Footsteps Trust Review 2026: Small, relationship-led alternative provision with a strong sporting spine

A school built around re-engagement. Footsteps Trust is an independent provider for students aged 12 to 16, based in the New River Sports Centre off White Hart Lane in Haringey. Its offer combines a GCSE curriculum with structured pastoral work and a consistent sporting programme, shaped for students who have struggled with behaviour, attendance or engagement in mainstream settings.

Leadership continuity is a defining feature. The Principal is Chris Hall, the school’s Founder, and the staff directory lists his appointment date as 04 September 2010, which aligns with the organisation’s own account of being founded to support students who were not thriving in conventional provision.

The latest Ofsted standard inspection (24 to 26 June 2025, published 18 September 2025) judged the school Good overall and confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

The defining theme, repeated across the school’s own writing and external commentary, is that relationships are treated as the operational core, not a soft add-on. The behaviour approach explicitly links expectations with trust-building, using a clear principle that rules only work when adults and students have credible relationships behind them. That matters in an alternative provision context, because many students arrive with a history of fractured school experiences and low confidence as learners.

Footsteps is also unusually explicit about student voice and leadership for a small setting. The Student Council is framed as a practical bridge between students and staff, with a focus on inclusivity and initiatives that improve day-to-day experience. For families, that is a useful indicator that the school is trying to build agency and responsibility, not simply compliance.

The physical context influences the feel of the place. Being situated within a sports complex is not just a branding choice. The facilities page describes access to football pitches, tennis courts, an athletics centre with running track, and a boxing gym. This gives the school a clear alternative rhythm to a conventional corridor-based secondary, with sport and movement embedded into the week in a way that can help some students regulate, reset, and re-enter learning with fewer flashpoints.

Footsteps Trust is ranked 4,132nd in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 15th locally within Haringey. This places it below the England average in the FindMySchool distribution, which is consistent with a setting designed for re-engagement rather than selective attainment.

The published GCSE metrics point to a mixed profile. The Attainment 8 score is 7.2, and the percentage achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure is recorded as 0%. These numbers should be read in context, as cohorts in alternative provision can be small and highly variable year to year, and the school’s priority is often stabilising attendance, rebuilding study habits, and securing a core set of qualifications rather than maximising EBacc entry.

The more important question for most families considering Footsteps is not league-table positioning, but whether students re-establish routines and exit with credible next steps. The curriculum choices, described below, are aligned with that practical outcome: a focused GCSE suite with additional functional skills and structured personal development content.

The curriculum is presented as deliberately streamlined and accessible. At Key Stage 3, the published subject list is English, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, and Art, with PSHE content that targets adolescent development, relationships, and social issues such as bullying and stereotyping. This balance makes sense for a cohort where social confidence and classroom readiness are often as important as subject coverage.

At Key Stage 4, the school lists GCSE English, Mathematics, Science, Business Studies, Religious Studies, Physical Education, and Art, alongside Functional Skills in English and Mathematics, PSHE, and Prevent education. It also describes half-termly assessments in exam conditions and a mock exam week that takes place every December or January, which is a sensible way to desensitise students to formal assessment and rebuild exam stamina.

A distinctive curricular choice is the emphasis on coursework-heavy accredited routes, described as a way to reduce high-stakes exam pressure while still producing meaningful qualifications. For students whose prior experience of testing has been negative, that approach can be the difference between disengagement and completion.

Footsteps places significant weight on post-16 transition support. The curriculum page describes structured help with applications, CV writing, and references, and the 2025 inspection report notes that most pupils go on to further education establishments. In practice, this is the real performance measure for many families: stable attendance, a core GCSE profile, and a supported step into college, training, or apprenticeships rather than a drift into NEET status.

It is also worth noting that local authority information about the provider highlights additional academic scaffolding, including daily after-school booster classes and holiday sessions, with small-group delivery. When sustained, this kind of structure can accelerate catch-up for students who have experienced disrupted schooling.

Admissions operate differently from mainstream secondaries. The Admissions Policy states that the school can accept admissions throughout the year and that all students must be referred by legitimate partnering agencies. This matches the 2025 inspection report, which notes that students are dual registered with a mainstream school. For families, the practical implication is that placement is typically part of a wider plan agreed with the home school, the local authority, and, where relevant, SEND teams.

