Lord Grey Academy Review 2026: Values-led, community secondary with sixth form

A large, mixed 11 to 19 secondary in Bletchley, Lord Grey Academy puts character education at the centre of daily routines, with a clear set of values and a points system that students understand and talk about. The school is part of Tove Learning Trust, and its current leadership structure has the Executive Principal role sitting above day-to-day leadership.

Academically, results sit close to the middle of the pack for GCSE outcomes when compared across England. The school’s GCSE performance ranks in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), while sixth form outcomes sit below England average. For many families, that combination points to a school that can work well for students who respond to structure, consistent routines, and support, especially where confidence and organisation are priorities.

The organising idea here is that behaviour, effort, and contribution are not side topics, they are part of how the school runs. The school’s values are presented as a practical framework for daily life, and the reward language is designed to be easy for students to use. In the most recent full inspection report, the values are described as taking hold steadily, and students are said to understand why they receive value points and what difference that behaviour makes.

There is also a clear message about aspiration without pretending every student wants the same destination. The inspection report highlights a culture where most pupils enjoy learning and can see progress through the curriculum, alongside a careers programme intended to help students choose the right next step rather than defaulting to the familiar. That can matter in a school of this size, where the best experience usually comes when routines are clear and students know what success looks like for them.

Leadership has had a defined shape since the academy joined Tove Learning Trust. The school’s own history page records the conversion to academy status on 01 April 2018, and the inspection report explains that the executive principal role began in September 2021, with the associate principal taking on day-to-day running. The school website and governance documents identify the Principal as Mrs Samantha Satyanadhan, with documentation showing her in post from 01 September 2021.

Lord Grey Academy’s GCSE outcomes sit around the middle of schools nationally on this dataset. Ranked 2633rd in England and 12th in Milton Keynes for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance reflects solid outcomes that are neither among the strongest nor the weakest when compared across England. This aligns with the school sitting in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile) for this measure.

Looking at the underlying GCSE indicators provided here, the average Attainment 8 score is 43 and Progress 8 is -0.1, which indicates slightly below average progress from starting points across the GCSE cohort. EBacc outcomes look like an area of relative weakness with 8.7% achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc, and an average EBacc APS of 3.76 compared with an England average of 4.08. This matters most for families prioritising languages and the full EBacc route, and it is also a useful clue about curriculum choices and take-up.

For sixth form outcomes, the picture is more challenging. Ranked 2521st in England and 11th in Milton Keynes for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this places the sixth form in the below-average tier on this dataset. The A-level grade distribution shown here is 0% A*, 3.66% A, 8.54% B, and 12.2% A* to B, compared with England averages of 23.6% A* to A and 47.2% A* to B. In practice, that tends to indicate that prospective sixth formers should pay close attention to course fit, subject support, and pathways beyond pure A-level routes, if offered.

Parents comparing schools locally can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view GCSE and sixth form outcomes side-by-side using the Comparison Tool, particularly helpful when weighing “good overall” schools that differ in subject mix and post-16 outcomes.

The curriculum description on the school site emphasises breadth at Key Stage 4, with students encouraged to keep humanities and a language in their mix where possible, alongside a range that includes vocational options such as Child Development and Health and Social Care. It also describes a route where students choose between Combined Science and Triple Science during Year 10.

In the most recent inspection report, the curriculum is described as well-considered and secure across most subjects, with subject leaders aiming to sequence the building blocks of knowledge in a way that helps pupils retain and connect learning over time. The report also points to some subjects and year groups where that sequencing was still being refined, with a clear implication, when sequencing is inconsistent, pupils’ learning does not build as effectively as it should. That is a useful prompt question for prospective families, ask how curriculum sequencing has been strengthened since 2022, and what training and monitoring supports consistent practice.

Homework and independent study are framed as a structured expectation rather than an optional add-on. The school’s revision and self-study guidance sets out a support model that includes a staffed Learning Resource Centre open daily from 8am to 4pm, plus a staffed self-study club run by the Inclusive Learning Faculty after school on most days. The practical implication is that students who benefit from a supervised place to work, or who need a consistent routine to complete tasks, have built-in options on site.

For many families, the most important destination question is not only “university or not”, but “does the school help students make a realistic, well-supported choice”. The most recent inspection report highlights careers information, advice, and guidance as planned and delivered successfully across the school, and it describes leaders encouraging students to move to the provider that best fits their aspirations.

Where published outcomes data is available here, the 2023 to 2024 leavers cohort is recorded as 76 students. Of these, 46% progressed to university, 30% went into employment, and 5% started apprenticeships. This suggests a mixed set of routes after sixth form, rather than a single dominant pathway.

For highly selective routes, the Oxbridge pipeline is small but present in the measurement period provided, with 2 applications and 1 acceptance, recorded under Cambridge. In a large, mixed comprehensive, one acceptance can still reflect meaningful individual support for very high attainers, but families should treat it as an occasional outcome rather than an established pipeline.

For Year 7 entry, Milton Keynes uses the co-ordinated admissions process, and the published timeline for September 2026 entry sets out a national closing date of 31 October 2025, with offers released on 02 March 2026. This is the key administrative backbone families should plan around.

