Kingsbury High School Review 2026: A large Brent secondary with a strong sixth form focus

Kingsbury High School is a sizeable, mixed 11 to 18 academy serving a wide area of Brent, with a sixth form that plays a meaningful role in the school’s culture and outcomes. The current headteacher is Mr Alex Thomas, who took up the role in 2019.

The latest Ofsted inspection (31 January and 1 February 2024) confirmed the school remains Good and reported that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

For families, the practical appeal is straightforward: this is a state school with no tuition fees, a broad secondary offer, and a post 16 pathway that is clearly taken seriously. The main question is fit, including whether a large school environment and a competitive local admissions context align with your child’s needs.

Scale shapes daily life here. With capacity for just over 2,000 pupils, the experience is closer to a small community than a boutique setting. That can be a strength for students who thrive on choice and variety, as larger schools can support wider subject combinations, more leadership roles, and more peer groups to find your place within.

The school’s behavioural expectations are framed through its own language, including the “Kingsbury Way”, which centres on respect for self, others, and the environment. This gives students a shared reference point and helps keep routines consistent, which matters in a big setting where consistency is the difference between calm and churn.

Leadership stability is another important contextual signal. Mr Alex Thomas has led the school since 2019, which is long enough to set direction, embed staff development, and standardise systems across departments.

At GCSE, Kingsbury High School’s 2024 profile shows outcomes that sit above many local comparators on key whole cohort measures. The average Attainment 8 score is 48.6, and Progress 8 is +0.36, indicating students make above average progress from their starting points. EBacc average point score is 4.6, and 26.7% achieved grade 5 or above across the EBacc subjects.

Rankings provide another lens. Ranked 1261st in England and 10th in Brent for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). This is the definition of solid performance at scale, particularly when paired with above average progress.

In the sixth form, outcomes are similarly steady. A level grade distribution shows 7.44% A*, 17.62% A, 25.81% B, and 50.87% A* to B overall. Ranked 1035th in England and 9th in Brent for A level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), sixth form performance also sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). For many families, that combination, credible outcomes plus a broad, realistic offer, is exactly what they want from a local sixth form.

Curriculum breadth is a theme in the most recent external review, with students studying a wide range of subjects intended to support next steps into education, training, and employment. In practical terms, that typically translates into a mainstream, full secondary curriculum at key stage 3, a broad GCSE offer, and a post 16 structure capable of supporting different pathways.

The sixth form is positioned as a particular strength. Teaching is described as clear and ambitious, and the expectation is that students learn to work more independently over time, which is an important predictor of success beyond school.

There is also a specific specialist element worth noting for families who need it. The school has a resourced provision that supports hearing impaired pupils using a Total Communication approach, which can be a differentiator in local shortlists where specialist resource is limited.

Kingsbury High School’s post 16 and post 18 story is best understood in three layers: sixth form teaching quality, student ambition, and the breadth of destinations typical of a large comprehensive intake.

Oxbridge sits at the very top of the distribution. Across the most recent measurement period, 11 students applied to Oxford or Cambridge, and one student secured a place. This is not an Oxbridge pipeline in the specialist sense, but it does show that very high aspiration exists within the cohort and can be supported to a successful outcome.

For the wider cohort, the 2023/24 leaver destinations data indicates that 76% progressed to university, with 1% starting apprenticeships and 9% entering employment (other routes are also possible). For many families, that is the central practical indicator: university is the dominant pathway, but not the only one, and the school supports multiple routes.

Careers education is an area where the school appears to put effort into relevance. Work experience is referenced for sixth form students, and the intention is that careers learning is integrated with curriculum choices rather than treated as a one off event.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through Brent. For September 2026 entry, applications opened on 01 September 2025, the on time deadline was 31 October 2025, offers were released on 02 March 2026, and the main response deadline is 16 March 2026.

In practical terms, this means two things. First, families should treat the deadline as immovable, late applications have a materially weaker chance of matching first preferences. Second, the best way to understand likelihood of offer is to read the oversubscription criteria carefully and compare your circumstances to recent allocation patterns published by the local authority.

Because distances and cut offs move each year, families who want a realistic view should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check their precise distance compared with recent allocation patterns, then sanity check that against the current admissions rules published for the relevant year of entry.

Sixth form admission is usually handled directly by schools rather than through the local authority. The sensible approach is to treat open events and deadlines as time sensitive, and check the school’s sixth form application information early in the autumn term of Year 11.

Large schools succeed when support systems are structured and visible, and this is an area where Kingsbury’s published picture is reassuring. Pupils are described as feeling safe and knowing they can raise concerns with staff, and safeguarding is confirmed as effective.

Attendance expectations are high, with systems designed to improve attendance over time. Strong attendance systems matter most for students whose progress is vulnerable to disruption, including disadvantaged pupils and those managing additional needs.

Personal development is also taken seriously, including content linked to physical and mental health and staying safe. For parents, the implication is that the school is not narrowly exam focused. There is an intentional programme running alongside the academic timetable, which is often what differentiates a merely orderly school from a genuinely supportive one.

Extracurricular life in a large comprehensive can be excellent, but the key is participation, who does it, and whether access is consistent across year groups and pupil groups.

A distinctive example here is the popular “move it” club, delivered by sixth form students and focused on promoting physical activity. It is a practical model: older students lead, younger students participate, and leadership skills develop alongside wellbeing habits.

Student voice and leadership also feature prominently. Student leadership roles are described as contributing positively to school decision making, which can suit students who want responsibility and a sense of influence over their environment.

One caveat sits alongside these positives. External review indicates that, while many pupils do take advantage of opportunities, take up is not yet consistently strong across the whole school, and systems to track participation are still developing.

As a Brent secondary, most families will engage with a London travel pattern, including bus routes and independent travel for older pupils. The local authority also highlights that up to 75 minutes travel time by public transport can be considered reasonable at secondary age, which is useful context when you are weighing options across borough boundaries.

School day start and finish times, and any before school or after school provision for older pupils, are not consistently published in the sources accessible for this review. Families should confirm timings directly with the school, especially if travel planning and after school supervision are key constraints.

• A big school experience. Size brings breadth, but it can feel impersonal for students who prefer smaller peer groups and quieter routines. Prioritise open events and ask how tutor groups and pastoral teams keep individuals visible.

• Participation is not uniform. The school offers meaningful enrichment, but take up is not yet consistently strong across the whole school. This matters if you want your child to be nudged into clubs rather than self selecting.

• Sixth form focus can raise expectations. A strong post 16 culture often lifts ambition for younger year groups, but it can also increase academic pressure for students who need a more gradual pace.

• Admissions require planning. The September 2026 secondary transfer deadline was 31 October 2025, with offers released on 02 March 2026. If you are considering a Brent school from outside the borough, you must apply via your home authority and keep a close eye on deadlines.

Kingsbury High School suits families who want a large, mainstream Brent secondary with credible outcomes, above average progress, and a sixth form that is treated as a core strength rather than an add on. It can work especially well for students who like breadth, independence, and leadership opportunities, including those who benefit from specialist hearing support. The main question is whether your child will flourish in a large school setting, and whether you are prepared to manage the admissions process proactively.