Glebe Farm School Review 2026: A new all-through with elite primary outcomes

Glebe Farm School is a recently opened all-through free school in Bow Brickhill, on the south east edge of Milton Keynes, designed to grow with a fast-developing community. It welcomed its first pupils in September 2022, and sits within the Inspiring Futures through Learning multi-academy trust.

The headline story so far is at primary level. On the most recent published Key Stage 2 measures the school posts exceptionally high attainment, including a 91.7% combined expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Admissions demand also looks strong, with both Reception and Year 7 routes oversubscribed in the latest application cycle shown here. With secondary cohorts still working through Key Stage 3 and early Key Stage 4, the review is strongest on culture, curriculum design, and early outcomes, rather than long-run GCSE evidence.

A defining feature is that this is a purpose-built, modern school created as an all-through from the outset, rather than a primary that later grew or a secondary that added a primary phase. The school describes itself as a fossil-free new build, and positions its identity around Ambition, Belonging, and Creativity as curriculum drivers.

The values language is unusually specific for a young school, and it shows up across multiple parts of the published material. The five core values are Integrity, Responsibility, Endeavour, Bravery, and Empathy. These are used not only as display statements but also as the backbone for rewards and expectations, giving pupils and students a shared vocabulary for daily choices.

A helpful clue to the social design is the house structure for older students. Four houses are named Khan, Blyth, Thunberg, and Attenborough, with house points linked directly to work habits and to visible demonstration of the school’s values. For families, this matters because it creates a simple framework for belonging in a school that is growing quickly year on year.

Leadership stability is also a strong early signal. The headteacher is Matthew Shotton, and published school material states he was appointed in May 2021, which fits the timeline of opening and rapid expansion.

Primary outcomes (Key Stage 2)

The primary data here is striking, and unusually complete for a young, expanding school.

• In 2024, 91.7% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with the England average of 62%.

• At the higher standard, 37.7% achieved the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%.

• Average scaled scores are also high: 110 in reading, 110 in maths, and 114 in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Rankings reinforce the same message. Ranked 150th in England and 1st in Milton Keynes for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits among the highest-performing in England (top 2%).

For parents comparing options locally, the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool can help you view these primary measures alongside nearby schools on a like-for-like basis.

Secondary outcomes (GCSE)

Published GCSE performance measures are not yet available. As of the May 2025 inspection, the school’s oldest year group was Year 9, which explains why GCSE outcome measures have not yet become established.

The implication is simple. Families considering the school primarily for secondary should weigh culture, curriculum, staffing, and the quality of teaching signals more heavily than exam track record, at least until the first full cohorts reach Year 11 and results are published consistently.

An all-through model only pays off if the curriculum has been built for continuity. Glebe Farm School is explicit about that intent, including a stated aim of longitudinal monitoring of pupils’ strengths and areas for development within the 2 to 16 structure.

At primary level, the strongest evidence is in outcomes, but the surrounding structures are also clear. The published school day includes time for enrichment after the main finish, which matters because it signals that “wider learning” is planned rather than bolted on.

At Key Stage 3, the curriculum model is laid out in subject-hour allocations across Years 7 to 9. English and maths are allocated four hours per week; science has three; humanities and languages have sustained time; and there is continued space for computer science, creative subjects, and physical education. For families, this is a useful indicator of balance, particularly in a new school where it is easy for curriculum breadth to drift during growth.

The school also uses “crew time” as a daily structural feature in the upper school timetable, alongside assemblies and personal, social, health and economic education. It is a practical approach to pastoral consistency, and it matters because it builds routines and relationships as the school expands and new students join each year.

Because this is an all-through school to age 16, there are two important transition points for families.

First is the internal move from Year 6 into Year 7. The advantage here is continuity: children do not have to reset into a completely new institution at 11, and families can benefit from stable routines, consistent behaviour expectations, and (when well managed) a clearer sense of progression in skills and knowledge.

Second is the post-16 transition. With no sixth form at the school, students move on after GCSEs to sixth forms and colleges across Milton Keynes and surrounding areas. This can suit families who want wider sixth-form choice, including different academic and vocational pathways, but it does mean that the school experience ends at 16, not 18.

For younger pupils and parents thinking ahead, the key question is whether you want an all-through experience up to GCSE, followed by a deliberate, fresh start for post-16, rather than the single-institution journey through A-level.

Admissions are coordinated by Milton Keynes City Council for both Reception and Year 7 in the normal admissions round.

Reception entry

For September 2026 entry, the school states that applications must be submitted by 15 January 2026, with offers released on 16 April 2026.

