The Winstanley School Review 2026: Community-focused secondary with distinctive sports facilities

A 25m indoor swimming pool and a floodlit all weather pitch are unusual assets for a state secondary, and they shape daily life here, from curriculum time to after-school enrichment.

The school’s identity is closely tied to its SHINE values (Supporting Others, Hard Work, Independence, Never Giving Up, Excellence), with structured tutor time (CREW) used for reading, interventions, assemblies and personal development.

Leadership has been stable in recent years. Dave Bennett has been in post since September 2017 and is presented on the school site as Executive Headteacher.

The strongest theme running through published information is a deliberate emphasis on inclusion and community participation, rather than a narrow academic brand. Student leadership is framed through “upstander” language, and there are named ambassador groups including the Stephen Lawrence group, Eco Club, Pride Group and Wellbeing Group.

That community orientation is not just internal. Minutes from the local governing body record student involvement with local partners and projects, including work linked to Braunstone Heritage, Duke of Edinburgh, Forest School and Aspire clubs, plus a collaborative anti-hate crime video project with the Stephen Lawrence Centre and Blaby Council.

Support structures are also a defining part of the offer. The SHINE Centre is described as a small specialist SEMH provision within the school, designed to combine specialist support with mainstream collaboration. The school also positions itself as ADHD Friendly Accredited.

Headline outcomes here sit below the England middle range on FindMySchool’s GCSE measures. Ranked 3,589th in England and 47th in Leicester for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), performance falls within the lower band, which corresponds to below England average overall.

At GCSE level, the Attainment 8 score is 33.2 and Progress 8 is -0.8, indicating students make less progress than peers nationally with similar starting points. EBacc entry outcomes are also modest on this dataset, with 6.5% achieving grades 5 or above across EBacc and an average EBacc APS of 2.92.

The most important implication for families is practical rather than abstract. This is not a school where outcomes data alone will do the “selling” for you. The case needs to be tested through the quality of teaching, the strength of routines, and the fit for your child’s needs and motivation.

The curriculum intent described in official inspection documentation is ambitious and sequenced, with particular emphasis on strengthening mathematics and reading. Reading is prioritised through multiple programmes and a tutor-time model where pupils have books read to them, with text choices described as relevant and engaging.

Mathematics improvement is explicitly linked to a revised scheme of work designed to secure logical sequencing and build knowledge securely over time. The same evidence base highlights that teachers’ subject knowledge is generally strong, and that leaders have focused on professional development to improve curriculum delivery.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (12 and 13 September 2023) judged the school Good overall, with Good in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

There is no sixth form, so progression planning centres on post-16 routes elsewhere, typically sixth forms and colleges, alongside apprenticeships and vocational pathways where appropriate.

Published inspection evidence indicates a comprehensive careers programme designed around the school’s context and pupils’ needs, with structured guidance intended to help students prepare for life beyond Year 11.

For parents, the practical step is to look for clarity on post-16 planning in Year 9 to Year 11, including how the school supports subject choices, employer encounters, and applications to colleges and training providers.

Admissions are coordinated through the local authority, not directly through the school. For Year 7 entry for September 2026 (the 2026 to 27 transfer round), the standard window opened on 1 September 2025 and the on-time closing date was 31 October 2025, with offers released on 2 March 2026.

Open evening and tour activity tends to sit ahead of that late-October deadline. The school advertised an open evening in late September and promoted tours before the secondary transfer deadline, so families can reasonably expect a similar late-September pattern in many years, subject to annual confirmation.

Demand is described as oversubscribed in the available admissions signals. In practical terms, families should plan with alternatives and use FindMySchoolMap Search to check distance and travel options realistically when shortlisting, especially where oversubscription criteria prioritise proximity.

Pastoral structures here are closely linked to the SHINE values and to a personal development programme that covers issues such as consent and online safety.

The SHINE Centre, described as a specialist SEMH provision within the school, is designed to support pupils who need a more tailored approach, while still maintaining links to mainstream learning experiences where appropriate.

Inspectors also confirmed safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Extracurricular life is presented less as a glossy list and more as a participation strategy. The Aspire clubs programme is framed as a safe after-school space for trying new activities, with sessions running to 4pm and hot food available afterwards.

There is also clear evidence of structured student leadership and community participation. Named ambassador groups include the Stephen Lawrence group, Eco Club, Pride Group and Wellbeing Group, with activity linked to local partnerships and civic projects.

Sport is a distinctive pillar because of the facilities. On-site provision includes a floodlit all weather pitch, a 25m indoor swimming pool, a dance studio and a sports hall marked for four badminton courts, which supports both curriculum delivery and wider clubs and fixtures.

The school day is structured around CREW and five lessons, with tutor time starting at 08:35 and the final lesson ending at 15:05, with 32.5 hours of compulsory attendance per week stated on the timings page.

Breakfast provision is available from 08:15 until the first bell, described as free and funded through the National School Breakfast Programme.

Parking is stated as available on site for visitors on the Department for Education school experience listing, which is useful context for open events and evening appointments.

• Outcomes data is a weak spot. The FindMySchool GCSE ranking places the school below the England middle range, and Progress 8 is negative. Families should probe how improvements are being secured in classrooms, subject by subject.

• Attendance is flagged for improvement. External evaluation notes attendance has not fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with a specific improvement focus for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.

• No sixth form. Post-16 planning matters earlier, because every student transitions elsewhere for A-levels, technical routes or apprenticeships.

This is a smaller 11 to 16 secondary with a clear community mission, a strong inclusion narrative, and facilities that support sport and enrichment in a tangible way. The main question for parents is whether day-to-day teaching, routines and attendance support are strong enough to shift outcomes in the right direction.

Best suited to families who want a values-led local school with structured personal development and visible support for students who need tailored provision, and who are willing to engage actively with progress, attendance and post-16 planning.