Shirebrook Academy Review 2026: A steadily improving 11 to 16 academy with a clear focus on behaviour, reading, and raising expectations

Shirebrook Academy sits in a rebuilding phase that has started to show through in external evidence. The most recent inspection, carried out on 29 and 30 April 2025, graded the academy Good across quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, and confirmed safeguarding is effective.

Leadership is stable, with Mrs Lindsey Burgin named as principal in the December 2022 inspection and again in April 2025. The academy day is structured around five one hour teaching periods starting at 08.30 and finishing at 15.00, with separate Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 tutor and lunch timings.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. The trade off is that school improvement and published outcomes do not always move at the same speed. The 2025 report explicitly draws a distinction between the quality of education current pupils receive and outcomes that have lagged behind, which is important context for families weighing the academy on results alone.

A useful way to understand the academy’s current character is to look at the two consistent threads running through official material: higher expectations, and routines that help pupils feel safe and ready to learn. The 2025 inspection describes a school that has continued to raise expectations for pupils’ achievement and behaviour, with calm and productive lessons as the norm and strong relationships between staff and pupils. Bullying is described as rare, and when it occurs it is addressed swiftly.

The academy is part of Aston Community Education Trust, and the trust context matters here because improvement work is described as trust connected, including shared practice and leadership capacity beyond the site. The principal’s own messaging reinforces a “next phase of development” narrative, explicitly referencing the academy joining the trust in 2017 and placing partnership with families high on the list of levers for improvement.

There is also a deliberate sense of belonging engineered through the House System. Every student is placed in one of three houses, Thornbridge, Hardwick, or Chatsworth, used to build teamwork, competition, and recognition over time. This matters for culture because, in a school focused on consistent routines, house identity can be an additional way of securing buy in for attendance, conduct, and participation beyond lessons.

Shirebrook’s headline performance picture is best read as “improving practice with outcomes still catching up”. On the FindMySchool GCSE performance table, the academy is ranked 2795th in England and 4th in Mansfield for GCSE outcomes (a proprietary FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

That rank places the academy below England average overall for GCSE outcomes, meaning many schools nationally achieve stronger headline results. In practical terms for parents, that does not automatically mean teaching is weak, it means the published measures have historically been an area of concern and should be interrogated carefully.

The current dataset shows an Attainment 8 score of 39.6 and a Progress 8 score of -0.34. A negative Progress 8 score indicates that, on average, pupils have made less progress between the end of primary and GCSE compared with pupils nationally with similar starting points. That is a key metric to watch because it reflects the “value added” story, not just raw grades.

EBacc entry and performance are a stated focus for the academy. The dataset records 13.7% achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc components, alongside an EBacc average point score of 3.44, compared with an England average of 4.08. The April 2025 inspection explicitly states that leaders are committed to increasing EBacc entry and achievement, which aligns with what the published figures suggest is needed.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view GCSE measures side by side and sense check whether the academy’s improvement story is translating into better outcomes year on year, especially for progress and EBacc.

The academy has made a visible design choice that affects day to day learning: Key Stage 3 is structured as a three year phase to embed core knowledge before starting the two year Key Stage 4 programme. This is presented as a deliberate move to secure stronger foundations for GCSE study.

Curriculum intent is framed in “sequencing” language, with content and skills mapped over time and revisited to support retention. The most recent inspection evidence broadly supports this direction. It describes a broad, well organised curriculum; clarity about what pupils should know and when; and teaching that checks understanding and addresses misconceptions.

Where the academy is still uneven is consistency across subjects. The 2025 inspection highlights that, in some areas, curriculum implementation is not consistent and key knowledge is not always prioritised, which affects pupils’ ability to recall important content. That is a practical “classroom level” issue, not just a policy issue. For families, the implication is to ask probing questions at open events about how subject leaders are supporting consistency, how teaching routines look across departments, and how the academy checks that pupils are retaining what they have been taught.

Reading is treated as a priority lever. The 2025 report describes carefully crafted additional support for pupils who need it, improved fluency and confidence, and staff training in “ERIC” reading strategies to help pupils access texts across the curriculum. This focus makes sense for a school aiming to improve outcomes at GCSE because reading access underpins performance across subjects, not only English.

Shirebrook Academy is an 11 to 16 provision, so the key transition is post 16. The most useful way to think about destinations here is the academy’s preparation work rather than statistics, because destination figures are not published in the provided dataset.

The inspection evidence points to careers provision that prepares pupils well for their next steps, and to a wider personal development offer designed to equip pupils for life in modern Britain. For parents, the practical question is how that translates into tangible guidance in Years 9 to 11: option choices, exposure to local colleges and sixth forms, and structured support for applications and interviews where relevant.

