Brunel College Review 2026: A small independent alternative provision for 11 to 16 year olds in Salisbury

This is a deliberately small setting, designed for students who are not thriving in mainstream school and need a reset that is both structured and relational. Most students attend part time as part of a bespoke package, and the model is built around rapid, personalised induction, clear routines, and practical learning that reconnects students with education and next steps.

Leadership is clearly presented, with Mr Craig Noble named as headteacher. The school sits within a referral-led system rather than open enrolment, so the “how to get in” conversation is primarily with a referring school or Wiltshire Local Authority, not a typical admissions form and deadline cycle.

The tone is purposeful and calm, with a strong emphasis on emotional safety as the foundation for academic re-engagement. Students are described as feeling safe and well supported, and the daily experience is framed around trust, predictable routines, and rewards that recognise positive choices.

A practical, “learn by doing” thread runs through the culture. Cooking lunch for the school community, sharing meals daily, and using off-site activities as part of wider learning and social development point to a setting that treats everyday life skills as legitimate curriculum content rather than add-ons.

The school’s own language reinforces that intent. The public-facing mission statement focuses on helping students believe, achieve, and succeed, with an explicit emphasis on removing barriers to participation and achievement.

Mainstream headline measures never tell the full story for alternative provision, particularly with very small cohorts and part-time timetables. Even so, the available data gives a baseline view for families comparing local options.

Ranked 4,548th in England and 12th in Salisbury for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places performance below England average overall.

On the published metrics, the average Attainment 8 score is 0.5, compared with an England average of 0.459. EBacc-related measures are limited, with 0% recorded as achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc element shown. (As with many small settings, these figures can move sharply year to year because a small number of entries can change the whole picture.)

Provision begins with induction and assessment designed to establish a clear picture of a young person’s cognitive, social, emotional, and academic needs, then translate that into a personalised curriculum agreed with the student and parents or carers. That sequencing matters for students who have experienced disrupted schooling or long periods out of education, because it reduces the risk of repeating strategies that have already failed.

Curriculum breadth is a stated priority, with an ambitious approach that sets out what knowledge students should gain by stage and subject. Teaching is described as clear and knowledgeable, with deliberate revisiting of prior learning so students can remember more and build securely.

There are also two practical improvement signals to be aware of. Support for early-stage reading, particularly phonics precision, is identified as an area where students do not consistently progress as quickly as they could. Attendance and engagement are also flagged, with some students reluctant to participate even when present, which can leave gaps in knowledge if not addressed consistently.

With no sixth form, the “next step” focus is post-16 transition. The school places strong emphasis on futures planning across Years 9 to 11, using one-to-one sessions, college taster visits, and personalised support around applications, including earlier planning where an Education, Health and Care Plan is involved.

Work experience is a central lever for readiness. Year 11 students can complete placements on a one-day-a-week basis, supported by the Careers South West database, and the school cites a range of local employers across practical and service sectors. Year 10 students also have a block work experience week identified on the published plan.

College links appear particularly important for students who prefer practical learning. The published pathway includes Wiltshire College pre-16 link courses in areas such as Vehicle Maintenance, Land-Based Studies, and Hair and Beauty, typically for one day a week in Years 10 and 11, building familiarity ahead of post-16 study.

This is not a direct-application school. The admissions policy states that referrals must come via an academy, maintained school, or Wiltshire Local Authority; applications from parents or carers, and self-referrals from potential pupils, are not accepted.

The policy is designed around early intervention and reintegration where appropriate, so many placements are described as short term and dual registered, with regular review. That approach can suit families who want a clear plan to stabilise attendance and engagement, then rebuild a route back into mainstream or a sustained post-16 pathway.

For timing, the model is rolling rather than annual. The published policy references rapid response in urgent cases within 48 hours of emergency referral, and indicates that accepted students typically transfer onto roll within ten working days of the panel, subject to documentation. For families thinking about 2026 entry, this means the key practical step is not “apply by a date,” it is ensuring the referring school or local authority initiates the process early enough for the desired start point.

Students attending alternative provision often arrive with significant social, emotional, and mental health needs, and the support model reflects that. Bespoke support to manage feelings and behaviour is described as a core strength, with staff trust highlighted as a reason learning is rarely disrupted when students are engaged.

Wellbeing approaches are also visible on the school’s published offer, including THRIVE practitioner capacity and a wider safeguarding framework that includes online safety and prevention work. For parents weighing fit, the most useful question to ask is how the school translates those frameworks into day-to-day routines for their child, especially around re-entry after absence and consistency of expectations.

Extracurricular here looks different from a typical secondary timetable. Activities are closely tied to re-engagement and confidence building, with examples including fishing, music creation and editing, photography, and bike maintenance, plus use of local leisure centres and gyms. These are not presented as “fun extras,” they are part of building attendance, stamina, and a sense of competence.

Responsibility is also baked into the routine. Students taking turns cooking lunch for the community and sharing meals daily creates a repeated opportunity for teamwork, planning, and positive social interaction, which can be especially valuable for students who have struggled with peer relationships in mainstream settings.

Work experience and employer contact add a further layer. Named employers on the published work experience page include Pets Practices, Autoworks Garage, Salisbury Football Club, Sweeney Hair, Holeshot Motorcross, and Abbey Mews Home. For some students, a placement that fits their interests can be the first moment school starts to feel relevant again.

As an independent alternative provision, fees operate differently from mainstream independent schools with standard termly tariffs. The admissions policy explains that placement fees are invoiced three times per year and are set out through individual service level agreements, with reduced fee structures referenced for contributing member schools. Specific 2025 to 2026 fee tables are not published on the school website pages reviewed.

The most recent publicly stated annual fee range appears in the latest published inspection material as £13,200 to £43,600. Families should treat this as an indicative range rather than a uniform fee, and confirm commissioning terms directly through the referring route.

The published day runs from arrival at 09:30 to a 16:00 finish on most days, with students finishing at 13:45 on Fridays; timings may vary depending on individual need. Breakfast, lunch, and snacks are provided, and the school notes that packed lunches are provided for off-site activities.

Term dates are published through to July 2026. Transport arrangements are not set out as a single public scheme, so families should expect transport planning to sit with the referring school or local authority as part of the wider package.

• This is referral-only. Parents and carers cannot apply directly, and the route runs through a school or Wiltshire Local Authority referral process. That can be appropriate for complex cases, but it reduces parent control over timing.

• Attendance and engagement remain key risks. The improvement priorities include inconsistent attendance and reluctance to engage for some students; families should ask how the school re-builds routines after absence and what “good attendance” looks like on a bespoke timetable.

• Early reading support is an identified improvement area. If literacy is a central concern, it is worth asking how phonics and reading fluency are assessed, taught, and tracked for students who are behind.

• Exam metrics may be volatile. With small cohorts and part-time patterns, year-to-year GCSE data can swing, so it is more informative to focus on individual progress, qualifications gained, and post-16 readiness.

This is a small, specialist setting for students whose mainstream placement has broken down, and who need personalised teaching, practical learning, and strong emotional support to reconnect with education. It suits families working with a referring school or Wiltshire Local Authority who want a structured intervention with a clear focus on confidence, qualifications, and post-16 transition. The central question is not whether the model is ambitious, it is whether the student will attend consistently enough to benefit from it.