Guilsborough Academy Review 2026: A large rural secondary with a strengthening sixth form

There is a clear sense of scale here, an 11 to 18 academy with capacity for 1,412 pupils, serving Guilsborough and a wide rural area around Northampton. The day is tightly structured, with a morning registration at 08:45 and a 15:15 finish, which matters for families balancing transport and after school routines.

The most recent graded inspection (3 and 4 October 2023) resulted in Requires Improvement overall, with sixth form provision judged Good, so the story is not uniform across phases. A monitoring inspection carried out on 23 October 2024 recorded progress since that graded inspection, while also setting out priorities that still need work, particularly around consistency of behaviour expectations and SEND identification.

For families comparing local options, results sit in the middle performance band nationally. GCSE outcomes rank 1,831st in England (FindMySchool ranking), and A-level outcomes rank 1,403rd in England, both aligning with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

A school of this size lives or dies by routines. Guilsborough has clearly placed emphasis on common expectations, including a behaviour framework described in official monitoring as “The Guilsborough Way”, aimed at creating calmer social times and a more settled feel across the site. The same monitoring letter also makes the key point for parents reading between the lines, consistency is the challenge, not the idea of the system itself.

Leadership is clearly signposted on the academy’s own pages. Mr S. Frazer is the Principal, and the Principal’s welcome foregrounds two themes that shape daily experience, learning should be enjoyable and challenging, and the intake is fully comprehensive. That comprehensive intake matters in practice. Pupils arrive with a wide spread of starting points, so the best teaching tends to be explicit and well-scaffolded, and the strongest pastoral systems are those that spot issues quickly and respond early.

On student support, the academy’s published information highlights an organised wellbeing offer rather than a single headline initiative. The THRIVE approach is described as a trauma-sensitive, developmental model to help young people regulate emotions. Alongside this, the SEND support pages set out interventions that include Zones of Regulation, ELSA support, counselling, and Thrive as part of a broader menu.

At GCSE, the academy’s Attainment 8 score is 46.1. Progress 8 is -0.17, which indicates students make slightly less progress than similar pupils nationally from their starting points.

Rankings add useful context. Ranked 1,831st in England and 12th in Northampton for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), performance sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). At A-level, the pattern is similar: ranked 1,403rd in England and 8th in Northampton (FindMySchool ranking), again in the middle 35% band nationally.

For sixth form outcomes, grade distribution provides another lens. A* grades account for 2.7% of entries, A grades for 18.15%, and A* to B for 46.33%. The England average for A* to B is 47.2%, placing Guilsborough broadly in line with national patterns at post-16.

Parents comparing local schools can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to benchmark these figures against nearby alternatives in Northamptonshire, particularly where travel time is a deciding factor.

The monitoring inspection describes a school that has put energy into improving implementation, including professional development drawing on educational research, and a stronger approach to scaffolding in lessons. What this looks like in practice, when it is working well, is likely to be clearer explanations, more structured activities, and fewer pupils falling behind because they cannot access the task. The monitoring letter is equally clear that assessment practice and training need to embed more consistently for full impact.

Curriculum breadth is supported by a well-developed set of subject pages, including Key Stage 5 course information and subject specific entry criteria. The sixth form entry requirements published by the academy set a baseline of 3 GCSEs at grade 5 and 2 GCSEs at grade 4, including English and mathematics, with additional subject level criteria for many courses. This kind of transparency is helpful for families planning realistic pathways from Year 11 to Year 12, especially where a student’s strengths point clearly towards particular A-level or vocational routes.

The most concrete destination data available is the DfE 16 to 18 leaver destination dataset included here for the 2023/24 cohort. It indicates that 65% of leavers progressed to university, 24% entered employment, and 4% started apprenticeships.

For families interested in the most selective routes, Oxbridge data shows a small but real pipeline. Across the most recent reporting period, five students applied to Oxford or Cambridge, one received an offer, and one ultimately secured a place. This is not an Oxbridge factory, but it is enough to signal that high achieving students can find the academic coaching and reference support needed to compete.

The academy also publishes qualitative destination context, noting that around 70% typically go straight to university and that degree apprenticeship applications are a growing pathway, which aligns with the mixed destination picture in the official leaver dataset.

