Selston High School Review 2026, a values-led 11–16 secondary serving Selston and the surrounding villages

A school that puts routines, relationships, and recognition front and centre. Selston High School’s public language is clear, its expectations are explicit, and the culture is built around four core values: Ambition, Teamwork, Honesty and Respect.

Leadership is stable. David Broomhead has been headteacher since September 2022, and the leadership structure is clearly presented to families, including named responsibility for safeguarding and inclusion.

The most recent Ofsted inspection (23–24 April 2025; published 09 June 2025) confirmed the school has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

For families, the practical appeal is straightforward. This is a state school with no tuition fees, and admissions for Year 7 are coordinated by Nottinghamshire County Council for the normal September transfer round.

The strongest clue to what day-to-day life feels like is the consistency of the school’s own framing. The language of values is not just a poster set. It appears across culture pages, reward systems, and student development initiatives. Ambition is described as maximising potential; Teamwork is framed as effort paired with kindness and humility; Honesty is about being open on strengths and areas to develop; Respect is positioned as the baseline that ensures everyone feels valued.

That emphasis on clear expectations runs into the operational routines too. The “Ready to Learn” approach is presented as a set of repeatable routines designed to help students be more successful in school and study. For parents, that usually translates into fewer grey areas: students understand what preparation looks like, what entering a classroom looks like, and what meeting the standard looks like.

There is also a visible theme of recognition. The Selston Pledge Award is the school’s own structure for acknowledging achievement beyond a narrow academic lens, with categories spanning Academic, Creative, Leadership, Voluntary, Sport and Vocational. This matters because it signals what the school wants students to talk about at home. A well-designed recognition system tends to reduce the sense that only one type of success “counts”, especially in an 11–16 setting where confidence can wobble in Year 8 and Year 9.

The headteacher’s welcome message reinforces the same priorities: relationships first, kindness paired with consistency, and a purposeful learning environment that prepares students for a successful future. Taken together, the culture reads as structured rather than laissez-faire. That can suit students who do best with predictability and transparent boundaries.

It is important to read Selston’s published outcomes in context. This is a comprehensive 11–16 school serving a defined local area; it is not selective and it does not have a sixth form.

On the FindMySchool GCSE outcomes ranking, Selston High School is ranked 3055th in England and 41st in Nottingham (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places performance below the England average, in the lower band of schools nationally.

The attainment picture includes an Attainment 8 score of 39.1 and an EBacc average point score of 3.36. The EBacc measure is below the England average of 4.08 and the percentage achieving grades 5 or above across EBacc is shown as 9.3.

Progress is a key signal for parents because it speaks to what happens after intake, not just who arrives at the door. Selston’s Progress 8 score is -0.41, which indicates that, on average, students make less progress than similar students nationally across their secondary years.

What does that mean in plain terms. It does not mean a child cannot do well here. It does mean the school’s most pressing improvement work is likely to be around consistency of progress across subjects and groups, particularly for students who need strong scaffolding, rapid catch-up, or consistently effective feedback.

For parents comparing nearby options, the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool can help you view these measures side-by-side with other local secondaries, and do so on the same basis rather than by reputation alone.

Selston provides useful public detail on how learning is organised, which is often a proxy for how coherent teaching feels to students. The curriculum materials describe a structured approach that links to the school mission, and the school gives concrete examples of how time is allocated at Key Stage 4, including setted teaching for core subjects and a requirement that at least one option is Geography or History.

The ICT and computing curriculum page is also unusually specific about enrichment pathways. It references Coding Computing Club, Lego Robotics, the Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA), and participation in the Oxford University Bebras Challenge. These are not generic labels. They suggest a deliberate attempt to build problem-solving habits and digital confidence beyond timetabled lessons, which can be particularly valuable for students who learn best by making and testing.

Support and intervention also appear in a practical, scheduled form. For example, the school has described after-school revision sessions running 3pm to 4pm, led by subject specialists and open to students. For Year 11 families, that matters because it indicates the school is trying to reduce the “revision is on you” feeling that can develop in the spring term.

Because Selston is 11–16, the key transition point is post-16. The school’s careers information is framed around building awareness of opportunities, improving understanding of routes into work, and supporting students as they move through key stages into post-16 and beyond, including careers fairs and mock interviews.

For parents, the practical implication is that you should treat Year 9 and Year 10 as planning years, not just GCSE selection years. Students who want a traditional A-level route will need to apply to a sixth form or sixth form college, while students who prefer a technical pathway may prioritise vocational programmes, apprenticeships, or mixed programmes. Selston’s emphasis on employability standards and structured careers activity suggests the school wants those decisions to be explicit rather than last-minute.

If your child is aiming for a specific post-16 institution, you should check entry requirements early and build that into GCSE option choices and support plans. This is also where an honest conversation about travel time becomes important, because post-16 options may require a daily commute beyond the immediate Selston area.

For Year 7 entry, admissions are coordinated by Nottinghamshire County Council up to the start of the academic year. The school explicitly advises families that it is a popular local choice, and it provides a clear outline of the standard secondary transfer timetable, including the coordinated scheme opening date, the national closing date, the national offer date, and the appeals timeline.

