Catmose College Review 2026: Outstanding 11 to 16 academy with a distinctive enrichment programme

A strong secondary option for families in and around Oakham, with an academic profile built on high expectations and consistent routines. Ranked 1,157th in England and 2nd in Oakham for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), it sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), while remaining one of the stronger local choices. The March 2024 Ofsted inspection rated the College Outstanding across all areas.

Daily practicalities look unusually purposeful. Students can enter from 8.00am, lessons begin at 8.40am, and the on-site library is open before and after the formal day, which matters for pupils who benefit from quiet study time or structured support.

Catmose’s identity is tied to routines and clarity, rather than slogans. The College formalises “Routines for Learning” as shared expectations for punctuality, equipment, classroom conduct, and respect, with tutors reinforcing these behaviours consistently. That tends to suit students who like structure and predictability, particularly in the transition from primary school to Year 7.

Leadership is stable. Stuart Williams is the Principal, and is also Executive Principal within the Rutland and District Schools’ Federation. A governor biography within the federation context states he was Principal of Catmose College from 2008.

The wider organisational context matters for families thinking beyond Year 11. Catmose is part of a group that includes Catmose Primary and Harington School, and Rutland’s secondary admissions booklet describes Catmose as a feeder to Harington School for post-16 study.

Catmose’s published GCSE indicators show a clearly positive progress story, which is often the most meaningful signal for parents. The Progress 8 score is 0.5, indicating students make above-average progress from their starting points across eight subjects.

On attainment, the Attainment 8 score is 52.4. The EBacc average point score is 4.72, compared with an England average of 4.08, suggesting stronger-than-average performance across the core academic suite for those entered.

In FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes table, Catmose is ranked 1,157th in England and 2nd in Oakham. That places results broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England, while still being highly competitive in the immediate area.

A helpful way to interpret this mix is that Catmose combines local strength with a results profile that is solid across the full cohort. The progress measure points to effective teaching and intervention, not only strong outcomes for the highest attainers.

Parents comparing nearby schools should use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages and the Comparison Tool, because that is the fastest way to keep like-for-like measures (including Progress 8) consistent across options.

The academic model is designed to be broad, planned, and deliberate about study habits. The College sets clear expectations for prep, and provides structured access to facilities that make homework more manageable. Students can access the library from 8.00am, and it stays open until 5.00pm every day except Friday, when it closes at 4.30pm.

Prep expectations are also made explicit by key stage. As a guide, Key Stage 3 students can expect about 30 minutes per subject per week, and Key Stage 4 students at least one hour per subject, which is a meaningful step up in workload for families to plan around.

A defining teaching-and-learning feature is the way enrichment is built into the weekly rhythm rather than treated as optional. Wednesday afternoons include a dedicated block for Electives and, where needed, intervention, which often supports both breadth and targeted academic catch-up in a single timetable structure.

Catmose is an 11 to 16 school, so every family should plan for a post-16 transition. Rutland’s 2026 secondary admissions booklet positions Catmose as a feeder to Harington School, which provides post-16 provision in the county.

For many families, that creates a clear pathway: strong GCSE preparation at Catmose, then sixth form decisions made at 16 with a wider set of provider choices. The practical implication is that Year 10 and Year 11 options, careers education, and GCSE subject outcomes carry extra weight, because there is no sixth form safety net on-site.

Year 7 applications are Local Authority coordinated, and the key deadline is clear. For September 2026 entry, Rutland sets the closing date as 31 October 2025, and Catmose reiterates that deadline for Year 7 admissions.

Offer timing is also specific for this cycle. Rutland states the national offer day for 2026 is 2 March 2026 (because 1 March 2026 is not a working day).

Demand is strong, and published admission number (PAN) planning is important context. Rutland’s booklet lists Catmose’s PAN for September 2026 as 240. It also reports 277 first preferences for September 2025 entry, which signals that oversubscription pressure is real even before second and third preferences are considered.

Oversubscription criteria are set out in the Rutland booklet summary and include priority for children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, then looked-after children, siblings, Catmose Primary as the feeder school, children of staff (in defined circumstances), and then distance.

