Fred Longworth High School Review 2026: A large Tyldesley 11 to 16 with arts strength and a structured approach to belonging

A big, mixed 11 to 16 school serving Tyldesley and the wider Wigan area, Fred Longworth High School combines an explicitly stated culture of belonging with a timetable that keeps students busy beyond lessons. The most recent Ofsted inspection (published 25 November 2022) confirmed the school remains Good and that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Leadership has been stable since January 2021 under Headteacher Mr Paul Davies, and the school is a standalone academy.

The school’s guiding language is consistent across public materials and external reporting, and it matters because it gives students a shared set of expectations. The motto Facta Non Verba (Deeds not words) sits alongside the everyday values language of belonging, engaging, succeeding together, which is framed as something pupils should live out, not just repeat.

The pastoral structure described publicly is deliberately relationship-based. Form tutors are presented as a constant through a student’s five years, supported by heads of year, and the school highlights an Inclusion Centre with specialist staff for students who need additional support. This lines up with a broader picture of calm routines and strong staff student relationships, including explicit attention to mental health and wellbeing support.

A useful indicator of culture is whether students are given meaningful responsibility. Here, that comes through in practical opportunities such as student voice via a school council and roles that extend into co-curricular life, including students leading a British Sign Language club. For parents, the implication is straightforward, the school appears to prioritise predictable systems, visible adult support, and structured ways for students to belong.

Fred Longworth High School is ranked 1,751st in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), and 34th across the Manchester local area set used. This reflects solid performance, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The headline metrics sit in a similar space. The Attainment 8 score is 45.5, and the Progress 8 figure is -0.29. EBacc average point score is 4.1, and 21.5% achieved grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure.

What that tends to mean for families is that outcomes are neither extreme nor volatile on the available dataset. The school’s performance profile points to a broadly typical comprehensive picture, with some students doing very well, while overall progress is an area that warrants attention in how teaching is delivered day to day. The right question to ask on a visit is not “is the curriculum ambitious”, it is “how consistently is that ambition translated into lessons across subjects and classes”.

Parents comparing local options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to benchmark these GCSE indicators against nearby schools serving the same age range, rather than relying on reputation alone.

A clear positive is that the curriculum is presented as intentionally broad through Key Stage 3, then more personalised through Key Stage 4. The school describes a five-year curriculum model, with a wide subject range in Years 7 to 9, followed by a more bespoke approach via options in Years 10 and 11. This matters because, in large schools, the most effective route to strong outcomes is usually clarity and sequencing, pupils should know what they are learning, why it matters, and how it connects across years.

The most recent external evidence describes subject leaders having overhauled curriculums in recent years and having thought carefully about what pupils need to learn, and when. Assessment strategies are described as being used to check learning and address misconceptions. The practical implication is that students who respond well to structured teaching and regular feedback should find a consistent framework.

The main teaching and learning caveat is also clear. The same evidence highlights that, in some subjects, staff do not always choose the most appropriate activities to build understanding, which can limit how well some pupils remember prior learning. For parents, that is a prompt to ask about how the school supports teacher development, how it checks lesson quality across departments, and how it ensures knowledge is retained over time rather than being learned for the next test.

Reading is an area where the school is described as having strong systems. Students who find reading difficult are supported by trained staff, and reading for pleasure is promoted through form times and the library. In a secondary setting, this is not a soft add-on, it directly affects progress in most GCSE subjects, particularly humanities, science, and written coursework options.

As an 11 to 16 school, Fred Longworth’s “destinations” conversation is primarily about post 16 transition rather than A-level results on site. The school is explicit about preparing pupils for further education, training, or employment, and the most recent external evidence points to high-quality impartial careers guidance and Year 10 work experience placements.

For families, the implication is that you should judge the school partly by how well it prepares students for the next step well before Year 11. Useful questions include: how early careers education begins, how options are guided in Year 9, what work experience looks like in practice, and how the school supports applications to sixth form colleges, apprenticeships, or vocational routes.

If your child is likely to need additional support in transition, it is worth exploring how the Inclusion team coordinates with post 16 providers and what information is shared, especially for students with SEND, where the evidence suggests needs are identified quickly and staff are trained to support individual access to the intended curriculum.

Admissions for Year 7 are coordinated through Wigan Council, rather than directly with the school, and families should treat the local authority timetable as the non-negotiable spine of the process.

