Bohunt School Wokingham Review 2026: Strong Progress and a Clear Culture of Ambition

A newer secondary with a noticeably settled feel, Bohunt School Wokingham has grown quickly since opening to its first Year 7 cohort in September 2016. It sits within Bohunt Education Trust and has an approach that blends high expectations with structured support, especially around behaviour, reading, and inclusion.

Leadership is a current strength. Jen Comber took up the headship in September 2023 and writes with a consistent emphasis on confidence, resilience, and ambition, as well as the school’s game changer language. External review also points to momentum, with the most recent inspection describing significant improvement since the previous graded inspection, alongside effective safeguarding.

For families, the headline is a school that feels purposeful and well organised, with results that place it comfortably above England average on the measures available here. Admissions remain the main practical hurdle, with Year 7 applications managed through Wokingham’s coordinated process and an oversubscription framework that prioritises clear criteria.

The ethos is simple and repeated often enough to become shared shorthand, Enjoy, Respect, Achieve. It appears in the head’s welcome and the wider trust vision, and it is presented as the lens for both academic work and wider participation. The effect, based on formal review, is a calm, purposeful culture in lessons, with students generally positive about staff support and a sense of belonging that has been strengthened as the school has matured.

As a relatively new build school in a growing area, the feel is less about inherited tradition and more about systems and routines done consistently. The published school day timings reinforce that structured rhythm, with an 8:40 registration and a six period day on most days. For many families, that predictability is a genuine advantage, particularly for students who do best when expectations are clear and reinforced.

Leadership messaging is also coherent. Ms Comber’s welcome focuses on ambition and wellbeing in the same breath, a useful signal for parents weighing academic stretch against pastoral realism. That balance also shows up in the inspection narrative, which highlights both ambitious curriculum intent and attention to attendance, behaviour support, and targeted help for students who need it.

The other defining cultural strand is the “game changer” framing. This is not presented as a slogan alone, it sits behind enrichment planning and off timetable experiences designed to broaden horizons. A good example is the published timing for Game Changers Week 2026, which is explicitly calendared and positioned as a whole school feature rather than an optional add on.

On outcomes, the school performs strongly on the measures provided here.

Ranked 815th in England and 14th in Reading for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data)

This places it above England average, within the top 25% of secondary schools in England for this measure.

Attainment and progress indicators reinforce that picture. Attainment 8 is 54.2, and Progress 8 is +0.44, which indicates students make above average progress from their starting points. EBacc average point score is 5.09, compared with an England average of 4.08.

EBacc outcomes are more mixed on subject combination measures. The percentage achieving grade 5 or above across the EBacc subjects is 34.9%, which is a meaningful benchmark for families who care about a broad, academic suite across English, maths, sciences, humanities, and languages.

The right way to interpret this set of numbers is as follows. Progress is a strength, suggesting the school adds value across a mixed ability intake. The EBacc score also supports a picture of solid academic standards across core subjects. For parents comparing local options, a sensible next step is to use the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool to view nearby schools side by side on the same measures, rather than relying on headline reputation alone.

The curriculum is described externally as broad and ambitious, with careful sequencing so that students can build knowledge securely over time and apply it in unfamiliar contexts. In practical terms, that sequencing matters most in key stage 3, where weaker curriculum design can leave gaps that show up later at GCSE. The inspection account suggests the school has paid attention to that long arc.

Classroom practice is presented as consistent. Staff subject knowledge, regular checking for understanding, and deliberate vocabulary teaching are all highlighted, alongside a steady expectation that students respond to feedback by correcting and improving work. The implication for students is a learning environment that tends to suit those who respond well to clear explanations, regular recall, and incremental improvement, rather than a more improvisational style.

Reading is treated as a cross curricular priority, with screening on entry and targeted support for those who need extra help. For families, this is a practical positive, especially for students whose transition from Year 6 includes uneven literacy confidence. It also signals a whole school approach rather than leaving reading to English alone.

Inclusion is another important dimension. The inspection narrative states that identified needs are supported through adaptation and accessibility, with support matched to need. That is worth exploring directly at open events or meetings for any child with additional needs, since the detail of provision, staffing, and responsiveness matters more than the existence of a policy.

Where Students Go Next

Bohunt School Wokingham currently educates students through to Year 11, so the main transition point is post 16. The next step for most families is choosing a sixth form or college route locally, plus the apprenticeships and training options that sit alongside full time study in England.

The school positions itself as unusually focused on next steps preparation, using the game changer programme and a careers and personal development framework that brings external speakers and structured opportunities into the student experience. The implication is that careers education is not treated as a single week in Year 10, it is threaded through wider planning, which tends to benefit students who need help making realistic choices about subjects and pathways.

There is also a clear sign of evolution. Bohunt Wokingham Sixth is published as opening in September 2026. For parents of younger cohorts, that matters because it may change the local post 16 landscape over the next few years. For current Year 11 families, it is still important to confirm the options available for their specific leaving year and to check entry requirements and application dates for local providers.