The published process centres on fit and readiness. Prospective students are expected to visit for an interview, where the ethos and internal systems are explained, alongside what will be expected from the student. Once the interview is successful and paperwork is complete, the policy indicates students can start immediately once the referral form is received. This is a pragmatic model for students who need timely intervention rather than an annual intake cycle.

Footsteps also states that it accepts students in Years 8 to 11, which is an important detail for families whose child may be in mid-key-stage transition. The same policy notes alignment with Haringey Council’s academic year dates, which is useful for planning around term-time structure even when admission itself is year-round.

This is a setting built for students who have not flourished in conventional behaviour systems. The 2025 inspection report describes an approach that supports resilience and confidence, and references practical strategies such as sensory breaks when learning becomes overwhelming. That combination, clear boundaries plus regulated exits and re-entry, is often what enables students to remain in education long enough to complete qualifications.

The school’s written emphasis on relationships is also reflected in how it frames behaviour. Rather than presenting rules as a standalone solution, the behaviour page states that building strong, positive relationships between staff and students sits at the centre of the approach. In alternative provision, that typically translates into higher adult presence, frequent check-ins, and deliberate repair after incidents, all of which reduce exclusion cycles.

For safeguarding assurance, families should rely on the most recent official report and then validate the lived reality through meetings, particularly around communication with parents and how incidents are handled, recorded, and followed up.

Sport is not a token offering here, it is a core engagement tool. The school lists Football, Boxing, Tennis, Table Tennis, Athletics, and Strength Training as part of its sports and vocational courses, supported by the wider sports centre infrastructure. For some students, the ability to succeed physically and build routine through training is the bridge back to academic participation.

Enrichment is not limited to sport. The 2025 inspection report references trips and visits in the community, including museums, animal centres, and a local Gurdwara. In practice, these experiences can support cultural literacy, widen horizons, and create shared reference points that improve classroom discussion, particularly in PSHE and Religious Studies.

Student leadership also plays a role. The Student Council is positioned as a channel for organising events and community service initiatives, and as a mechanism for student voice. For families assessing fit, it is worth asking how students are selected, how often the council meets, and whether it has influenced real changes in provision.

Although Footsteps is an independent school, it operates in a space that often involves commissioned placements and referrals. The most recent inspection documentation lists annual day fees of £10,600. Families should confirm how fees are handled in their specific case, as the funding route can vary depending on referral pathway and commissioning arrangements.

No bursary or scholarship programme is clearly published within the core school website pages reviewed. If financial support is relevant to your situation, the right question to ask is not only “what are the fees”, but also “who is the contracting party and what is the funding agreement”, as that determines whether costs are borne by families, schools, or local authorities.

The published calendar shows term dates for 2024 to 2025, with INSET days at the start of key terms and closure periods for half terms and major holidays. For planning purposes, it is safest to assume the same broad pattern each year, aligned to the local authority academic calendar, and then check the school’s latest term-date publication for up-to-date detail.

Footsteps is based within the New River Sports Centre setting on White Hart Lane. This matters for travel planning and the daily feel, as the surrounding environment is sports-led and the school’s facilities are integrated with that infrastructure.

• This is not a conventional admissions cycle. Entry is year-round and referral-led, which suits urgent re-engagement needs but can feel unfamiliar for families used to standard Year 7 applications.

• The cohort profile is specific. The setting is described as supporting pupils who need help with behaviour, attitudes and attendance, and some students have Education, Health and Care Plans. Families should be clear about whether this is the right peer group and level of structure for their child.

• Academic outcomes must be interpreted in context. FindMySchool GCSE rankings place Footsteps below England average, which may be acceptable if the priority is stabilisation, attendance recovery, and a supported post-16 transition rather than headline attainment.

• The sporting emphasis is a core feature. For many students this is a positive engagement lever; for others, particularly those less motivated by sport, families should ask what alternative hooks are used to sustain attendance and motivation.

Footsteps Trust is best understood as a structured second-chance setting: a small independent school designed to help students re-enter learning, secure a set of qualifications, and move into further education or training with stronger routines and confidence. It suits students who need a reset from mainstream schooling, respond well to consistent adult relationships, and benefit from a sports-integrated week. The key decision factor is not prestige, it is fit: whether the referral-led model, peer group, and balance of academic focus and sport match what your child needs next.