Lutterworth High School Review 2026: Oversubscribed 11 to 16 academy with clear routines and strong local standing

A rural 11 to 16 school with a reputation for calm order and purposeful learning, Lutterworth High School sits at the centre of its town’s secondary provision. The school describes itself as founded in 1927, and it still leans into tradition through a four-House structure and whole-school events that build identity and belonging.

Leadership has been stable for almost a decade. Mr Julian Kirby is the headteacher, and official records list his start date as 11 April 2016.

For outcomes, the picture is best understood through two lenses. First, the school’s FindMySchool ranking places it in the middle 35% of schools in England for GCSE outcomes (25th to 60th percentile), which is consistent with a broadly solid, above-midfield profile. Second, within the immediate local area it ranks first, which matters for families comparing like-for-like options close to home.

The school’s tone is built around routines that are designed to be easy for students to understand and staff to apply consistently. Its behaviour approach is explicitly framed as Discipline for Learning (D4L), with an emphasis on students taking responsibility for choices and earning rewards through a House points system.

That structure shows up in small, practical ways that parents often value. The D4L page explains how rewards are tied to effort and positive conduct, not just raw attainment. It also highlights named recognition moments such as Hot Choc Friday and Sneak and Eat, which are used as incentives for consistent effort, especially for older students.

Alongside routines, the school puts a lot of weight on relationships. Its published ethos states that students feel safe, valued and cared for, with staff knowing students as individuals and supporting them to do well. While any school can claim this, the useful detail here is that it is woven into the operational language of the school, from behaviour to House points to enrichment.

The House system reinforces identity and creates a platform for student leadership. Students are allocated to Churchill, Cunningham, Montgomery or Tedder, with opportunities in Key Stage 4 to act as House Captain or Sports Captain. The school also names whole-school events as central traditions, including an annual House Quiz, Sports Day and a Cross Country event. The House trophy is the Abbott Shield, presented to the school in 1936.

The school’s GCSE outcomes sit in a broadly solid national position with a strong local comparator. Ranked 1,316th in England and 1st in Lutterworth for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance aligns with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

On the headline measures provided, Attainment 8 is 49.9 and Progress 8 is 0.25, which indicates above-average progress from students’ starting points across the eight headline subjects. Ebacc average point score is 4.45.

The Ebacc language is worth unpacking for families. A higher Ebacc APS typically signals that students are securing stronger grades across the English Baccalaureate subject suite. Meanwhile, the percentage achieving grades 5 or above in the Ebacc is reported as 24%, which suggests that the school’s strengths may be more evenly spread across the wider curriculum rather than concentrated only in the most academic suite, depending on entry patterns and option choices. (This is not a weakness in itself, but it can inform how you discuss pathways and subject selection at Year 9 options time.)

The latest Ofsted inspection, dated 6 February 2024, graded the school Good overall, with Good in Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Leadership and Management.

A school does not need novelty to teach well, it needs clarity and strong classroom practice. Lutterworth High School’s published ethos places “exceptional teaching” and strong progress at the centre of its proposition, and the way it links behaviour to learning suggests a deliberate strategy to protect lesson time.

The curriculum narrative is also framed in terms of breadth plus enrichment. The school presents learning beyond the taught curriculum as a core expectation rather than an optional add-on, describing The Emerald Way as the structure used to organise co-curricular experiences.

For parents, the practical question is what that looks like week to week for a typical child, not only the most confident joiners. The school’s own materials point to a combination of clubs, competitions and trips as the vehicle for this wider learning. On the creativity strand, it explicitly references a coding club as an example of creativity that sits outside traditional arts definitions.

On the competition strand, it references students entering the National Maths Challenge and taking part in chess tournaments, which signals that academic competition is part of the culture alongside sport.

As an 11 to 16 school, Lutterworth High School’s destination story is primarily about post-16 progression. The school’s Careers page frames the legal expectation clearly, students remain in some form of education or training until 18, whether that is sixth form, college, an apprenticeship, or work combined with part-time study.

What is helpful for families is that the school publishes a practical list of local and regional post-16 routes, including school sixth forms, colleges, and mixed providers. Examples on the school’s list include Lutterworth College, Leicester College, Loughborough College Group, and Warwickshire College Group, alongside a range of school sixth forms in the wider area. This does not tell you what proportion choose each route, but it does indicate that post-16 planning is treated as a normal part of Year 10 to Year 11 decision-making rather than a late scramble.