Lord Grey Academy’s own admission arrangements for 2026 to 2027 set the Year 7 published admissions number at 250, with oversubscription criteria that prioritise (after children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school) looked after and previously looked after children, then siblings in Years 8 to 11 within the defined area, then other children living in the defined area, then specific children of staff, before moving to siblings out of area, children attending a primary school in the defined area, and finally other applicants. Where a category is oversubscribed, distance is used as the tie-breaker, measured in a straight line from the school’s front gate to the child’s home address using the local authority’s system.

The defined area is set out in the admissions document as Granby, Old Bletchley, Far Bletchley, and West Bletchley, with a specified list of roads in Furzton also included. The same document lists the primary schools in the defined area, which is useful for families trying to understand local priority pathways.

For appeals in the September 2026 cycle, the school’s admissions page lists Secondary Transfer Allocation Day as 02 March 2026 and an appeals deadline of 12 noon on 31 March 2026 for completed appeal forms.

Open events are best treated as seasonal patterns rather than fixed dates unless the current year’s calendar is published. Historic school materials and risk assessment documents show open evenings taking place in October in past years, so families can reasonably expect autumn open events, then should check the school’s current listing for the exact year.

The most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2022 judged the school Good, including the sixth form, and described positive working relationships between staff and pupils.

Support for students with special educational needs and disabilities comes through as a defined strength in the inspection report. It describes detailed staff understanding of pupils’ needs, with staff adapting learning well and ensuring inclusion, and it also highlights targeted reading support for those who arrive behind, plus school-wide encouragement of reading for pleasure and learning. The implication for families is that students who need structured support, particularly around literacy and learning strategies, may find a system that is deliberate rather than improvised.

Behaviour is presented as good overall, with one consistent caveat. The inspection report notes frustration among pupils about a small minority who resist expectations and disrupt learning, and it also points to inconsistency in application of behaviour management processes by some staff at that time. The practical question for parents is how consistently routines are now applied across classrooms and social time, and what monitoring sits behind that consistency.

A further important reassurance is safeguarding. The inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective, and it describes staff knowing what to look for, using processes when they have concerns, and working with external agencies where needed.

In a school of this scale, extracurricular life is often less about having hundreds of clubs every week, and more about whether participation is easy, visible, and well-linked to personal development. Lord Grey Academy connects extracurricular opportunities directly to its character education model, and several programmes recur across years.

There is strong evidence of structured enrichment at Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5. The school’s curriculum policy references an enrichment block embedded within the timetable, listing opportunities that include the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), Core Maths, Sports Leaders, Duke of Edinburgh, and a PSG Academy element. For students, the implication is that enrichment is intended to sit inside the week, not only after school, which can raise participation among those who have transport or caring constraints.

At Key Stage 3 and earlier secondary years, club provision appears to include a mix of academic support and interest-based activities. Historic school materials list language clubs including Chinese, plus ICT Club, Lego Club, and Book Club in the Learning Resource Centre. Student-facing transition guidance also references Art club and Duke of Edinburgh as options, with club timetables published at the start of each term. While specific clubs will vary year to year, the presence of both language and making-oriented options suggests a school that tries to provide more than sport-only enrichment.

The Learning Resource Centre plays a practical role in supporting both extracurricular and academic habits. The school’s self-study guidance sets out that the LRC is open daily from 8am to 4pm and is equipped with Chromebooks, alongside an Inclusive Learning Faculty self-study club that runs after school on most days. This combination can suit students who work best in a supervised environment and benefit from routine-based support.

The published school day runs from arrival at 8:00 to 8:40, with tutor time at 8:45, and an end of day at 15:15. The timetable includes five lessons plus morning break and lunch, with warning bells used to move students promptly to lessons.

After-school support is more clearly published than a traditional “wraparound care” offer. For families who need students to stay on site beyond the end of lessons for academic reasons, the school describes supervised self-study options, including an after-school self-study club on most days.

On transport, the school sits on Rickley Lane in Bletchley, and families typically rely on local bus networks and standard school travel planning. It is sensible to check current timetables and safe walking routes as part of the shortlist process, particularly for students travelling independently.

• Sixth form outcomes vary by route. The A-level outcomes sit below England average, so families considering sixth form should look closely at subject-by-subject support, course mix, and alternatives such as applied routes alongside A-levels.

• EBacc take-up and languages may be limited for some cohorts. The dataset shows low EBacc achievement at grade 5+, and the 2022 inspection report refers to historically low EBacc entry, with leaders seeking to increase participation. This can matter for students who want a strongly academic language pathway.

• Consistency of behaviour routines is an important question. The most recent full inspection praised behaviour overall while flagging disruption by a small minority and some inconsistency in staff application of processes at that time. Ask how routines are now embedded and monitored.

• A large school experience is not for every child. With a sizeable roll and sixth form, some students thrive on the breadth of peers and options, while others prefer a smaller setting with fewer transitions and less daily movement.

Lord Grey Academy offers a structured, values-led comprehensive education with clear routines, a substantial student body, and a sixth form that provides multiple post-16 routes. It is best suited to families who want a community school in Bletchley with visible character education, established SEND and literacy support, and a practical approach to careers and next steps.

The key decision point is post-16. For students aiming for highly competitive A-level outcomes, it is worth scrutinising subject support, pathway options, and the match between the student and the sixth form offer. Families interested in this option can use the FindMySchool Saved Schools feature to manage their shortlist, then compare likely alternatives across Milton Keynes before committing to a single route.