Because distance can become decisive, families should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their precise home-to-school distance and avoid relying on informal estimates, especially in years where first preferences exceed PAN.

Open events also appear in Rutland’s cycle information. Rutland lists an open evening scheduled for Wednesday 1 October 2025, 5.30pm to 7.30pm, as part of the September 2026 entry process.

Pastoral systems are presented as multi-layered. The Form Tutor remains the first point of contact, and a dedicated Client Services team supports liaison with families and helps address attendance, behaviour, and health issues that affect learning.

The internal structure is unusually explicit for a mainstream secondary. The welcome booklet names a Pastoral Manager, an Assistant Pastoral Manager, and a Designated Safeguarding Lead, which suggests a defined safeguarding and welfare infrastructure rather than a single over-stretched pastoral post.

The Ofsted report also confirmed safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Pastoral culture connects back to routines. The same “Routines for Learning” language covers respect, contribution, and preparedness, which helps pupils understand that behaviour expectations are tied to learning rather than punishment.

Catmose makes enrichment a structural feature rather than an optional add-on, mainly through its Electives programme. Students choose short courses, and the published Electives booklet shows breadth across creative, cultural, and physical domains. Examples include CSI Catmose, Astronomy, Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer and other war games, Go Wild, GeoGuessr, and Sign language, alongside physical options such as Girls’ touch rugby, Trampolining, and Yoga.

This variety matters because it supports different kinds of confidence-building. A student who is not the first to volunteer an answer in maths can still become highly visible in a structured elective such as coding, creative making, or strategy games, and that can change how they see school. The electives booklet also notes that some options are chargeable and that financial aid is available for students eligible for free school meals, which is an important equity detail rather than a footnote.

Alongside Electives, Catmose runs the Catmose Challenge, an awards framework (Bronze, Silver, Gold) designed to record and recognise achievements across Arts, Cultural, and Physical categories. The College’s 2024 to 2025 transformation plan reports that 85% of students achieved Bronze, 32% Silver, and 11% Gold. For families, that is a useful indicator that participation is not limited to a small group of already-confident joiners.

For students who want formal leadership and adventure education, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is also a visible strand, and the wider extracurricular overview references educational visits including trips to France and Spain, skiing trips, and expeditions to Sumatra and Nepal.

Sport has its own structured pathway via a Sports Scholarship programme with tiered support, including mentoring, sports science support, training programmes, and free gym membership at the top level. That will appeal to students who are serious about performance and want coaching discipline built into school life rather than bolted on externally.

The formal day is clearly set out for families. Students can enter from 8.00am, lessons begin at 8.40am, and coaches depart daily at 3.50pm, except Wednesday when they leave at 2.40pm.

For travel, the College publishes two designated bus routes covering Melton Mowbray (RDSF 1) and Tilton, Hallaton, Middleton, and Uppingham (RDSF 2). Applications are usually posted by the end of June for the next academic year, and passes are issued first-come, first-served.

For students who benefit from staying on site, the library runs extended hours (open from 8.00am, until 5.00pm most days, and 4.30pm on Friday). That creates a practical study buffer for families managing buses, work commitments, or crowded home environments.

• No sixth form on site. The education offer ends at 16, so students must make a post-16 move. That suits confident planners, but some families prefer continuity through Year 13.

• Oversubscription is a real constraint. Rutland lists a PAN of 240 and reports 277 first preferences in the September 2025 cycle, which means admission can come down to criteria and distance rather than general fit.

• Some enrichment choices involve extra costs or logistics. The Electives programme includes chargeable options and some activities can finish later than the normal day, so families should review likely costs and transport impact early.

• Homework expectations rise sharply at Key Stage 4. The published guidance suggests at least one hour per subject per week in Years 10 and 11, which is manageable, but only if routines at home support it.

Catmose College is best understood as a structured, high-expectations 11 to 16 school where behaviour routines, a well-defined pastoral model, and a built-in enrichment timetable work together. It will suit students who respond well to clarity and consistency, and families who value a broad menu of cultural, creative, and physical options alongside solid academic progress. The main constraint is admissions competition, so the practical work is understanding criteria, deadlines, and transport early.