Iveshead School Review 2026: Large mixed 11 to 19 academy with strong facilities and a growing post 16 offer

Iveshead School sits at the centre of Shepshed’s secondary provision, offering an 11 to 19 pathway that blends mainstream comprehensive education with additional specialist capacity. The school is part of Mowbray Education Trust, and is led by Headteacher Mr Matthew Parrott.

A key strength is the breadth of practical spaces, including a swimming pool, a recording studio, an art gallery, a theatre and a climbing wall, which gives extracurricular life real substance rather than relying on generic lunchtime clubs.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (24 to 25 September 2024, published 04 November 2024) graded every area as Good, including sixth form provision, and confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

This is a school with a practical, community facing identity. The facilities list is unusually extensive for a local state secondary, and it is presented not only as student provision but also as something the wider area can use, with lettings spanning performance space, sport and specialist activity areas.

The school’s history matters here because it explains the scale and the sense of “one site, many phases” that still shapes the experience. The current Iveshead School identity dates from 2017, when the campus re opened as a single establishment for students aged 11 to 19, following earlier iterations that stretch back to the Hind Leys Secondary School era of the late 1950s.

Leadership continuity is a notable feature. The school’s own historical account records the appointment of Matthew Parrott as Principal from September 2013 during the federation journey that preceded the 2017 re launch, and he is now listed as Headteacher. For families, that combination often signals steady expectations and a leadership team that understands the local context well.

Behaviour and day to day tone are best described as calm and orderly, with students expected to meet clear routines through a structured timetable, regular warning bells, and a straightforward end of day that flows into enrichment rather than trailing into “dead time”. The published school day timings also show an explicit place for breakfast club and homework club, which helps working families and students who benefit from a quieter study base.

On GCSE measures, Iveshead sits broadly in the mainstream of England performance rather than at the extremes. Ranked 1991st in England and 6th in the Loughborough area for GCSE outcomes, this reflects solid performance that is in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), using FindMySchool rankings based on official data.

The headline attainment picture is an Attainment 8 score of 43.2, alongside an EBacc average point score of 4.13. Progress 8 is recorded at -0.37, which indicates that, on average, students make below average progress from their starting points across their GCSE subjects.

For families, the practical implication is that the school should suit students who do well with clear structure and consistent teaching, while those who need rapid acceleration from a weaker starting point should look closely at how support is delivered in the subjects that matter most to their child. (All ranking and exam metrics in this section are from the provided dataset and should be read as the most recent published performance snapshot for comparison purposes.)

At A level, the outcomes are more challenging relative to England. Ranked 2223rd in England and 6th in the Loughborough area for A level outcomes, Iveshead falls below England average overall for sixth form results, based on the FindMySchool ranking.

The grade distribution shows 26.32% of entries at A to B (including A*), compared with an England benchmark of 47.2% A* to B in the same framework. The A* to A share is 12.28% (A* at 1.75%, A at 10.53%), compared with an England benchmark of 23.6% A* to A.

This does not mean the sixth form is “weak”, but it does suggest it is better thought of as a supportive local option than a high performing academic engine. The school’s own description of post 16 provision emphasises small size and close staff relationships, which can be an asset for students who want a more guided route through A levels.

The curriculum model is laid out with unusual clarity. In Years 7 and 8, the published weekly allocation shows four hours each of English and mathematics, three hours each of science and a modern language (French or German), and dedicated time for personal development alongside creative and practical subjects such as art, design and food, plus drama and music.

Key Stage 4 is structured as a three year programme beginning in Year 9. The published approach keeps core subjects in place, and builds a pathway where students continue a modern language plus either history or geography, aligning with an English Baccalaureate shaped offer. For families, that matters because it affects options and workload earlier than in many schools, and it can suit students who benefit from settling into GCSE style content with more time.

In sixth form, the school positions the offer as primarily A level, with some vocational pathways in science and sport, and a standard expectation that most students take three A levels, with options such as the Extended Project Qualification or Core Maths. The stated entry threshold is at least five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and maths, with resits available where needed.

A useful piece of school specific terminology is the CHASE days programme, described as covering creativity and culture, enterprise, careers, raising aspirations, healthy lifestyles and revision skills. The implication is that personal development is treated as planned curriculum time rather than an occasional assembly theme.

The school does not publish detailed destination statistics that would allow a Russell Group or university breakdown, so it is best to focus on what is evidenced.

At sixth form level, the school frames progression as predominantly to university, with support also for higher level apprenticeships and direct employment routes, and it describes a careers programme that includes careers fairs and experience days.

From the provided dataset, Oxbridge flow exists but is small scale. In the measured period, two students applied to Cambridge, one received an offer, and one secured a place. In context, that suggests individual high achievers can be supported through elite applications, but the typical pathway for most sixth formers is likely to be local and regional university routes, apprenticeships or work. (Oxbridge figures in this paragraph are from the provided dataset.)

