Gartree High School Review 2026: High expectations, broad options, and a demanding admissions picture

This is a school that asks pupils to work hard and take responsibility for their conduct, and it backs that ambition with a carefully planned curriculum and a strong emphasis on enrichment. Leadership has been refreshed recently, with co-headteachers Will Carter and Ed Wilson appointed in September 2024.

Academic outcomes sit above the England mid-pack for a state comprehensive, and progress measures suggest pupils generally do well from their starting points. Competition for Year 7 places is the main pressure point, with the latest published application figures indicating a sharply oversubscribed intake.

The school’s public-facing message is consistent, it wants pupils to be known, safe, and valued, while still being stretched. The co-headteachers set out a clear balance between academic attainment and social and emotional learning, paired with firm expectations on behaviour. Their published values are practical rather than decorative, with emphasis on respect, integrity, self-discipline, and celebrating personal success.

Day-to-day culture is described in official reporting as settled and positive. Pupils are reported as happy, getting along well, and building good relationships with staff. Expectations appear to be understood, with few distractions in lessons and pupils responding to challenge with effort. That combination, high expectation without constant disruption, is a significant asset for families who want a calm learning environment.

A second strand of the school’s “feel” is its outward-looking enrichment. Some schools treat extracurricular as optional garnish; here, enrichment is presented as part of the core offer, with trips and visits used deliberately to extend learning beyond classrooms. The result is a school identity that goes beyond exams alone, and families will see this most clearly in the scale of structured opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the London to Paris charity cycle.

Historically, the school’s identity has evolved with the local system. The current phase is 11 to 16, with the most recent inspection noting the move to secondary education in September 2017. For a sense of continuity, the school marked its 75th anniversary in 2024, suggesting roots that extend back to 1949.

Gartree High School sits above England average in the FindMySchool GCSE rankings data, and the performance indicators available point to a school where pupils tend to make good progress.

Ranked 1,010th in England and 14th in Leicester for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data)

This places the school above England average, within the top 25% of schools in England.

On the headline measures provided, the Attainment 8 score is 52.3, and Progress 8 is +0.42. A positive Progress 8 score indicates pupils, on average, make more progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally. EBacc average point score is 4.94, and 27.8% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above across EBacc subjects.

The implication for parents is fairly straightforward. This is not a “results at any cost” setting, but the academic core is taken seriously and the outcomes are consistent with a school that expects pupils to learn securely, revisit prior knowledge, and build fluency over time. The strongest sign here is Progress 8, because it speaks to the experience of a typical pupil rather than only top-end attainment.

The curriculum is presented as deliberately sequenced and designed to build knowledge over time. Subject curricula are stated to be based on the National Curriculum and structured to revisit prior content, with attainment grades reported to parents at the end of each term.

The school frames its model as both challenging and inclusive. A key point for families is the way this appears in classroom routines. In the most recent inspection narrative, teaching is described as generally checking learning carefully and using practice to secure fluency, although with an identified inconsistency when checking does not pinpoint gaps precisely enough. That is a useful nuance, it suggests the baseline is strong, with a specific improvement focus around real-time assessment in lessons.

Where Gartree becomes more distinctive is in its practical and technical provision. Design and Technology references the use of a 3D printer, a laser cutter, and digital design tools including the Adobe suite and Techsoft 2D, alongside laptops and iPads to support iterative design work. For pupils who learn best through making, prototyping, and testing ideas, that equipment changes the learning experience from worksheet-heavy to genuinely applied.

The curriculum breadth also includes subjects that are not always prominent at 11 to 16. School materials explicitly reference Astronomy, Sociology, Fine Art, and Business Studies alongside traditional academic subjects. The practical implication is wider choice at Key Stage 4 for pupils whose interests do not sit neatly in a conventional EBacc-only pathway.

There is no sixth form, so the “next step” conversation starts earlier than it does in schools with Year 12 and Year 13 on site. The school’s approach appears structured rather than ad hoc. The most recent inspection narrative describes a detailed careers programme that includes meeting and visiting local employers and education providers, and pupils being well informed about their next steps.

For families, the key is to treat Year 9 to Year 11 as a period where choices and guidance matter. GCSE option decisions set up post-16 routes, whether that is A-level study in a school sixth form, a sixth form college pathway, or a technical route. The school also notes compliance with provider access requirements, which should mean pupils receive information about approved technical qualifications and apprenticeships, not only academic sixth form routes.

If your child is aiming for a particular post-16 setting, the practical step is to look at subject combinations early, and to take advantage of careers events and guidance before Year 11 pressure peaks.

The school is a state-funded secondary, so there are no tuition fees. The real “cost” to families is the competitiveness of entry, and the need to manage timelines carefully.

The school’s own admissions guidance sets out a clear annual rhythm:

• The application process is published in September.

• Prospective parents’ events are typically held toward the end of September.

• The deadline for the local authority common application form is 31 October.

• National offer day is 1 March, with appeals information available then and final appeals information by the end of April.

For September 2026 entry, that means the application deadline fell on 31 October 2025, with offers due on 1 March 2026. Even where families miss a school-specific open event, the deadline is the immovable point, and everything else should be planned backwards from it.