Because no destination percentages are available here, parents should use the Careers programme detail as the best proxy for how well the school structures transition. A sensible question to ask at open evening is how the school supports students who are undecided in Year 11, and how it helps those targeting competitive post-16 courses (for example, high-demand technical programmes or selective sixth forms).

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Admissions for the main intake are coordinated through the local authority route, and the school’s published admissions number for students is 175.

The school explains the familiar national pattern for secondary transfer, open evening activity in September, application deadline at the end of October, then offers in early March.

For September 2026 entry, Leicestershire’s coordinated process opened on 1 September 2025 and the on-time closing date was 31 October 2025, with offers released on National Offer Day, Monday 2 March 2026.

The school also notes that parents can request tours during the day, which is often the best way to assess corridor culture, classroom tone, and the practical realities of behaviour and support.

Demand is a key part of decision-making, because it affects how realistic it is to secure a place and how much contingency planning you need. The available admissions snapshot indicates the school is oversubscribed, with a recorded ratio of 3.1 applications per offer. If you are applying outside the normal cycle, expect a tighter process and fewer available spaces.

Parents who want to be methodical should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check travel practicality and compare alternative schools, then use the Local Hub page to compare outcomes side-by-side using the Comparison Tool.

Pastoral strength in a secondary setting often comes down to two operational realities, predictable systems and adults who act quickly when problems arise. Lutterworth High School’s published ethos foregrounds safety, relationships, and students being known as individuals, and D4L shows how behaviour expectations are translated into day-to-day routines.

The D4L model is also explicit about consistency, rules applying everywhere, and the idea that every lesson is a chance to reset. For some children, especially those who respond well to boundaries, that can be reassuring. For others, particularly those who find sanctions stressful, parents should ask how the school adapts its approach for students with additional needs, anxiety, or fluctuating home circumstances.

Pastoral care is strengthened when students have positive reasons to feel part of the institution. Here the House system is not presented as cosmetic, it is a leadership and participation structure with multiple entry points, competitive events, House points, and a rhythm of whole-school traditions.

The school’s enrichment framework is branded as The Emerald Way, and it describes “learning beyond the lesson” as encompassing over 140 co-curricular and enrichment experiences.

That number matters less than the practical mix. The school points to creativity that includes a coding club, which positions technology participation as a mainstream activity rather than a niche interest.

On competition, it references participation in the National Maths Challenge and chess tournaments, which signals that academic competition is not limited to a small set of high prior attainers.

The House layer adds a second, parallel route into activities. Cross Country, Sports Day and the House Quiz are framed as traditions with wide participation, and the Abbott Shield provides a visible end-point that makes effort feel cumulative rather than episodic.

Charity and community links are also presented as part of enrichment, with the school giving an example of choir involvement with a local care home, including performances and quiz participation with residents. This is a good indicator of service being treated as something students do, not only something leaders talk about.

Trips are referenced as a cultural thread, with examples spanning theatre and international visits. The most important practical note for parents is that trips vary year to year; ask what is typical for each year group, what is subsidised, and what support exists for families who need help with optional costs.

The published school day begins with preparation time at 08:35, then runs through six periods and finishes at 15:00.

Transport information is clearly explained. Leicestershire’s contracted transport is referenced for eligible students, with Beaver Bus Company named as the contracted provider; for families not eligible for free transport, the school points to Beaver Bus paid places and to Arriva’s regular services into Lutterworth.

• Oversubscription and contingency planning. The available admissions snapshot indicates the school is oversubscribed at around 3.1 applications per offer. Families should plan a realistic set of preferences and understand how allocations work in their local authority area.

• A structured behaviour culture. D4L is explicit and system-led. This will suit students who like clarity and routine; students who struggle with sanctions may need closer pastoral scaffolding, so ask how this works in practice.

• No sixth form. All students move on at 16. That can be positive for maturity and choice, but it does mean earlier planning for post-16 pathways, especially for competitive sixth forms and apprenticeships.

• House culture is prominent. The House system is a significant part of school life and includes competition and leadership roles. For many students this builds belonging; for a minority it can feel like an extra performance layer, so it is worth asking how inclusive participation is.

Lutterworth High School is a strongly structured 11 to 16 school with stable leadership, clear routines, and a coherent enrichment framework that runs through Houses and The Emerald Way. Outcomes are broadly solid in England terms and highly competitive locally, which is often what matters most for families comparing nearby options. Best suited to students who respond well to clear expectations, enjoy being part of a wider school identity through Houses, and want a wide set of routes into clubs, competitions and post-16 planning.