For younger students, the school’s curriculum choices, including continued language study and a three year GCSE model, are consistent with keeping doors open, even for students who may later decide to specialise in technical routes. The school also confirms it meets provider access requirements for students in Years 8 to 13, which is relevant for families prioritising apprenticeship awareness as well as university.

This is a state funded school with no tuition fees. Admission for Year 7 is coordinated through Leicestershire’s local authority process, rather than a direct school application route for most families.

For Autumn 2026 entry, Leicestershire’s published secondary transfer timeline states that the application window opens from 01 September 2025, with a closing date of 31 October 2025. National offer day is 01 March 2026 (or the next working day).

The local authority guidance also notes that waiting lists for secondary transfer can operate until 31 December 2026 where schools are full, which is helpful for families thinking about late movement or a change of address after allocations.

For sixth form entry, the school sets out a direct application route via its post 16 application system, with applications opening in October, followed by an informal interview and conditional offer stage. Specific course requirements vary by subject, with a baseline of five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and maths.

Parents assessing feasibility should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check travel distance and likely commuting practicalities, then cross reference the local authority’s admissions rules and any recent allocation patterns for the Shepshed area.

Pastoral support is presented as a clear feature of school life, with students expected to know who to speak to and a safeguarding team structure that is visible on the school’s published information pages.

The school also points students and families towards wellbeing resources, and signposts wider support organisations for mental health and related concerns, which is increasingly standard but still useful when it is easy to find and consistently maintained.

An important aspect of inclusion at Iveshead is the presence of two specially resourced provisions, one for students with autism spectrum diagnosis and one for social, emotional and mental health needs, with places supported via Education, Health and Care Plans. For families considering specialist support inside a mainstream setting, this can be a meaningful differentiator, because it allows a student’s day to include both targeted provision and broader peer integration where appropriate.

Extracurricular life is where Iveshead becomes more distinctive than many local secondaries, largely because the physical infrastructure supports depth.

The facilities list includes a recording studio, a theatre, a swimming pool, a sports hall, pitches, a multi use games area, an art gallery, conference rooms and a climbing wall. This matters because it increases the chances that activities can be sustained properly, with specialist spaces rather than borrowed classrooms.

The theatre is described as a semi professional venue with seating capacity of 215 and disabled access lift provision, and it is used by both the school and local community groups. For students, this can translate into better production quality for the annual school show and a clearer route for those interested in technical theatre, performance, sound or backstage roles.

Club examples evidenced in official reporting include chess, football, dodgeball, badminton and mindfulness, plus participation in the annual school show. These are not niche societies, but they indicate a balanced offer across sport, competitive thinking and wellbeing.

The published school day also sets expectations for enrichment as part of the routine, with extracurricular activities and homework club running until 4:00 pm. That structure is often a practical advantage for families, and it can help students build habits around supervised study rather than relying on home space and parental availability.

The published timetable shows a student warning bell at 08:30, registration at 08:35 and an end of day at 15:00, with breakfast club available from 08:00 and extracurricular and homework club provision running until 4:00 pm. Students are expected to be in school for 32.5 hours per week.

The school’s location in Shepshed makes it a realistic daily commute for families across the immediate area and for students travelling from the wider Loughborough catchment, but families should sanity check transport options and journey times carefully, especially if a student is likely to stay after school for enrichment or supported study.

• GCSE progress measure. The dataset records a Progress 8 score of -0.37, which indicates below average progress from starting points across the GCSE suite. Families of students who need strong acceleration should ask how intervention is targeted by subject and year group, and how impact is tracked over time.

• Sixth form outcomes versus England. A level results are below England averages, particularly for A* to B outcomes. The sixth form may suit students who prioritise smaller scale support and a local commute over a high pressure academic results culture.

• Curriculum narrowing begins in Year 9. A three year Key Stage 4 can be a genuine benefit for some students, but it also means earlier option decisions. Families may want to understand how guidance works, especially for students who are undecided about future pathways.

• Alternative provision oversight. Official information notes the use of unregistered alternative providers. Parents of students who may access alternative provision should ask what due diligence and safeguarding checks are used, and how attendance and progress are monitored.

Iveshead School is a substantial, community anchored 11 to 19 provider with practical facilities that materially expand what students can do beyond lessons. Academic outcomes place GCSE performance broadly in the mainstream for England, while sixth form outcomes appear more challenging relative to England averages, suggesting the post 16 offer is best approached as a supportive local pathway rather than a results driven sixth form destination.

Best suited to families in and around Shepshed who want a broad, structured school day, strong enrichment infrastructure, and a mainstream setting with additional specialist resourced provision available for some students.