Altwood Church of England School Review 2026: A faith-led 11 to 18 academy with a strong sixth form support culture

Altwood Church of England School has a clear identity, a Church of England ethos shaped by its Diocesan links, a structured pastoral model, and a house system that deliberately mixes year groups. Founded in 1907 through the merger of two local church schools, it has long served Maidenhead families, while also drawing from a wider area.

This is a state secondary with sixth form, so there are no tuition fees. The most recent Ofsted visit was an ungraded inspection in September 2023, which confirmed the school remains Good and that safeguarding is effective.

On outcomes, the headline picture is mixed, which matters for fit. GCSE performance sits below England average overall in the FindMySchool outcomes ranking, but Progress 8 is positive, suggesting students tend to make better-than-expected progress from their starting points. Post-16 outcomes look steadier, with A-level results sitting around the middle of the national distribution.

Altwood’s character is best understood through the way it describes its Christian vision and how that translates into routines. The school anchors its ethos in John 10:10 and a set of values, Faith, Hope, Joy, Truth and Forgiveness, framed explicitly as an inclusive culture for students of all faiths and none. This matters in practice because it gives staff and students shared language for behaviour, relationships, and expectations, which can feel reassuring for families who want a values-led environment without necessarily seeking a narrowly faith-bound intake.

A distinctive feature is the vertical tutoring and house structure. Students are placed into Faith, Hope or Joy, and those houses are referenced repeatedly across school life, including weekly competitions. The intention is social, not cosmetic: mixing year groups builds familiarity beyond a single cohort and can soften the transition into Year 7, particularly for students who arrive without an established friendship group.

Leadership has changed recently. The current headteacher is Cath Harden, who joined as headteacher in September 2024. That timing is significant because the most recent published inspection evidence relates to a previous head. For families, the practical implication is straightforward: expect strategic priorities and internal systems to evolve over 2024 to 2026, even if the school’s overall direction and ethos remain consistent.

Altwood is a secondary and post-16 school, so the key performance indicators are GCSE and A-level outcomes.

GCSE outcomes

Altwood is ranked 2,803rd in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data) and 6th in Maidenhead locally. This places it below England average overall, in the bottom 40% of schools by this measure.

The average Attainment 8 score is 43.4. Progress 8 is 0.2, which indicates students make above-average progress compared with pupils nationally with similar starting points. That is an important nuance for parents: raw attainment can look modest, while progress suggests teaching, support, and routines may be adding value for many students.

One area that stands out as weaker is EBacc performance. Only 5% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above across EBacc subjects, and the average EBacc APS is 3.6. The implication is that the school is not currently an EBacc-heavy setting, and families who strongly prioritise a traditional EBacc pathway, particularly a modern foreign language through GCSE, should scrutinise options and guidance closely.

A-level outcomes

A-level outcomes look more stable. In the most recent dataset, 50% of entries achieved A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2%. A* to A is 25%, compared with an England average of 23.6%.

Altwood is ranked 1,103rd in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data) and 3rd in Maidenhead locally. That places it in line with the middle 35% of schools in England by this measure (25th to 60th percentile), which is a more reassuring story than the GCSE ranking.

The practical takeaway is that Altwood’s sixth form appears to provide a clearer runway for students who want to consolidate and progress post-16, especially those who benefit from structured support and tailored teaching.

The most recent inspection evidence points to strong classroom culture and an emphasis on orderly curriculum planning. Students behave well in lessons and around the site, which allows teachers to focus on learning rather than constant behaviour management. This tends to benefit two groups in particular: students who need predictable routines to feel secure, and those who prefer calm, purposeful lessons.

There is also a clear improvement focus. A stated development area from the latest inspection is sharper sequencing of precise knowledge in some subjects, so that teachers can identify gaps quickly and build in effective retrieval and revisiting. Another is increasing uptake of modern foreign languages at GCSE, to strengthen the EBacc core within the wider curriculum.

At sixth form level, the subject information published for 2026 to 2028 indicates clear entry thresholds by subject, for example A-level Mathematics requiring grade 7 in GCSE Mathematics, and A-level English Literature requiring grade 5 in GCSE English. That transparency is helpful for families planning ahead, because it signals that post-16 routes are not one-size-fits-all and that subject suitability is taken seriously.

Altwood does not present itself as a niche university pipeline school, and the available destination data supports a broad set of pathways.

For the 2023 to 2024 leavers cohort, 33% progressed to university. A further 2% started apprenticeships, and 29% entered employment. This points to a sixth form that supports a range of outcomes, including direct progression into work.

For the most academically ambitious, the Oxbridge data indicates a small but real pipeline: in the most recent measurement period, there were 2 applications to Oxford or Cambridge and 1 acceptance. At this scale, it is better interpreted as “supported when appropriate” rather than a defining feature. The implication for families is that the school can handle competitive applications, but the environment is unlikely to feel dominated by them.

