Wigmore School Review 2026: A small rural secondary with strong relationships and improving SEND practice

Purposeful, friendly, and community-facing, Wigmore School is a smaller-than-average secondary serving North Herefordshire and nearby border communities. The school’s size can be an advantage, it is easier for staff to know students well, and routines can feel consistent when everyone is pulling in the same direction. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection (June 2023) confirmed it remains Good, with safeguarding judged effective.

Academy trust structures matter here because the secondary sits alongside a linked primary and nursery within the same trust, with admissions arrangements that explicitly recognise primary-to-secondary continuity.

Wigmore’s identity is closely tied to its rural setting and its role as a local hub school. A clear emphasis on empathy, equality, and teamwork underpins expectations of how students treat each other and how they approach learning, with student leadership roles such as prefects and reading buddies used to reinforce that shared responsibility.

Leadership is a key part of the current story. Dr Robert Patterson is the headteacher of the secondary and Executive Headteacher across the trust, and he took up post after the previous full inspection, with records indicating a September 2020 start. This timeframe matters because many of the school’s most clearly documented strengths and priorities, including the strengthening of SEND practice and pastoral capacity, sit within the post-2020 improvement cycle.

Wigmore operates a house structure, and this is not a cosmetic add-on. Houses are used to organise social and competitive life, including sporting fixtures and whole-school events, with named houses including Aspen, Elder, and Juniper. That framework tends to suit students who enjoy belonging to a smaller sub-community inside the wider school, and it can be a practical scaffold for pastoral systems too.

A practical note for parents: the school is registered as 11–19 on official records, but formal reporting indicates that sixth form provision has not been operating in the way many families would assume from the age range alone. For most students, the intended route is strong preparation through Year 11 followed by a planned post-16 transition elsewhere.

Wigmore’s GCSE outcomes sit in the middle performance band nationally for England when viewed through FindMySchool’s ranking lens. The school’s GCSE ranking is 1948th in England, and it is ranked 1st locally within the Leominster area for the same measure (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), rather than at the very top of the national distribution.

In practical terms, parents should read that as “solid, with areas that need attention depending on the child’s profile”. The headline Attainment 8 score is 46.2. Progress is a more mixed picture, with a Progress 8 score of -0.32, which suggests students, on average, make below-average progress from their starting points compared with similar students nationally in England. (These figures reflect the input dataset, and are best interpreted alongside what the school is doing to tighten teaching consistency, assessment, and behaviour for learning.)

Subject-entry patterns also matter. The percentage achieving grade 5 or above in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) at 14.8% is a useful flag that relatively few students are both entering and achieving strongly across the EBacc combination, which can reflect curriculum choices, student pathways, or cohort profile. The EBacc average point score (APS) is 4.13.

The most constructive way to use this data is comparative, rather than absolute. Families should compare Wigmore’s indicators against other realistic local options using FindMySchool’s Local Hub comparison tools, and then focus visits and conversations on teaching consistency, behaviour management, and support for those who need additional structure.

The curriculum intent described for Wigmore is ambitious and built around ordered learning across Years 7 to 11, with the expectation that subject knowledge is sequenced so students can build securely over time. That matters in a smaller school because staffing breadth can be tighter, and success depends on consistency in planning and delivery.

Where the school appears strongest is in classroom fundamentals when they are executed well, teachers’ subject knowledge, clear questioning, and learning tasks that students engage with positively, including in modern languages and English. Reading is treated as a practical barrier that can be removed, rather than a fixed trait. Students who find reading difficult are identified and supported through prompt intervention, with the expectation that confidence and fluency can move quickly when support is targeted.

The most specific development priority is assessment in Key Stage 3. The concern is not “assessment exists”, it is that assessment must be purposeful, aligned to what has been taught, and used to move learning forward. The documented issue is that some subjects have layered additional assessments that do not add value, which can create workload pressure for staff and a less coherent learning experience for students. For parents, the implication is straightforward: ask how the school checks knowledge and understanding in Years 7 to 9, how gaps are addressed quickly, and what the school has changed since the last inspection cycle to keep assessment sharp and useful.

Where Students Go Next

For most students, the post-16 transition is central because Wigmore’s model is built around strong preparation through Year 11 and then progression to colleges, sixth forms, training providers, apprenticeships, or employment with training. The school’s careers programme is structured to make those routes feel concrete rather than abstract, with engagement from local and national employers and exposure to different providers.

What this means for families is that Year 9 options and Key Stage 4 planning carry extra weight. A student’s subject choices should align with the likely post-16 route, whether that is a level-based study elsewhere, a technical programme, or a vocational pathway. It is sensible to ask how the school supports students in matching GCSE options to realistic next steps, and how it handles students who need more guided planning.

For students who are motivated and benefit from clear guidance, this transition-focused approach can be a strength. For students who want a single setting through to 18, it is important to be clear-eyed that the core offer is built around an 11–16 experience with structured pathways beyond the school.

Wigmore’s Planned Admission Number for Year 7 is 90, organised into three tutor groups. Students are placed into a house group at admission and, where possible, remain with the same tutor structure through their time in school, which can support continuity and relational pastoral care.

