Uppingham Community College Review 2026: An oversubscribed Rutland secondary with calm standards and strong enrichment

Purposeful routines and an inclusive culture define this 11 to 16 secondary in Uppingham. The most recent formal inspection evidence describes a happy, caring school where behaviour is consistently well managed and safeguarding systems are effective.

Leadership has also recently changed. Mr David Anderson was appointed headteacher in September 2025, after senior leadership roles within the school. Families considering entry should treat admissions as the main variable. The local authority’s secondary admissions guide shows the school offering 180 places for September 2025 entry, with first preferences alone exceeding that figure, which is a practical indicator of competition for places.

The school’s tone is best understood through its core expectations. Kindness, honesty and respect are consistently presented as the social baseline, not a poster slogan. That matters in a large 11 to 16 setting because it gives staff and students shared language for conduct, relationships and repair when things go wrong.

Pastoral systems are visible in the way student voice is structured. The inspection evidence references wellbeing ambassadors who provide a named route for students who want to talk through concerns, which tends to suit those who prefer peer supported entry points rather than immediately approaching an adult. Bullying is described as rare, and the school’s behaviour policy is applied consistently, with low level disruption not tolerated. For families, the implication is a learning environment where lessons can stay focused, particularly important for students who are easily distracted or anxious in noisier classrooms.

Inclusion has a specific local dimension here. The inspection evidence describes a specially resourced provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder, alongside targeted support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities more broadly. It also flags an area for improvement, staff do not always receive sufficiently precise guidance to meet all SEND needs consistently. This is useful nuance for families, the direction of travel is positive, but parents of students with higher support needs should ask clear questions about how strategies are communicated across subjects.

The site has also had to absorb disruption in recent years. A fire in August 2022 destroyed around a fifth of the buildings, and the school has subsequently reported significant site upgrades and refurbished learning spaces. The practical takeaway is that facilities have likely modernised quickly, but parents should still ask what areas were rebuilt, what is temporary, and how movement around site works at peak times.

Uppingham Community College is ranked 2,248th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 3rd locally in the Oakham area. This places performance broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), rather than in the top performing national tier.

The underlying indicators show a mixed, informative picture. The school’s Progress 8 score is -0.24, which indicates students make below average progress from their starting points overall. Attainment 8 is 46.8. In the English Baccalaureate, average point score is 3.95, compared with an England average of 4.08, and 8.5% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across EBacc subjects.

None of this suggests low expectations, it suggests that outcomes are not yet fully matching the ambitions described in the school’s curriculum intent. The most helpful way to use these metrics as a parent is diagnostic: ask which subjects are outperforming the overall picture, how intervention is targeted, and how consistently classroom activities are aligned to the intended curriculum. That alignment is explicitly highlighted as a school development point in the most recent inspection evidence.

If you are comparing local secondaries, FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages can help you view the same outcomes side by side using the Comparison Tool, which makes it easier to separate overall headlines from subject level strengths.

The curriculum is described in official evidence as ambitious and carefully sequenced, with subject leaders thinking deliberately about what pupils should know and when. Teaching is characterised by clear explanations, links across learning, and regular checking of retention through questioning, quizzes and planned tests.

Where this becomes more concrete is in the way assessment and memory are treated as everyday practice rather than just exam season activity. The inspection narrative describes a culture in which teachers routinely check the most important knowledge. That benefits students who thrive on clarity, regular feedback and predictable structures, and it can be particularly supportive for those who are capable but disorganised.

There are also specific enrichment style curriculum features that broaden students’ experience. The inspection evidence refers to ACE days (additional curriculum experience) and to trips, including trips abroad, used to build cultural understanding. In a school without a sixth form, this matters because personal development has to be delivered before Year 11 ends, so regular structured experiences can add depth to a student’s profile ahead of post 16 applications.

Where Students Go Next

Because the school finishes at 16, the key question is how effectively it supports transition to sixth form colleges, training providers and other post 16 routes. The school publishes a wide set of named destinations, which can reassure families that multiple pathways are normalised rather than treated as second best. The list includes Harington School (A level only), Rutland County College, New College Stamford, Brooksby Melton College, and a range of 11 to 18 and independent options including Oakham School, Stamford Endowed Schools, and Uppingham School.

Formal careers education is also described as practical and outward facing. Students meet employers and learn about career pathways, including a recurring job of the week feature. The school has also previously run a Year 11 post 16 evening bringing multiple providers together in one place, which is particularly helpful for families who are still working out the difference between sixth form, college, apprenticeships and specialist routes.

The implication is that students who engage early with careers guidance can leave Year 11 with a realistic, informed plan, even if their post 16 preference changes during Year 10 or early Year 11.

The school is its own admissions authority, but applications for Year 7 are made through the family’s home local authority as part of the coordinated admissions process. For Rutland residents applying for September 2026 entry, the local authority’s published deadline is 31 October 2025. National offer day for secondary places in this cycle is 02 March 2026, because 01 March 2026 falls on a non working day. Rutland residents are then required to respond within 14 days of offer day.