If you are comparing destinations across local schools, use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to assess post-16 results, routes, and competitiveness side by side, rather than relying on anecdotal impressions.

Altwood is oversubscribed. In the most recent admissions dataset provided, there were 507 applications for 150 places. That is approximately 3.38 applications per place, which is high enough that families should approach admission strategically and keep realistic alternatives on their list.

Year 7 entry (September 2026)

Altwood’s admissions arrangements for 2026 to 2027 set the Year 7 admission number at 150 for September 2026. Applications are made through the family’s home local authority as part of coordinated admissions, with the standard closing date of 31 October 2025 and offers released on 2 March 2026.

Oversubscription follows the usual legal framework. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school are placed first. After that, the school applies oversubscription criteria in a stated order, which includes looked-after and previously looked-after children, and then other priority groups as specified in the published arrangements.

Because the last distance offered figure is not available provided, it is not possible to give a reliable “how close is close” summary here. If distance is a key criterion for your household, use FindMySchoolMap Search to check your precise distance from the school gate and to stress-test your plan against past allocation patterns where the local authority publishes them.

Sixth form entry (September 2026)

Altwood accepts external applications into Year 12, and it publishes a dedicated application route for September 2026 entry via its sixth form page. Course-specific entry requirements are set out in the sixth form subject information, with many pathways referencing a baseline of at least 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and Mathematics, plus higher subject grades for some A-level courses.

The practical advice is to work backwards from the desired programme. If a student is aiming for A-level Mathematics or science-heavy combinations, GCSE thresholds are higher and planning should start early in Year 11.

Pastoral support is a central part of the school’s proposition. The most recent inspection evidence describes students feeling welcomed and supported, with experienced staff providing daily pastoral help and strategies for those who need additional behaviour support. Sixth form students are described as particularly well supported, with a sense of responsibility in mentoring and supporting younger pupils.

The house and tutor structure supports this, because it creates smaller communities inside a mid-sized secondary and can help staff spot changes in attendance, behaviour, or engagement earlier. For parents, the practical implication is that communication often works best through tutors and heads of house who know the student across contexts, rather than only through subject teachers.

Altwood’s enrichment offer is strongest when you look past generic labels and focus on the specifics. The published enrichment schedule for 2025 includes clubs that span sport, creative arts, STEM, and faith-based conversation.

Examples include the Role-players Society, Coding Club, Pokémon TCG, Green Team Environmentalists, Musical Theatre Club, and Science Club, alongside Choir, Orchestra, Chess Club, and Film Club. There is also Chapel and Chat, which connects directly to the school’s Church of England character in a low-pressure format.

Ofsted’s most recent report adds colour to what this can feel like day to day. It references students socialising in The Hub canteen area, and it notes enrichment activities such as Uno Club and Cheese Club, plus whole-school house competitions, including a quiz format, as part of a wider cultural capital offer.

The implication for families is that this is not an “everything for everyone” model so much as a structured set of clubs and routines designed to help students connect across year groups and find a niche. Students who benefit from belonging and purposeful social spaces can do well in this kind of setting.

The school day is structured clearly. The site opens at 8.15am, tutor time begins at 8.45am, and the final period ends at 3.10pm. This helps families planning transport, after-school commitments, and part-time work for sixth formers.

Transport access is straightforward for many households. The school states it is around a 20 minute walk from Maidenhead railway station via a direct walking route, and it references both public bus access and school coach routes serving neighbouring areas.

• Leadership transition. The current headteacher started in September 2024. Expect priorities and systems to evolve across 2024 to 2026, and use open events and published updates to understand what is changing.

• GCSE attainment versus progress. Attainment 8 is modest, but Progress 8 is positive. This can suit students who need a setting that adds value over time, but families seeking consistently high raw GCSE attainment should benchmark alternatives carefully.

• EBacc and languages. EBacc outcomes are low and Ofsted highlights increasing modern foreign language uptake as a development priority. If languages are a core priority for your child, ask directly about current uptake, staffing stability, and option structures.

• Competition for Year 7 places. With 507 applications for 150 places, demand is strong. Families should plan with realistic contingencies rather than relying on a single outcome.

Altwood Church of England School is a values-led, community-focused secondary with sixth form that appears strongest where students benefit from structure, pastoral support, and clear routines. GCSE outcomes are not among the strongest in England, but positive progress measures suggest many students do better than their starting points would predict. The sixth form picture is steadier, with a realistic mix of pathways into university, apprenticeships, and employment.

Best suited to families who want a Church of England ethos in an inclusive setting, and students who will engage with the house structure, enrichment programme, and support systems. Securing entry is the limiting factor for Year 7, so families should approach admissions with a well-prepared plan.