Admissions are coordinated through the local authority, and the deadline for applications for September 2026 entry was 31 October 2025, with the national offer day stated as 2 March 2026 for Herefordshire secondary transfers. Open days and evenings for that admission round were typically scheduled in September and October, with Wigmore’s listed open day and evening on Thursday 2 October 2025. For parents planning ahead, the practical inference is that early autumn remains the key window for visits and first-hand questions.

Oversubscription criteria are explicit and conventional for a school of this type: priority is given to students with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, looked-after and previously looked-after children, siblings, children attending the linked primary, those in catchment, designated feeder primaries, and then other applicants. Distance is used as a tie-break where necessary, calculated using local authority routing software.

Appeals processes sit with the local authority. For September 2026 entry, the school’s published material states a deadline for lodging secondary admission appeals of midnight on 30 March 2026, with appeals typically scheduled in May or June.

Pastoral capacity is a documented focus. The school increased the capacity of its pastoral team, partly as a response to needs emerging after the pandemic, with an emphasis on bespoke support, including around mental health. Bullying and discrimination incidents are treated as exceptions rather than norms, with systems designed to respond promptly and effectively when issues arise.

The safeguarding picture is clear from formal reporting: systems and checks are in place, staff training is regular, and vulnerable students are supported through effective partnerships with external agencies. That is the baseline parents should expect, but it still matters as reassurance for a rural community school where families often rely on the school as a stabilising institution.

SEND support is a strong point in the most recent reporting. Identification, student profiles, and classroom adaptation are described as clear and effective, with most teachers using guidance well to adjust learning appropriately. For families with SEND concerns, the most useful next step is to ask what a student’s “typical” week looks like in practice, how interventions are scheduled without narrowing curriculum access, and how progress is reviewed termly against agreed targets.

Attendance and punctuality expectations are also set out explicitly. Students are expected to arrive by 08:45, with register taken at 08:50; the school day starts at 08:30 and ends at 15:25 for Key Stage 3 and 15:30 for Key Stage 4. For some families this structure is helpful, it creates predictability and reduces daily ambiguity.

Wigmore’s enrichment is best understood through the specificity of what students can join, rather than broad claims. The school’s published extra-curricular timetable (Autumn 2025) includes structured academic and creative options alongside sport. Examples include The Writing Society, Humanities Debate Club, Further Maths (Year 11), Choir, and an Orchestra/Band slot in the music room. For students who are academically able but prefer a smaller-school setting, a scheduled Further Maths group can be a meaningful signal of stretch, especially when the school is not selective.

Sports and fitness are present in a practical, participation-led way. The same timetable shows regular lunchtime gym access for older year groups, netball, basketball, and badminton, with some sessions explicitly framed for more competitive players. House sport is also part of the culture, with house colours and fixtures used to build identity and participation.

The performing arts offer is also concrete. School communications describe opportunities such as Ensemble Practice, Piano Club, Glee Club, Dance Squad, and a Performing Arts Club leading into a summer show. This blend tends to suit students who want a clear route from weekly practice to a visible performance outcome. Music development planning also shows an intention to strengthen music technology provision and to extend instrumental ensemble opportunities.

Trips and visits form part of the wider programme. Students have participated in educational visits including trips to London and Paris, and house competitions range from baking to engineering-style challenges such as making rocket cars. This variety is valuable in a rural context because it broadens cultural and academic reference points for students who might otherwise have fewer day-to-day opportunities beyond the local area.

The core school day runs from 08:30 to 15:25 for Key Stage 3 and 15:30 for Key Stage 4, with an expectation that students arrive by 08:45. Transport is organised via the local authority’s school transport arrangements, and families should note that free transport is linked to “nearest school” rules and that transport is typically provided at the start and end of the normal school day, not for out-of-hours clubs.

For families who need wraparound support beyond a typical secondary timetable, it is worth asking directly what is currently available for younger secondary students and how it operates alongside clubs and fixtures, as these arrangements can change over time.

• Post-16 transition is essential. Despite the official age range registration, formal reporting indicates sixth form provision has not been operating, so families should plan on a Year 11 transition to another provider and ask how the school supports applications and interviews.

• Progress measures are weaker than the local ranking headline suggests. The school ranks strongly in its local area on FindMySchool measures, but Progress 8 is negative, so it is sensible to ask what has changed in teaching consistency, behaviour for learning, and Key Stage 3 assessment practice since the most recent inspection cycle.

• Assessment practice in Key Stage 3 has been an identified priority. The documented issue is not “too little assessment” but “unfocused assessment”, which can affect student clarity and staff workload. Ask how this now works in Years 7 to 9.

• Communication with some parents has been a friction point. Formal reporting references some parental dissatisfaction with school communication. On a visit, ask how information flows to parents, and what channels are used for updates, behaviour, and support plans.

Wigmore School suits families seeking a smaller, community-rooted 11–16 secondary where relationships, pastoral capacity, and SEND practice are treated as central rather than peripheral. The atmosphere is purposeful and welcoming, with clear values and a structured house system that supports identity and participation. The main question for parents is fit: students who benefit from consistent routines, strong adult support, and a planned post-16 transition elsewhere are likely to do well here; families seeking an all-through-to-18 setting should look carefully at current post-16 realities and transition planning.