Admissions are coordinated through the local authority for Year 7, with the academy publishing the key dates families need for September 2026 entry. The secondary application deadline is midnight on 31 October 2025, and National Offer Day is 2 March 2026.

The academy also publishes a detailed transition programme for Year 6 families, including open events and structured touchpoints with partner primary schools. For 2026 entry, the academy advertised an Open Evening on Thursday 9 October 2025 (5pm to 8pm) plus a run of Open Mornings across mid to late October 2025. For families planning ahead, the month matters even when the exact dates change, open events typically cluster in October each year, and booking may be required.

Published demand data indicates 293 applications for 188 offers in the most recent cycle available here, which is consistent with the Principal’s statement that the academy is oversubscribed each year. With no published “last distance offered” figure available here, families should avoid assumptions about how far offers may extend and instead focus on the admissions criteria and realistic travel plans. FindMySchoolMap Search can help families model journeys and compare commutes across shortlisted schools, which is often more practical than relying on anecdotal catchment claims.

Sixth form admissions are managed directly by the academy, with published entry criteria and an admissions policy describing the position for internal and external applicants.

Pastoral systems are visible both in published wellbeing information and in inspection priorities. The academy describes THRIVE as a trauma-sensitive model designed to support emotional regulation and targeted interventions. SEND support materials list specific interventions such as Zones of Regulation, ELSA support, counselling, and social skills programmes, which gives parents a clearer picture than generic “support is available” language.

The monitoring inspection sets out two areas parents should take seriously when asking questions at open events or meetings. First, staff consistency in applying behaviour expectations. Second, identification and quality assurance of SEND provision so that pupils with unmet needs are picked up quickly and supported effectively.

The extra-curricular programme is one of the more distinctive published strengths, because it names a wide spread of clubs that go beyond the standard list. Options include Pride Club, Eco Club, Book Club, Chess Club, 3D Printing Club, and a Tabletop Gaming and RPG Club, alongside sport and arts provision. This matters for pupils who do not see themselves as “sporty” or “dramatic” but still need a reason to stay after school, meet peers, and build confidence.

Music and performance also appear structurally supported, with Choir and Rock Academy listed on the extra-curricular timetable, plus a Music Coursework Clinic for Year 11. That combination, enrichment plus coursework support, can be particularly helpful at key pressure points in Year 11 and Year 13, where time management and guided independent work often make the difference.

Outdoor learning and wider experiences are also emphasised. Duke of Edinburgh is presented as a significant offer, with the academy described as a DofE Directly Licensed Centre. Educational visit examples include a Year 7 induction visit to Caldecotte Xperience, Year 12 induction at Grafham Water, geography fieldwork in locations ranging from London to Snowdonia and Sicily, and science residential visits to Wales.

The published timings show a morning registration at 08:45, Period 1 beginning at 09:10, and dismissal at 15:15.

Open events and parent information evenings are scheduled through the year and, for prospective families, the academy’s published pattern places key Year 6 transition events in October. For transport, the academy publishes guidance on bus passes and refers families to local authority transport arrangements, including replacement pass information and expectations for allocated routes.

• Inspection trajectory and consistency. The graded inspection outcome in October 2023 was Requires Improvement, followed by a monitoring inspection in October 2024 noting progress but also highlighting areas still needing improvement, particularly consistency of behaviour standards and SEND identification.

• Progress 8 is slightly below average. A Progress 8 score of -0.17 suggests that, across the cohort, students make a little less progress than similar pupils nationally, so families may want to ask how support is targeted for pupils who are capable but need tighter academic structure.

• Oversubscription without published distance clarity. The academy describes itself as oversubscribed and the available demand data supports this. With no published “last distance offered” figure available here, it is important to treat travel and admissions criteria as practical constraints rather than assumptions.

• Sixth form is the stronger phase, but entry requirements matter. Sixth form provision was graded Good, yet progression into preferred courses depends on meeting published GCSE thresholds and subject-specific criteria.

Guilsborough Academy is a large, comprehensive secondary with a clearly improving narrative and a sixth form that stands out as the stronger phase in formal evaluation. The offer will suit families who want a broad curriculum, structured routines, and a genuinely wide extra-curricular menu that includes both creative and niche clubs, not only mainstream sport. Securing the right fit depends on how well the academy’s behaviour and SEND systems are applied consistently for the individual child, so families should use open events and transition contact points to test those questions early.