If you are comparing routes after Year 11, focus on three checks. First, ask how the academy supports different pathways, A level, vocational courses, apprenticeships, or employment with training. Second, ask how sustained the careers programme is across the whole year group rather than targeted pupils. Third, ask what happens for pupils who need a second chance in English and maths.

For September 2026 entry into Year 7, the academy’s published admission number is 170. The national closing date for secondary applications for that intake is 31 October 2025, and offers are released on National Offer Day, 1 March 2026.

Applications are coordinated through the relevant local authority, with Derbyshire residents applying via Derbyshire and families in Nottinghamshire applying via their home authority. The admissions document sets out a standard priority order including looked after and previously looked after children, defined medical need, catchment area priority, sibling priority, and distance measured as a straight line using geographic information system methodology.

The policy also lists associated primary schools linked to the academy for admissions purposes. Families who may be on the edge of catchment should treat distance as a moving target that changes year to year with demand patterns. The most reliable approach is to use a precise distance tool, then validate the address and priority category rules in the local authority guidance for the specific admissions year.

Pastoral strength is a recurring theme in the most recent inspection evidence. Pupils are described as known well by staff, safe, and confident that concerns will be listened to. Attendance is also treated as an improvement priority, with analysis of absence and structured support designed to increase attendance.

For pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, the inspection evidence is mixed but generally points in the right direction. Identification and interventions are described as improved and more expert, while some pupils do not consistently receive the precise support needed to learn the same curriculum as their peers. That nuance matters, it suggests systems are in place and improving, but practice may still vary.

The academy’s SEND information describes a set of targeted supports including a Homework Club for students who access inclusion, a nurture club for pupils who need additional social or emotional support, and “Circle of Friends” style support embedded through inclusion work.

The academy’s extracurricular offer has a clear “removal of barriers” flavour. Rather than positioning clubs as optional extras for a small group, the published approach links participation to belonging, attendance, and engagement in learning.

For academic support, Shirebrook runs “Boost Your Grade” sessions for exam year groups, delivered by subject specialists to deepen knowledge and help students feel exam ready. There is also an Independent Learning (Homework) Club open to all year groups, with device access and staff support for questions. For some families, this is an under appreciated practical benefit, it can reduce homework stress at home and give pupils a quieter space with adult support.

Music is one of the more clearly documented co curricular areas. The academy’s published music development summary lists ensemble and group opportunities including Wind Band, choirs, Ukulele Club, talent shows, and whole academy musicals. Instrumental and vocal tuition is delivered in partnership with Derbyshire Music Hub, with options listed including drums and percussion, guitar and bass guitar, woodwind, upper strings, and piano and keyboard. For pupils who respond well to structured rehearsal and performance goals, this can be a strong route to confidence and commitment, even when academic motivation is still developing.

The House System adds another layer to extracurricular life because it creates ready made teams for competitions, rewards, and trips, and makes it easier for new Year 7 pupils to feel part of something beyond their form group.

The academy day for 2024 to 2025 runs from 08.30 to 15.00, with five teaching periods and structured tutor time and lunch arrangements split by key stage.

Breakfast provision exists, with academy documentation referencing breakfast club initiatives as part of attendance strategy, and recruitment materials indicating breakfast club staffing. Transport is supported through published bus timetable information for the local area, which is particularly relevant for families travelling from across the wider Shirebrook catchment.

• Outcomes still lag behind improvement work. The most recent inspection explicitly notes that published outcomes do not align with the quality of education current pupils receive. That gap can close, but families should ask what has changed in Key Stage 4 delivery and intervention since the last exam season.

• Consistency across subjects remains a development area. Curriculum implementation is not yet even across all subjects, and recall of key knowledge is identified as weaker in some areas. For pupils who need predictable routines to learn well, ask how teaching expectations are standardised across departments.

• SEND support is improving, but precision matters. Identification and interventions are described as stronger, while some pupils do not yet get the exact support required to access the same curriculum as peers. Families of pupils with SEND should explore what classroom adjustments look like in practice, not only on paper.

• EBacc is a stated priority because current entry and performance are low. The academy is clear that it wants to increase EBacc entry and achievement. If your child is academically inclined, ask how option guidance supports ambitious subject choices without setting pupils up to struggle.

Shirebrook Academy is best understood as a school on an upward trajectory, with clear external validation of stronger day to day practice and behaviour, while published outcomes still reflect an earlier phase. It will suit families looking for a structured, routines led secondary with improving culture, strong attention to reading, and accessible academic support such as Homework Club and “Boost Your Grade” intervention. For families shortlisting on results alone, the key question is whether the current improvement work is now translating into GCSE outcomes at the pace you would hope for.