St Gabriel's CofE Academy Review 2026: High-performing Church of England primary serving Houlton

A newer Church of England primary in the growing Houlton development, St Gabriel’s has built a reputation for calm routines and strong early foundations since opening in September 2018. The school sits in the top 10% of primaries in England for its most recent published KS2 outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), with a clear emphasis on reading and well-structured curriculum sequencing. Wraparound care is a practical strength, with the Angels clubs offering both breakfast and after-school provision across the week.

Leadership is split between an executive headteacher, Mr A. Taylor, and the day-to-day headteacher, Mr M. McCormick, who was appointed in November 2025. Admissions are competitive at Reception, and the school’s priority area, designed around the Houlton and Houlton Meadows development, shapes who is most likely to secure a place.

St Gabriel’s presents as a school built for a modern community, with the character of a new establishment but the routines and expectations of a well-settled one. The Church of England identity is explicit and integrated into the school’s language about values and community responsibility. That faith dimension is not framed as exclusive, but it is a defining feature; families considering the school should expect Christian values to be referenced regularly in assemblies, relationships and the way personal development is organised.

Daily life is structured around clear timings and predictable rituals, which tends to suit younger pupils and helps families manage logistics. Gates and doors open at 8:40am, with the main school gates closing at 8:50am; the day ends at 3:20pm for Reception and Key Stage 1 and 3:25pm for Key Stage 2. A whole-school assembly sits in the mid-morning rhythm at 10:15am, and the Friday celebration assembly is positioned as a weekly anchor for families who can attend.

Pastoral culture is described as respectful and orderly, with older and younger pupils mixing well at playtime and a shared understanding of behaviour expectations. Staff respond to bullying incidents when they arise, and pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online. This matters for a community with many families new to the area, where confidence in day-to-day safety and consistency can be as important as academic ambition.

Nursery provision is part of the overall story, but it is also clearly bounded. The nursery runs 38 weeks a year, aligned to school term dates, and offers morning and afternoon sessions, with an optional lunch hour available separately. The nursery’s role is framed as giving children an early start with familiar routines and staff relationships, but parents should not assume that nursery attendance guarantees or prioritises Reception admission.

For a state primary, the outcomes profile is strong and unusually consistent across the headline measures.

In the most recent published KS2 data, 93% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 40.33% achieved the higher level in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with the England average of 8%. These are the kinds of figures that indicate not only secure basics, but a meaningful proportion of pupils working well beyond them.

Alongside that, subject indicators are high: 91% met the expected standard in reading, 97% in mathematics, 94% in grammar, punctuation and spelling, and 97% in science. Average scaled scores were 108 in reading, 110 in mathematics and 110 in grammar, punctuation and spelling, with a combined total score of 328 across reading, maths and GPS.

Ranked 734th in England and 1st in Rugby for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school performs well above the England average (top 10%).

The implication for parents is straightforward. For children who enjoy structured learning and respond well to clear expectations, the academic pathway looks strong, with an environment that appears capable of stretching higher-attaining pupils while keeping core literacy and numeracy secure for the majority.

Teaching is shaped around a clear, planned curriculum sequence, designed so pupils revisit and remember key knowledge over time. External reviews describe an ambitious curriculum with defined learning steps, so teachers know what to teach and when. That curriculum-led approach is often a good fit for a growing school, because it reduces variability between classes and helps new staff join a shared model quickly.

Reading is positioned as a central priority from the earliest years. Children begin learning the basics of reading soon after joining, and story texts are used daily to build language, understanding and engagement. Extra help is directed towards the small number of pupils who fall behind, with the stated aim of helping them catch up and become fluent readers. For parents, this suggests a school that treats early literacy as a gateway skill rather than a bolt-on intervention.

The most useful caveat is about assessment consistency. The school assesses pupils regularly, but the improvement focus identified in external review was ensuring that all teachers check what pupils have retained, so gaps are spotted early and addressed before they hinder future learning. In practice, that tends to show up as a push for sharper retrieval, more precise checking and more consistent feedback loops across subjects, rather than a wholesale change of curriculum.

In Early Years, the emphasis is on confidence and independence, with the nursery and Reception described as giving children a strong start and building readiness for Year 1. Families who value a clear transition pathway from early years into formal schooling will find that St Gabriel’s is explicit about routines and progression.

As a primary school, the main transition point is Year 6 to Year 7. St Gabriel’s serves a new and expanding residential area, so secondary destinations can vary by where families live within the wider Rugby area and how admissions patterns shift each year. The school’s links with neighbouring education provision show up in practical ways, such as Year 5 performances being hosted at Houlton School.

For families planning ahead, the most sensible approach is to treat Year 6 transition as a process that starts early. Ask about transition events, how information is shared with receiving schools, and how pastoral support is managed for children who find change difficult. In fast-growing communities, cohorts can be large and friendship groups may scatter across multiple secondaries, so the quality of transition support becomes particularly important.

Reception admissions sit at the heart of the school’s demand story. In the most recent admissions data provided, 127 applications competed for 59 offers, with the entry route marked as oversubscribed. That equates to 2.15 applications for every place offered, and the relationship between first preferences and offers also indicates demand pressure.