Because destination statistics are not available provided here, the best practical approach is to ask directly about the main post 16 routes taken by recent cohorts, including the typical split between sixth form colleges, school sixth forms, and apprenticeship pathways. If the school publishes a destinations summary in future, it is worth revisiting, as that is often more useful than general statements about aspiration.

Admissions for Year 7 are handled through Wokingham’s coordinated admissions process, with a published deadline and national offer day timetable. For September 2026 entry, the online application window opens 12 September 2025 and closes 31 October 2025. Offers are issued on 2 March 2026, with responses due by 16 March 2026. Appeals are due by 27 March 2026 to be heard together.

The school’s own admissions policy sets a Published Admission Number of 270 for Year 7 in 2026 to 2027 and confirms use of the Common Application Form route. For families, that is the key planning anchor: you apply via the local authority portal, and the oversubscription rules determine allocation if applications exceed places.

Catchment matters locally. The admissions information signposts designated area mapping through Wokingham, which is the sensible first check for any family considering a move. If you are comparing travel distance and likely eligibility across multiple schools, it is also worth using FindMySchoolMap Search to measure from your home to the school gate consistently, then stress test that against the most recent published criteria.

Open events are a practical part of the decision. The school advertised an Open Evening on Thursday 2 October 2025, which suggests early October is a typical window, but families should rely on the school’s latest calendar and booking information for up to date dates.

Pastoral strength is described through systems rather than sentiment. The inspection narrative emphasises relationships, staff knowledge of students, and structured support for students who struggle with behaviour regulation, alongside work with external agencies including mental health support. For parents, the practical implication is that support is positioned as part of normal school operations, not an exceptional response only when a crisis occurs.

Attendance is treated as a priority, again in a practical way, identifying barriers early and applying an attendance strategy rather than relying on escalation after absence becomes entrenched. That tends to matter most in Years 9 to 11, when attendance patterns can drift if anxiety, peer issues, or disengagement are left unaddressed.

The latest Ofsted inspection (10 to 11 December 2024, published 30 January 2025) confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective. This is a baseline expectation, but it remains one of the most important assurances for families.

Enrichment is a declared priority and is described with a level of specificity that suggests real scheduling rather than generic claims. A clear example is the range of clubs and activities cited in the inspection account, including tennis, paddleboarding, Mandarin, musical theatre club, and climbing, as well as widespread access to Duke of Edinburgh Bronze.

The school’s published co curriculum timetables add further texture. The Spring 2025 schedule includes a range of interest based options such as Biscuits and Books, Advanced Mandarin Writing Club, Computing Club, Calligraphy Club, LGBTQ+ Society, and Christian Union. The point for parents is not that every club will run every term, it is that the programme is broad enough to provide genuine identity options for students who do not want their school life to be defined only by sport or only by exams.

Trips and off timetable experiences sit within the same logic. The inspection narrative references geography field trips and real world mathematics events, and the school calendar includes a defined Game Changers Week with published dates for July 2026. The likely benefit is confidence building for students who learn well through varied contexts, plus a wider set of shared experiences that can strengthen year group cohesion.

Music and performance are also supported through tuition routes. The co curricular page references external specialist teaching for music and LAMDA style opportunities, which usually signals a pay per lesson model rather than free provision, so parents should check current costs and availability before assuming weekly access.

The school day begins with registration at 8:40 and, on Monday to Thursday, runs through to the end of Period 6 at 15:30. Fridays may finish earlier, so families should check the current timetable for year group specifics if this affects childcare.

Travel is a real consideration in this area. Local travel planning resources highlight walking routes and the Leopard 3 bus connections via Reading and Wokingham, which is a useful starting point for families evaluating commute reliability.

Because this is a secondary school, formal wraparound care is less common than at primary. The school does run after school clubs, but if you need supervised provision to a specific time each day, it is important to confirm what is currently offered and whether places are limited.

• Ungraded inspection, graded inspection likely next. The most recent inspection was an ungraded visit that pointed to significant improvement; the next inspection is expected to be graded. This can be positive, but it also means the next formal judgement may arrive within a relatively short timeframe.

• EBacc outcomes depend on individual fit. Progress and overall performance measures are strong, but the EBacc grade 5+ indicator (34.9%) suggests outcomes in the full EBacc suite may vary by student pathway. Families who care about languages and humanities as a package should ask how option choices and teaching time support that ambition.

• Competition for Year 7 places. The published admissions timetable and PAN of 270 for 2026 to 2027 are clear, but demand in the local area is high. Families should plan early, understand designated area implications, and avoid relying on informal assumptions about availability.

• Costed extras can add up. As a state school there are no tuition fees, but enrichment such as instrumental tuition, trips, and some activities may involve charges. Parents should ask for a realistic view of optional and expected costs across a typical year.

Bohunt School Wokingham is a high performing, modern secondary that combines strong progress with a clear, repeatable culture. Leadership since September 2023 appears aligned with that direction, and the latest external review describes meaningful improvement alongside effective safeguarding.

Best suited to families who want a structured, ambitious 11 to 16 school with a broad enrichment offer and clear routines, and who are comfortable engaging early with admissions criteria and transport planning. The main practical challenge is securing a Year 7 place within a competitive local system.