Demand is best inferred from local preference and offer data rather than anecdotes. The Rutland guide reports a published admission number of 180 for September 2026, and for September 2025 entry it records 184 first preferences, 134 second preferences and 63 third preferences, with 180 places offered on offer day. First preferences alone exceeding places is a clear sign that a strong share of families are not treating the school as a fallback.

The admissions criteria matter most when a year is oversubscribed. The school’s published admission arrangements for September 2026 set out the framework and confirm that, within criteria, applicants are ranked by distance to the main entrance, using a defined route methodology. If your family is making housing decisions with this school in mind, use FindMySchoolMap Search to check how your address compares to recent allocation patterns, and then verify the latest local authority documentation for the current year.

Open evenings can be an important signal of fit. Evidence for the 2026 entry cycle shows an open evening held in September 2025, which suggests a typical annual pattern in September, but dates should always be checked on the school website because events and timings change year to year.

Safeguarding systems are described as thorough and consistently applied, with staff training and clear reporting routes. Students are reported to feel safe, and they are taught to recognise risks, including online. This is the kind of underpinning that tends to matter most to parents of Year 7 starters, because settling in is often as much about feeling secure as it is about academic readiness.

Beyond safeguarding, the school appears to place strong emphasis on relationships. Students are described as polite and respectful, with clear expectations and support when choices fall short. The presence of wellbeing ambassadors is a practical detail rather than a branding exercise, it gives students a structured way to seek help, and it can reduce the stigma of speaking up.

For students with SEND, the nuance is important. Specialist and resourced provision is present, and progress for pupils taught within that setting is described as strong. However, the improvement point around teachers receiving sufficiently precise guidance suggests parents should ask how individual plans are translated into subject classroom practice, especially for students whose needs are less visible but still significant.

The extracurricular offer is wide enough to support both confidence building and skill development, particularly because students can sample different activities before narrowing focus in Key Stage 4. Evidence from the school’s published clubs programme shows a blend of sport, music, arts, academic support and interest driven groups.

Music and performance have clear structure. Uppingham Stars Choir and Orchestra run as organised ensembles, and the clubs list also includes Ukulele and Rock School options, which can suit students who enjoy practical music making rather than formal performance routes. For students who are shy in Year 7, choirs and ensembles often provide an early, low friction way to build friendships across forms.

Sport is offered as both participation and development. The clubs programme includes Boys Rugby, Girls Rugby, Girls Football, Badminton, Trampolining, Fencing and Dodgeball. That variety can matter in a rural area because after school opportunities outside the school day can be harder to access without transport. A strong on site programme can therefore broaden participation for students who might otherwise opt out.

There is also evidence of activities that support academic habits and wider thinking. Clubs listed include Tech Club, Chess Club, Board Games Club, Book Club, Poetry Salon, and The English 7+ Study Squad, alongside GCSE focused sessions such as NEA catch up and subject catch up clubs. This kind of blend tends to suit students who need structure for revision and coursework, without turning school into an exam only experience.

Finally, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is available up to Silver, which provides a coherent framework for service, skill and expedition, and can play a meaningful role in post 16 applications for students who commit to it.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the normal secondary costs such as uniform, equipment, trips, and optional enrichment activities.

The published daily timetable starts with a movement bell at 08.30 and ends with a staggered finish during the final period, typically between 15.07 and 15.11 depending on year group. Transport eligibility depends on local authority criteria. The school signposts families to check entitlement first, and then to use public or private options if not eligible.

For families driving, the school has previously noted that on site parking can be limited around major events. Where possible, walking in from nearby areas can materially reduce congestion at peak times.

• Below average overall progress at GCSE. Progress 8 is -0.24, which points to outcomes not yet matching ambition across the full cohort. Families should ask how subject level strengths are being scaled and how intervention is targeted.

• EBacc language take up remains a development area. The inspection evidence highlights historically low language uptake at GCSE, with improvement underway. This can matter for families aiming for a broader academic profile.

• SEND consistency across subjects needs careful checking. Specialist support is in place, but the inspection evidence notes that some teachers need clearer guidance to meet SEND needs consistently. Parents should probe how strategies are shared and monitored.

• Admissions are competitive in many years. With 180 places offered on offer day for September 2025 entry and first preferences recorded above that number, families should treat admission as a genuine constraint and keep realistic backup preferences.

Uppingham Community College offers a structured, calm secondary education with clear expectations around behaviour, strong personal development, and an extracurricular programme that extends well beyond sport. The quality of teaching and curriculum design is described as ambitious and well sequenced, and the school’s safeguarding systems are a clear strength.

Best suited to families who want an inclusive 11 to 16 school with firm routines, a broad range of clubs, and a clear post 16 guidance offer. The main trade off is that academic outcomes and progress indicators suggest there is still work to do to convert that ambition into consistently stronger results for all students.