For September 2026 entry (students in Year 6 in September 2025), the published timetable was: applications opened 12 September 2025, the closing date was 31 October 2025, and offers were issued on 2 March 2026 (the next working day after 1 March). Appeals for that cycle were due by 30 March 2026, with hearings scheduled across May to June 2026.

Open evenings in the borough typically sit in the autumn term. For the September 2026 cycle, the local authority booklet listed the school’s open evening as 25 September 2025 with multiple headteacher addresses that evening. Families looking ahead to September 2027 entry should expect a similar pattern, autumn open evenings and an autumn application deadline, and should check the school calendar and the local authority admissions pages for the exact dates for their year.

If you are shortlisting, the Saved Schools feature is a practical way to track deadlines, open events, and your comparison set, especially in areas where multiple schools are viable within a reasonable commute.

Pastoral support is presented as a core part of the school’s offer, not a bolt-on. Public materials describe form tutors staying with groups over time, and the prospectus positions this as part of a “family” model that aims to keep students safe, known, and supported.

External evidence reinforces a picture of students feeling safe, staff responding to concerns, and bullying being dealt with effectively. The practical implication is that parents should expect clear lines of communication when issues arise, and a behaviour culture that prioritises calm learning spaces rather than tolerating disruption as inevitable in a large comprehensive.

Support for SEND is also described in operational terms, not just as an aspiration. Needs are identified quickly on entry, staff receive training, and pupils with SEND are included in wider school activities. For families, that suggests the right next step is a detailed conversation about the specific type of support your child needs, what is delivered in class versus through interventions, and how progress is tracked.

The school makes the arts a defining pillar, and it does so with specifics rather than generic claims. The prospectus references performance opportunities and named strands such as Rock School, choir, brass bands and orchestra, with links to organisations including the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Hallé Orchestra. Even allowing for the age of that prospectus, the detail signals an identity where performance is not peripheral.

The most recent inspection evidence adds concrete examples of what that looks like for students, including participation in dance and musical performances such as Grease, plus trips and visits including the theatre and outdoor residential centres in the Lake District. The implication for parents is that students who gain confidence through performance, trips, and practical experiences are likely to find plenty to opt into, which can be particularly valuable for students who are not motivated solely by exams.

Co-curricular choice is also visible in the school’s club listings. Alongside mainstream sports and creative options, the school publishes a set of clubs that includes STEM Club, Debate Club, DT Club, Lego Club, Knit and Natter, and Printshop Press (English), plus regular homework club provision. That variety matters because it gives different kinds of students a route to belonging, not just those who want to play team sport.

There is also evidence of a structured rewards and participation model. Behaviour documentation describes Enrichment Points linked to club attendance, with end of term rewards, which is a practical mechanism for nudging students to engage beyond lessons.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for normal secondary costs such as uniform, trips, and optional extras, and should ask the school for a clear outline of what is essential versus optional.

The school has previously communicated changes to the timing of the school day from late February 2024. Families should check the most current published school day schedule and term calendar for exact start and finish times, and for any revisions across the year.

For travel, the school serves Tyldesley and surrounding areas, so practical considerations include bus and car drop-off routines, and the realism of walking or cycling depending on your exact location. The school provides travel related guidance in its public information for families; it is worth aligning your commute plan with the school day structure and after school clubs if your child is likely to attend regularly.

• Outcomes sit in the middle of the England distribution. The GCSE ranking places the school within the middle 35% of schools in England. For many families that is perfectly appropriate, but it means you should focus on whether your child thrives in a large comprehensive setting with structured systems, and whether subject by subject teaching quality feels consistent.

• Consistency of classroom activity is a known improvement point. The latest external evidence highlights that, in some subjects, activity choice does not always build understanding as well as it could, which can affect retention. Families should ask how this is being addressed through training, curriculum checks, and lesson coaching.

• Large school dynamics. With capacity around 1,275, year groups are likely to be sizeable. That can be excellent for breadth of friendships and clubs, but it places extra value on the form tutor system and how quickly issues are picked up.

• No sixth form on site. Students will need a clear plan for post 16 routes. The school highlights careers guidance and work experience, but families should still engage early, especially if your child is considering vocational pathways or apprenticeships.

Fred Longworth High School presents as a structured, large 11 to 16 comprehensive where belonging is treated as an operational priority, not a slogan. GCSE outcomes sit squarely in the middle range for England on this dataset, while external evidence points to calm behaviour, strong safeguarding culture, and purposeful work on curriculum sequencing.

Best suited to families who want a mainstream local secondary with a clear pastoral framework, strong participation routes through arts and clubs, and a practical focus on preparing students for post 16 transition.