 37th among secondary schools in Leicestershire. The Progress 8 score of -0.41 suggests that students currently make progress slightly below the rate of peers with similar starting points across England. Improving this trajectory is a primary focus for the current leadership, particularly in core subjects. While the percentage of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) at grade 5 or above is 3.8%, the school continues to offer a broad range of vocational and creative options that appeal to its diverse intake.

The curriculum at Brockington is designed to be inclusive, offering a standard suite of GCSEs alongside a strong vocational track. In Key Stage 3, the school provides a balanced diet of humanities, languages, and sciences, with a notable amount of time dedicated to the arts. Specialist teaching is a hallmark of the technology and music departments, where industry-standard equipment allows students to engage in practical, project-based learning.

The latest Ofsted report, published in June 2024, rated the school as Requires Improvement overall, although it achieved Good ratings for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. Teachers are currently working on a school-wide initiative to improve the use of assessment in the classroom. This involves more frequent check-ins to ensure that students have grasped key concepts before moving on. For students with additional needs, the Learning Support department provides targeted interventions, though the primary mode of support is through high-quality, inclusive classroom teaching.

STEM: Innovation and Practical Science

The STEM provision at Brockington College is anchored by a science department that emphasizes practical experimentation. The school laboratories are well equipped, allowing students to move beyond theory into hands-on chemistry and physics. In mathematics, students are set by ability from Year 7, allowing for both support and acceleration where appropriate.

Beyond the core curriculum, the school encourages participation in regional STEM challenges and coding clubs. These initiatives are designed to show students the real-world applications of their studies, linking classroom learning to the thriving engineering and technology sectors within the East Midlands.

The extracurricular life at Brockington is where the school's reputation in music and the arts truly shines. The college boasts an impressive array of ensembles, including the Brockington College Concert Band and various choir groups that perform regularly at local venues and festivals. The music facilities, including practice rooms and recording software, are a significant draw for students with a creative bent.

Sport is also a major pillar of the school's identity. The college utilizes its extensive playing fields, indoor sports hall, and an artificial grass football pitch for a wide variety of clubs. The Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme is highly active here, with students participating in Bronze and Silver awards annually, fostering independence and resilience.

Pastoral care is organized through a traditional house system, which provides students with a sense of identity and healthy competition. Each student is assigned to a tutor group within their house, and the form tutor serves as the primary point of contact for families. This structure ensures that students are known as individuals within the larger school community.

The school's Church of England identity supports its pastoral mission, with a chaplaincy that offers a space for reflection and support for students of all faiths and none. Recent initiatives have focused on mental health awareness, with staff and pastoral managers dedicated to supporting student wellbeing throughout the school day.

Brockington College is a popular choice and is currently oversubscribed. For the most recent intake, there were 444 applications for 234 available places, resulting in a subscription proportion of 1.9. This means that nearly two families applied for every one place available.

Admissions are managed by Leicestershire County Council. The school's informal catchment area extends centered on Enderby and Narborough, including villages like Croft, Huncote, and Thurlaston. Parents should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise distance from the school gates compared to historical intake patterns.

Fees & Financial Aid

As a state-funded academy, Brockington College does not charge tuition fees. Education is provided free of charge to all enrolled students. Families may need to account for standard costs such as school uniforms, stationery, and optional extracurricular trips or specialized music tuition. For those facing financial hardship, the school may offer support with costs related to essential curriculum trips or uniform through specific hardware funds, and eligible students can apply for Free School Meals via the local authority.

The school day typically begins at 8:40am and concludes at 3:00pm. For students requiring travel, there are several dedicated school bus routes serving the surrounding villages, though many students within Enderby walk or cycle. Wraparound care details are not published on the official college website; families should contact the school office directly for the latest information on breakfast or after-school provision.

• Ofsted Rating: The 2024 Ofsted report awarded a Requires Improvement rating for the quality of education. While leadership, behaviour, and personal development remain Good, families should monitor the school's progress in academic consistency.
• Progress 8 Focus: With a current progress score of -0.41, the school is working to ensure that all students, especially the most able, are sufficiently challenged to meet or exceed their predicted grades.
• High Demand for Places: Being oversubscribed with nearly two applications per place means that living outside the immediate locality makes securing a spot difficult. Proximity provides priority but does not guarantee a place.
• Church of England Ethos: The religious character is a fundamental part of school life. While inclusive, families should expect regular collective worship and an emphasis on Christian values throughout the curriculum.

Brockington College is a school with a warm heart and a clear commitment to the arts, making it a suitable choice for students who want to develop their creative talents alongside their academic studies. While it is currently working through a period of academic improvement to raise its Progress 8 scores, the strong leadership under the Embrace Multi Academy Trust provides a clear roadmap for the future. It is best suited to local families who value a community-focused school with a supportive, faith-based ethos and a vibrant extracurricular scene.