Rushey Mead Academy Review 2026: High-performing Leicester secondary with a strong inclusion offer

Large secondaries can feel impersonal. This one has built its reputation on the opposite idea, a structured, values-led approach that expects high standards while keeping close tabs on individual pupils. The academy is part of The Mead Educational Trust and serves students aged 11 to 16 in north Leicester, with roll numbers in the high 1,700s, above its published capacity.

The headline external marker remains clear. The latest published inspection outcome is Outstanding, following an inspection on 8 and 9 March 2022.

Leadership is stable. The current principal is Ms V Barwell, and school documentation places her appointment in 2022.

The school’s stated culture is built around three simple expectations, Be kind, Work hard, Develop your whole self. Rather than living only on posters, these expectations are referenced across pastoral work, enrichment, and classroom routines, and are framed as the behaviour and character baseline for everyone.

Day-to-day experience is shaped by the size of the cohort. With large year groups, organisation matters, and the academy leans into consistent routines, clear behaviour norms, and a strong tutor structure. The inspection evidence points to students who value learning, behave well, and feel safe, with bullying described as uncommon and dealt with quickly when it occurs.

Inclusion is not a bolt-on. Alongside mainstream provision, the academy hosts Rushey Meadows, a designated specialist offer for students with an Education, Health and Care Plan whose needs relate to communication and interaction, with a blend of a broad curriculum plus tailored interventions.

On GCSE performance measures, the academy sits above England average by FindMySchool’s ranking methodology. Ranked 631st in England and 8th in Leicester for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), it sits comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England on this measure.

The underlying metrics support the picture of a strong academic core. Attainment 8 is 54.4, with an average Progress 8 score of +0.9, a level typically associated with well above average progress from students’ starting points. EBacc indicators are also positive, with 47.4% achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc and an average EBacc APS of 5.33.

A practical way to use this data as a parent is comparison rather than isolation. If you are shortlisting across Leicester, FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and Comparison Tool can help you view the same measures side-by-side across realistic alternatives.

The academy positions itself as academically focused for all, not a narrow track for a subset. The stated intent is an ambitious curriculum taught in a carefully planned sequence, so pupils build knowledge over time rather than meeting topics as one-offs. External evidence also points to strong subject knowledge from staff, clear explanations, and deliberate recall work used to help students remember and connect ideas across units.

Language learning is treated as a mainstream entitlement. The principal’s message states that each student studies a foreign language through to GCSE, and that many students take a suite of subjects aligned to the English Baccalaureate. For families who want a traditional academic platform that keeps options open at 16, this matters, particularly in a city where post-16 pathways span A-levels, vocational programmes, and apprenticeships.

Support is designed to keep students accessing the same curriculum rather than being sidelined. The inspection evidence describes an approach where additional needs are identified well, with support plans followed so that students with SEND can participate in ambitious learning alongside peers.

Because the academy is 11 to 16, most students move on to sixth-form colleges, school sixth forms, or further education at 16. The school’s published transition material focuses on guidance and supported decision-making, including careers information, work experience preparation, and targeted help for students who need extra structure when applying to post-16 providers.

A distinctive element here is that careers is not presented as a late add-on. The school’s wider support offer describes planned post-16 visits and one-to-one help with applications for those who need it most. The implication for families is straightforward, this is a setting where academically strong students can push hard, while students who need more scaffolding at key decision points are less likely to be left to figure it out alone.

For September 2026 entry, Leicester City’s coordinated admissions timetable is the key reference point. Applications open on 1 September 2025, close on 31 October 2025, and offers are issued on 2 March 2026.

The academy’s published admissions policy (from 2026 onwards) makes several points that parents should understand early. First, the published admission number for Year 7 is 324. Second, the trust remains the admissions authority, but applications are made via the Leicester City Council process.

Oversubscription is addressed directly, with priority categories beginning with children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, followed by looked-after and previously looked-after children, then specified sibling and catchment priorities. The policy also includes a defined number of catchment children eligible for Pupil Premium within the oversubscription framework.

If you are trying to judge chances, focus on the admissions categories rather than informal hearsay. Check whether your address sits inside the published catchment, understand how sibling priority applies (including which year groups qualify), and keep a close eye on the council’s deadlines. Where families are making housing decisions, use FindMySchoolMap Search to verify geography carefully against the school’s published criteria.

Pastoral work is presented as a structured system rather than a loose set of good intentions. The academy’s wellbeing information describes trained pastoral staff, targeted interventions, and access to a full-time school counsellor for students who need it.

There is also a clear inclusion narrative. The SEND information emphasises high expectations, a commitment to individualised planning, and partnership with parents and carers. For students with more complex needs, the presence of Rushey Meadows within the academy is an additional route families may explore via the Education, Health and Care Plan process.

Safeguarding culture matters to parents because it shapes the response to issues that never appear in prospectuses. The inspection record states that safeguarding arrangements are effective, supported by staff training, accurate record keeping, and timely work with external agencies when needed.

The academy treats enrichment as part of personal development rather than a decorative extra. One distinctive feature is the Rushey 3 Passport, where students record non-classroom participation and build points towards a Rushey Graduation Ceremony, with an explicit aim of celebrating achievement beyond grades.

The club offer is broad, but what matters is the specificity. Inspection evidence highlights a Rainbow diversity club and a debating club that students see as directly useful for future ambitions. On the school’s enrichment pages, examples such as Science Assistant and Journey Through Fiction show how participation can be academic, creative, or service-focused, not only sports-based.

Creative arts opportunities are organised as both ongoing clubs and punctuated high-effort events. The drama department describes partnerships and experiences such as workshops and performances linked to Theatre Centre and activity with Curve, plus a school production cycle that alternates between musicals and themed showcases drawing across dance, drama, and music.

The school day structure published for families indicates students should be on site by 8.20am, with the day commencing at 8.30am. The academy prospectus material also states that the last lesson finishes at 3.00pm, followed by free after-school enrichment opportunities.

Support around attendance and early help is explicitly described, including a free breakfast club as part of the school’s day-to-day offer for students who need it.

For transport and access, the school presents itself as serving north Leicester, and its site information highlights ample parking for events and community use outside school hours.

• Scale and pace. With very large year groups, routines are essential. Some students thrive with the structure; others may find the pace demanding, particularly during the first term of Year 7.

• Admissions criteria require careful reading. Priority categories include catchment and sibling rules with specific conditions, plus defined Pupil Premium prioritisation within catchment. Families should work from the published criteria rather than assumptions.

• Academic ambition is a deliberate choice. The curriculum intent is explicitly academic for all, including language study through GCSE. That suits many families; those seeking a lighter Key Stage 4 programme may prefer a different fit.

• Specialist pathways sit alongside mainstream expectations. The presence of designated specialist provision is a strength, but it remains part of a mainstream secondary with mainstream expectations, so families should understand how support is delivered day-to-day.

Rushey Mead Academy combines scale with consistency. Academic outcomes, an ambitious curriculum offer, and clear expectations underpin the experience, while inclusion and wellbeing are treated as core operational priorities rather than add-ons. It best suits families who want a structured, high-expectation 11 to 16 school, with strong support for students who need additional scaffolding, and who are prepared to engage carefully with the admissions criteria and deadlines.