For September 2026 secondary transfer across Nottinghamshire, the county council lists: applications open 4 August 2025, the on-time closing date 31 October 2025, and National Offer Day 2 March 2026.

These dates are the anchor points families should work back from. If you are moving house, you need to align purchase, tenancy, or proof-of-address timelines with admissions evidence requirements.

Selston also sets out how in-year admissions work. In-year applications are made directly to the school, and families are typically advised whether a place can be offered within ten school days, and at the latest within fifteen school days. The school also describes transition staffing for new starters, including a named transition coordinator and SENCO support during transition.

Parents who are trying to understand local priority and distance effects should use the FindMySchool Map Search to measure from the school gate to your home precisely. Even where a school serves a defined area, distance patterns can shift year to year because the distribution of applicants changes.

Pastoral structures are strongly tied to the house system. Selston describes the house model as central to enrichment, competition, and charity events, with a House Championship and a wide set of participation opportunities. While the house names and identity are part of the school’s tradition, the parent-facing implication is simpler: houses often provide a smaller “home base” inside a larger secondary. That tends to help students feel known, especially in the first year of transition.

Safeguarding information is direct and prominent. The school frames safeguarding as a core responsibility and describes its process for responding to concerns, including escalation to external agencies where necessary. For parents, the most useful action is to ask, during a visit or transition meeting, how reporting works for students and how students are taught to use reporting routes confidently.

The headteacher’s published view also points to the kind of behaviour standard families should expect: kindness and consistency, a purposeful environment, and a belief that there are no shortcuts to a high-quality education. That combination often signals that the school is trying to reduce low-level disruption and create calmer classrooms, which is particularly important for students who struggle with distraction.

Extracurricular life is best understood as three linked strands: enrichment activities, student development recognition, and subject-linked extension.

First, enrichment. The school’s enrichment and sports information is specific about activities offered at lunch and after school, including trampolining, boccia, rugby, basketball, badminton, athletics and dance, and it also notes sports leadership opportunities where students work with local primaries to help organise tournaments. The implication is that sport is positioned as participation plus leadership, not just team selection. That can suit students who are not the strongest performers but enjoy responsibility and coaching.

Second, the Selston Pledge Award. This is the school’s structured programme for recognising achievement across six categories, with staged levels such as bronze through platinum. In practice, a framework like this helps students build a portfolio of sustained commitment. For Year 10 and Year 11 students, it can also provide talking points for college interviews, apprenticeship applications, or part-time job interviews, particularly when the student can evidence leadership or voluntary activity rather than simply stating an interest.

Third, subject-linked extension, particularly in computing. Coding Computing Club, Lego Robotics, the Digital Enterprise Award (iDEA), and participation in the Oxford University Bebras Challenge point to a STEM pathway that is accessible to a range of starting points. Bebras, in particular, is designed around computational thinking rather than advanced coding skill. For students who enjoy puzzles and logic, it can be a confidence builder.

Finally, it is worth noting that Selston’s wider news stream regularly highlights trips, challenges, and themed events, which suggests the school is consciously building shared experiences alongside lessons. That is often what shapes a student’s sense of belonging in Years 7 to 9.

The school day is clearly set out. Students are expected on site for 08:25, with tutor time from 08:30, five lessons across the day, and the day ending with tutor period or PSHE up to 15:00. The school states it is open to students for 32.5 hours per week.

Transport information is unusually detailed, including school-organised bus services and ticket arrangements. For September 2025, the school states prices are being held at £40 for a book of 20 tickets, and it describes specific routes and providers, alongside guidance for travel assistance eligibility through Nottinghamshire County Council for some areas.

Because this is a secondary school, wraparound childcare is not typically offered in the way it is at primary level. However, Selston does describe scheduled after-school academic support such as revision sessions running 3pm to 4pm for older students, which can help working families plan, particularly in Year 11.

• Progress is an improvement priority. A Progress 8 score of -0.41 indicates students, on average, make less progress than similar students nationally across Key Stage 4. Families should ask how subject intervention, literacy support, and attendance routines are used to close gaps, particularly for students who need structured catch-up.

• No sixth form. Students move on after Year 11, which is normal for many Nottinghamshire secondaries, but it does mean post-16 planning should begin early. Visit likely providers, confirm entry requirements, and ensure GCSE options keep doors open.

• Transport can be a real planning variable. The school provides its own bus service arrangements with ticketing and specific routes. That is helpful, but families should still stress-test the daily routine, including weather, service changes, and the cost over a full year.

• Admissions is calendar-driven. Secondary transfer for September 2026 has a countywide closing date of 31 October 2025 and offers on 2 March 2026. Missing the deadline can reduce choice, so families should treat it as non-negotiable.

Selston High School reads as a structured, values-led community school with a strong focus on routines, recognition, and clear expectations. Leadership stability since 2022, a well-defined school day, and visible enrichment pathways (particularly in computing and the Pledge Award) provide a coherent offer for local families.

Who it suits: students who benefit from predictable routines, adults who set clear boundaries, and a culture where achievement is recognised across academic, vocational, creative, and leadership domains. The central question for many families is likely to be progress and outcomes, and whether the school’s improvement work aligns with what their child needs to thrive through Key Stage 4.