Sandhurst School Review 2026: Values-led 11 to 16 comprehensive with strong pastoral systems

A secondary school that takes relationships seriously and backs that up with clear routines, a defined set of values, and visible opportunities for students to contribute beyond the classroom. The current headteacher, Mr Gareth Croxon, joined in September 2023, and leadership sits within The Corvus Learning Trust.

This is an 11 to 16 school, with no sixth form following its closure in 2024, so families should plan early for post 16 routes. In December 2024, an Ofsted visit confirmed the school had maintained standards, with effective safeguarding and a calm, orderly day-to-day culture.

The school’s stated ethos centres on four values, respect, ambition, resilience and pride. Rather than being abstract, these are positioned as the organising language for expectations and relationships. That matters in a comprehensive setting, where consistency and predictability tend to drive both behaviour and learning.

Pastoral support is structured through a house system that explicitly links back to the school’s opening year, 1969. The four houses are Bailey, Gemini, Romer and Young, chosen for their connection to the Moon landings and space programme of that era. The practical implication for families is that students are not only “in a year group”, they are also anchored to a smaller community for rewards, identity, and pastoral touchpoints.

A notable feature of the wider culture is how citizenship, moral reasoning, and social responsibility are framed as part of the student experience, not an optional add-on. A strong example is the Reaching Rwanda project, presented as a long-running strand of community action and global awareness, linked to sustained fundraising and relationship-building.

For GCSE outcomes, the school is ranked 2628th in England and 1st in the Sandhurst local area (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). That positioning reflects solid performance overall, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

The headline GCSE measures available indicate:

• Attainment 8 score of 43.2

• Progress 8 score of -0.37

• EBacc average point score of 3.66

• 9.5% achieving grade 5 or above across the EBacc measure provided

These figures suggest a school where attainment is broadly steady, but where progress from Key Stage 2 starting points is an area families should look at closely when asking, “Will my child make strong progress here?”. (The Progress 8 score is the key indicator for that question.)

For parents comparing options, the most useful approach is to view Sandhurst alongside neighbouring schools in the FindMySchool Local Hub comparison tool, focusing on Progress 8, EBacc entry patterns, and whether curriculum sequencing looks stable in Key Stage 3.

Curriculum design is described in official reporting as broad and ambitious, with access to the full set of English Baccalaureate subjects at Key Stage 4. The school has also been working on improving how the curriculum is delivered, including agreed classroom strategies intended to help students recall and connect prior learning.

Reading is treated as a priority, including structured reading activity in tutor time and older students supporting younger students to read with confidence. For families with children who arrive as weaker readers, one important consideration is that external review highlights a need to strengthen phonics support for students at the earliest stages of reading.

The best fit tends to be students who respond well to clear routines, predictable expectations, and a school day that is structured and orderly. Students who need very high levels of specialist literacy intervention should ask detailed questions about how reading catch-up is delivered and how quickly support escalates.

There is no on-site sixth form, following the closure of post 16 provision in 2024. This shapes decision-making: families should explore local sixth forms, colleges, and apprenticeship pathways early, ideally during Year 10, so that choices do not become rushed in Year 11.

Destinations data for the 2023/24 cohort (59 leavers) shows multiple routes, including:

• 41% progressing to university

• 42% entering employment

• 7% starting apprenticeships

• 2% entering further education

This spread indicates that the school is supporting a range of next steps rather than a single dominant pathway, which tends to suit students whose plans are still evolving through Key Stage 4.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated by Bracknell Forest Council. For September 2026 entry, the published application window for on-time applications ran from 12 September 2025 to 31 October 2025. National Offer Day is 02 March 2026, with acceptances due by 16 March 2026.

The school also publishes information for prospective families through open events and transition activity. For the September 2026 intake, the site lists a Year 6 Information Evening in mid September, an Open Evening in late September, and a programme of tours across late September and early October.

Demand indicators show the school as oversubscribed, with 348 applications and 199 offers provided, which is approximately 1.75 applications per offer. Competition for places is therefore a material factor for families aiming for entry.

Families who expect admissions to be distance-led should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their home location against any published designated area mapping and the most recent allocation patterns, then treat this as guidance rather than a guarantee.

The pastoral model is built around strong relationships with staff, a clear behaviour framework, and structured routines. The most recent Ofsted inspection (3 and 4 December 2024) found the school had taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Attendance has been an explicit priority, with reported improvement across groups, alongside clearer routines that support calm corridors and predictable lesson starts. The school also describes Positive Learning Routines that are used at the start and end of lessons, a practical tool for students who benefit from structure and consistent classroom habits.

For students with identified speech, language and communication needs, there is a specifically resourced provision called The Launch Pad, opened in September 2024, designed to support students mainly in mainstream lessons while offering a specialist base, therapy spaces, and targeted intervention. The long-term plan is to support up to 25 students over five years.

The extracurricular offer is unusually easy to evaluate because the school publishes a clubs list for 2025/26, including day, timing and location. This enables families to assess whether opportunities match a child’s interests and whether attendance is realistic alongside travel and family commitments.

A clear strength is the mix of academic support, creative production, and interest-led clubs. Examples include Lego League STEM Club, Music Production, Sound and Lighting Club, and a School Musical rehearsal programme. For students who prefer quieter, interest-driven spaces, options such as Book Club, Board Games Club, DND Club, and Warhammer provide structured social time without sport being the only route in.

For students who thrive on service and challenge, Duke of Edinburgh is offered at Bronze and Silver levels, including expedition elements and a clear expectation of weekly commitment across the programme. The Reaching Rwanda programme adds an additional strand of student leadership and fundraising activity, positioned as sustained work rather than a one-off charity day.

The school day runs from 8:30am to 3:00pm, with tutor time starting at 8:30am, and gates opening at 8:00am. The site notes that students are not supervised before 8:20am unless attending breakfast club, and that students should be at tutor lines by 8:25am.

Homework Club runs Monday to Thursday for an hour after school, available to all year groups, and supported by staff. For travel, the school publishes information about reserved bus travel via a local operator, including pass options and the availability of single tickets at £2.50 where space allows.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for uniform, transport where applicable, and optional activities.

• Progress 8 is below average. A Progress 8 score of -0.37 indicates students, on average, make less progress than similar students nationally. This will matter most for families deciding between nearby schools with different progress profiles.

• Early-stage reading support is a specific improvement point. External review highlights that students who struggle with reading at the earliest stages need more effective phonics support, which can affect access across the curriculum if not addressed quickly.

• No sixth form changes the secondary journey. With post 16 provision closed in 2024, families should plan early for sixth form colleges and apprenticeship routes, especially if a child benefits from stability and continuity.

• Admission is competitive. The school is oversubscribed provided, so families should treat proximity and designated area guidance as important, but not sufficient on their own.

Sandhurst School suits families who want a structured, values-led comprehensive, with a strong pastoral framework and clear routines that support calm behaviour and predictable expectations. The house system and published clubs programme add tangible breadth, and The Launch Pad provision is a meaningful development for students with speech, language and communication needs.

The main trade-offs are the below-average Progress 8 indicator and the need to plan carefully for post 16 routes, given the absence of a sixth form. For families who prioritise pastoral strength and community-facing opportunities, and who are prepared to engage early with GCSE pathway choices and post 16 planning, this can be a well-matched option.