Demand indicators point to competition. In the latest Reception cycle shown here, there were 218 applications for 87 offers, meaning 2.51 applications per place. The first-preference pressure is also clear, with a 1.43 ratio of first preferences to offers, and the route is described as oversubscribed.

Year 7 entry

For September 2026 entry, the school states a closing date of 31 October 2025, with offers released on 2 March 2026.

The latest Year 7 demand data here is even tighter: 472 applications for 140 offers, or 3.37 applications per place, also oversubscribed.

Nursery provision

Nursery provision is part of the school, and the published materials describe a nursery for three-year-olds.

Session structures are published, including morning, afternoon and full-day patterns during term time, and this can suit working families who want predictable weekly routines. Specific nursery pricing varies and is best checked directly via the school’s nursery information pages.

Pastoral systems appear designed to scale. The school describes layered support that includes crew leads, inclusion staff, mentors, teaching assistants, and external professionals where appropriate. The “no student is anonymous” framing is important in an all-through context because rapid growth can otherwise dilute relationships.

The house system, plus crew time built into the day, are practical ways to keep older students known well, not just managed. For students, it also creates predictable points of contact, which can reduce stress, especially for those who join the school after it has already grown.

A further pastoral choice that will matter to some families is the approach to mobile phones. The published guidance indicates that phones should not be used during the school day, and that phones seen or switched on may be confiscated. For some families this is a relief; others will want to talk through travel and contact arrangements, particularly for students commuting independently.

Safeguarding culture is a key trust signal. Ofsted’s May 2025 inspection confirms a very strong picture across the judgement areas, including early years provision.

An all-through school can easily become “busy” rather than truly enriched, so the detail matters. Glebe Farm School builds enrichment into the formal day, with after-school enrichment windows listed for both lower school and upper school.

For older students, published examples show clubs that are more distinctive than generic lists. The early newsletter material includes:

• Glebe Voices, a lunchtime singing group focused on learning songs for events and assemblies

• Debate Society, structured as an after-school activity

• Mindfulness and wellbeing drawing club at lunchtime

• Board Games Club after school

• Football club and basketball club, using the sports facilities available on site

Leadership opportunities are also more concrete than a typical “student voice” statement. The school describes reading ambassadors who support peer reading and take part in activities linked to national book awards, and a model where school council activity runs through projects and surgeries in crew time. That is the kind of detail that tends to make student leadership feel real rather than ceremonial.

Facilities support the enrichment offer. The lettings information provides a useful inventory of sports and performance spaces, including a floodlit 3G pitch, a sports hall with cricket nets and motorised basketball hoops, a dance studio with mirrored walls and ballet barres, and multiple multi-use games areas. For pupils and students, that breadth increases the chances that sport, movement and performance remain accessible even as the roll grows.

Start and finish times differ by phase. Lower school gates open at 8.40am with a 3.30pm finish; upper school gates open at 8.20am with a 3.10pm end to the formal day, followed by enrichment and extended learning options.

Wraparound care is clearly laid out. Breakfast club starts at 7.30am, and after-school provision runs until 6.00pm, with a structured “Active Hour” element and rotating activities across the week. Charges are published for breakfast sessions.

If you are relying on wraparound regularly, it is worth reading the booking expectations and the activity structure carefully, as it is positioned as both childcare and wider provision rather than a simple holding space.

Travel is a live issue for a growing community school. The school’s published FAQs note 298 parking spaces on site (including visitor and drop-off spaces), with main access off Burney Drive.

Public transport links are best checked against current timetables, but Milton Keynes bus mapping indicates routes serving the Glebe Farm area, which supports non-car commuting for older students.

• Secondary track record is still emerging. With GCSE cohorts not yet established, families choosing the school primarily for Year 7 should be comfortable judging quality through culture, staffing, curriculum design, and inspection evidence, rather than exam outcomes.

• Competition for places. Demand is high in both Reception and Year 7 cycles shown here, with applications materially exceeding offers, so admission is the constraint rather than appetite.

• A longer day for older students. The timetable includes structured crew time and an enrichment window after the formal finish, which can be excellent for breadth, but it does mean later pick-ups for some families and more after-school organisation.

• Mobile phone expectations. The published approach is restrictive during the school day. For students travelling independently, agree a practical plan for contact and contingencies.

Glebe Farm School looks like a high-expectations, carefully designed all-through that has made an unusually strong start at primary level, and it has backed that with a coherent values framework, clear curriculum intent, and facilities that support a broad school day. Ofsted’s May 2025 judgements provide further confidence, especially for a young school still scaling up.

Who it suits: families who want an all-through community school with strong primary attainment, structured routines, and a values-led culture, and who are comfortable with secondary exam evidence still bedding in as cohorts move towards GCSE. The main hurdle is getting a place.