The timing for September 2026 Reception entry is clearly set out. The application period starts on 1 November 2025, with the main closing date on 15 January 2026, and an extended closing date of 1 February 2026 for families moving into, or within, Warwickshire. National Offer Day is 16 April 2026. This precision helps families avoid the most common error, missing deadlines during a busy winter term.

Oversubscription is shaped by a defined priority area linked to the Houlton and Houlton Meadows development. Where demand exceeds places, priority runs through the usual national categories for looked after and previously looked after children, then moves through sibling and residency categories, with distance used to decide between applicants within the same category where necessary. The practical implication is that living within the priority area can materially improve prospects, and families should treat address rules as a decisive factor rather than a marginal one.

Two points are worth highlighting because they often surprise parents. First, the admissions policy explicitly states that priority is not given if a sibling attends the nursery, so families should not assume nursery links carry admissions weight. Second, while nursery provision is closely linked to the school and supports transition, nursery pupils are not automatically prioritised for Reception places; Reception applications are processed in line with the published admissions policy.

Parents considering the move should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check their address position relative to the priority area and the distance rules used in oversubscription. This is especially important in developments where new roads and new housing phases can affect practical proximity.

The school’s pastoral picture rests on clear routines, strong expectations and a safeguarding culture that aims to keep pupils safe in everyday practice, including online. Pupils are taught how to recognise risks and what to do if they have concerns, and staff follow up on concerns using established processes and external support where appropriate.

Behaviour expectations are positioned as consistent and understood by both staff and pupils, which helps lessons run without disruption and reduces low-level behaviour issues that can sap learning time. For many families, this is one of the most valuable characteristics of a busy primary, because it tends to support calmer classrooms and clearer social norms in the playground.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is described as strong in how needs are identified and how support is integrated so pupils can access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. External agencies are used where appropriate. The main improvement point flagged in formal review was communication with parents about that support, meaning families should expect the school to be focused on strengthening how it explains SEND approaches and progress. A practical tip for parents is to ask early, and in writing where needed, how targets are tracked, how interventions are reviewed, and what the communication rhythm looks like across a term.

Extracurricular life at St Gabriel’s is shaped around both convenience and breadth. The Angels breakfast and after-school clubs provide consistent wraparound, and they are described as more than supervision. Children can engage in planned activities, games and reading time, including supervised use of the library during after-school sessions. For working families, the implication is a single-site day that does not require separate providers for early starts and late finishes.

Beyond wraparound, the school highlights a programme of clubs and wider opportunities led by staff and external partners, with additional support for disadvantaged pupils to access staff-led clubs and subsidised external provision. The specific offer will change over time, but the funding approach indicates intent to keep access broad rather than limited to families who can pay.

Music is a practical example of how enrichment is organised. Specialist tutors teach guitar, keyboard and violin each week, which gives children a clear pathway from curiosity to skill development. A school that puts weekly tuition on-site usually finds that participation becomes more normalised, because families do not have to manage travel to external lessons.

Residential experiences are unusually well defined for a primary. The programme includes Year 4 at Beaumanor Hall, Year 5 at Viney Hill Christian Adventure Centre, and a Year 6 coastal adventure, with activities ranging from orienteering and low ropes to kayaking and coasteering. The educational benefit is not only confidence and independence, but also a shared cohort experience that can strengthen peer relationships.

Competitions and performance opportunities are also well signposted. The school takes part in football leagues, dodgeball, tag rugby and chess tournaments. Choir participation includes the Young Voices event, and the school also describes choir visits to a local care home, which adds a service element alongside performance. Curriculum-linked trips feature too, including educational visits such as the National Space Centre.

The school day is clearly timed: doors open at 8:40am with the main gates closing at 8:50am. Home time is 3:20pm for Reception and Key Stage 1, and 3:25pm for Key Stage 2, with clubs typically starting at 3:25pm. Nursery sessions run 8:30am to 11:30am and 12:30pm to 3:30pm across the 38-week nursery year, aligned to term dates.

Wraparound care is a published strength. Angels Breakfast Club starts at 7:30am, and the after-school club runs to 6:00pm during term time, using a dedicated community entrance for drop-off and collection.

For travel, the school is in the Houlton development, just off the A428 out from Rugby, which typically suits families commuting by car and those living within the development itself. Families should check current local bus options and safe walking routes, as these can change as the development expands.

• Priority area admissions. The school’s priority area is explicitly linked to the Houlton and Houlton Meadows development, and it materially affects how places are allocated when the school is oversubscribed. Families outside that area should be realistic about competitiveness and use distance and priority rules to assess chances.

• Faith character is integral. The Church of England ethos is woven into values, assemblies and community life. Families who prefer a fully secular approach should read the ethos information carefully before shortlisting.

• Communication is an active improvement area. Formal review identified the need to strengthen how the school communicates with parents about behaviour approaches and SEND support. Parents who value detailed, proactive updates should ask how this is being addressed in the current year.

• Nursery does not confer priority for Reception. Despite close links and the transition benefits of familiarity, nursery attendance is not a priority route into Reception admissions. Families should plan on the basis of the published admissions criteria.

St Gabriel’s CofE Academy combines a clearly defined ethos with results that sit well above the England average, backed by strong early reading and a structured curriculum approach. It suits families who want a values-led primary with clear routines, strong KS2 outcomes, and practical wraparound care that supports working patterns. The primary hurdle is admission, and understanding the priority area and oversubscription rules is essential for anyone treating this as a likely option.