Demand is the second major point. In the latest published figures available for the intake route, there were 913 applications for 176 offers, and the intake is described as oversubscribed, equating to 5.19 applications per place. This level of demand shapes the lived reality of admissions, it is not enough to “like” the school; families need a realistic plan that includes alternatives.

The school indicates a planned admission number of 185 students into Year 7 in 2026, which also gives a concrete sense of scale for the cohort.

Because last-distance data is not available here, families should focus on the formal oversubscription criteria published through the local authority and the school, and use FindMySchool’s Map Search to understand practical proximity considerations relative to typical allocation patterns in the area.

Pastoral systems are structured around tutor groups, with the tutor positioned as the first point of contact for most concerns, supported by a wider pastoral team. This matters because it reduces the “who do I speak to” uncertainty that can delay support when a pupil is struggling.

SEND support is described in detail. Pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans receive access to additional adult support in class, used flexibly with an explicit goal of developing independence rather than permanent reliance. Each pupil with an EHCP is assigned a Key Worker to support communication between home and school, without implying constant one-to-one provision.

The school also describes practical adaptations that affect day-to-day access. These include adjustable equipment such as science tables and food technology hobs, two lifts at either end of the building, and staff microphones used for pupils with radio systems to support hearing impairment. Dyslexia-friendly approaches are also referenced, including presentation choices such as coloured backgrounds on worksheets and clear labelling.

For parents, the implication is that support is embedded in classroom practice rather than pulled-out intervention by default. Literacy intervention is described as timetabled with a specialist, with an intention not to remove pupils from curriculum time for intervention sessions. That approach will suit pupils who benefit from consistency and who find too many withdrawals from lessons unsettling.

Enrichment is a consistent feature in the school’s messaging and in official reporting, and it appears to operate on two levels: structured flagship programmes and a wider menu of clubs, trips, and experiences.

Flagship programmes

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award begins at Bronze in Year 9 and can progress to Silver at GCSE. Weekly sessions are used to build practical competencies such as orienteering, first aid, camping, and outdoor cooking, with expedition completion in the summer term. The benefit for pupils is that this is a disciplined, long-horizon programme, it rewards persistence and reliability, not just talent.

London to Paris is another signature initiative, framed as an annual charity cycle designed around teamwork and fundraising for The Children’s Trust. The school describes a relay model over three days with 10-mile segments, and a minimum fundraising expectation of £250 per participant. This is significant not only as a trip, but as a character-building experience that combines physical challenge, logistics, and a clear moral purpose.

Whole-school culture initiatives

Theme of the Week functions as a structured weekly rhythm for assemblies and wider reflection. Themes span civic and cultural topics such as democracy, prejudice, International Women’s Day, Eid, Holocaust Memorial Day, and Black History Month. Assemblies are paired with “Music of the Week” and “Art of the Week” displays, keeping the discussion active across the week rather than limited to a single talk.

Academic and practical extension

Homework Club runs from 3pm to 4pm Monday to Thursday all year round, providing a predictable space for pupils who benefit from routine, quiet, and adult presence while completing work. In a school with strong expectations, this can be a practical lifeline for pupils who struggle to organise work at home.

For families, the implication is that extracurricular here is not simply leisure. It is designed to reinforce habits, resilience, responsibility, and confidence. Pupils who want to keep school “strictly lessons and home” may feel there is a lot going on. Pupils who like being busy and having structured options tend to benefit most.

The school runs a six-lesson day. The building opens at 8.20am, pupils are expected in form rooms by 8.30am, and the teaching day ends at 3.00pm. Lesson and break timings are published clearly, with morning break and a lunchtime period built into the day.

Term dates are published for 2025 to 2026, which is useful for planning family commitments well in advance.

As a secondary school, it does not operate the kind of wraparound care associated with primaries, but there are structured after-school and lunchtime opportunities (including Homework Club). Transport arrangements vary by family and locality, so parents should factor in peak-time traffic patterns around Oadby and consider a trial run at the start and end of day before committing to a route.

• Admissions pressure. The latest published application figures indicate 913 applications for 176 offers, and the school is described as oversubscribed. Families should plan realistically, with at least one strong alternative preference.

• Leadership transition. Co-headteachers Will Carter and Ed Wilson were appointed in September 2024. Leadership changes can be positive, but families should expect some policies and routines to continue evolving.

• No sixth form. Pupils move on at 16. That suits many families, but those wanting a single setting through to 18 will need a post-16 plan that starts early.

• Support is integrated, not outsourced. SEND practice is described as classroom-based with targeted interventions and practical adaptations. Families wanting extensive separate specialist provision should discuss needs carefully during transition planning.

Gartree High School is a demanding, organised 11 to 16 setting where pupils are expected to behave well, take responsibility, and engage with a curriculum that aims to be both broad and challenging. Outcomes and progress measures indicate strong academic foundations for a state school, and the enrichment programme is unusually central to the school’s identity.

It suits families who want high expectations in a mainstream, mixed school, and pupils who benefit from structured routines plus opportunities that stretch them beyond the classroom. The limiting factor is admission, not the educational offer.