Frederick Gough School Review 2026: A comprehensive, community-minded 11–16 in Bottesford

On Grange Lane South in Bottesford, the day runs from 08:40 to 15:25, with a full lunch break at 12:20. It is a timetable built for routine, and Frederick Gough leans into that steadiness through its four-house system (Newton, Harrison, Tennyson and Wesley) and clear expectations about behaviour and learning.

Frederick Gough School is a state secondary school for boys and girls aged 11 to 16 in Scunthorpe, South Yorkshire. Published capacity is 1345, which matters because it tends to bring breadth: more subject combinations, more peer groups, and more chances to find your place. The most recent Ofsted inspection rated Frederick Gough School Good.

For families considering Year 7 entry, demand is real: 483 applications for 268 offers, around 1.80 applications per place. That competition shapes the admissions conversation as much as any headline about results.

Try your best, be nice and you’ll do well is more than a slogan here; it is positioned as a daily standard. For parents, that sets the tone early: this is a school that wants kindness to sit alongside academic ambition, not be treated as a separate, softer strand.

Frederick Gough presents itself, and is described, as truly comprehensive. A high proportion of students have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and inclusion is not handled as a bolt-on. The day-to-day picture is one of calm classrooms and consistent routines, with students described as polite and mature in how they speak to each other and to adults.

The house structure helps a large school feel more navigable. Newton, Harrison, Tennyson and Wesley give students a smaller team to belong to within a bigger cohort, and the visible role of House Captains (identified by house-coloured ties) signals that leadership is not reserved for a tiny group at the top. For children who do best with a clear sense of “my people” inside a busy environment, that can make secondary school feel less like a leap.

GCSE results

The numbers point to a mixed picture that is useful to read with both eyes open. Ranked 3,029th in England and 6th in Scunthorpe for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), Frederick Gough sits below England average on this measure, placing it in the bottom 40% of schools in England.

Attainment 8 is 39.2, and Progress 8 is -0.6. In plain terms, that Progress 8 score indicates students, on average, make less progress across a basket of GCSE subjects than similar students nationally. For families, the key question is not just “What are the results?”, but “What does the school do when a child is slipping behind, and how quickly does it intervene?”

The EBacc picture adds detail. EBacc average point score is 3.41 compared with an England average of 4.08, and 9.5% of pupils achieve grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure. That combination suggests EBacc outcomes are an area to probe, especially if your child is likely to take the full English Baccalaureate set and will need tight teaching and strong revision habits.

If you are comparing local secondaries, the FindMySchool local hub comparison tool is a quick way to line up Progress 8 and Attainment 8 across nearby schools, then look beyond the numbers to the pastoral and curriculum fit.

A concrete detail that matters here is the school’s stated three-year Key Stage 3. That longer run-up before GCSE options can suit students who need time to settle, build confidence, and discover where they are strongest before making high-stakes choices.

Across the school, curriculum sequencing and subject expertise are described as strengths: teaching uses activities designed to help students learn and remember what they need for next steps. Leaders have also worked with the local authority to make curriculum changes in core areas including English, mathematics, science and modern foreign languages, with the intention of raising ambition and improving progress.

There is also a strong emphasis on learning systems. The school references Rosenshine principles, diagnostic assessment, and Personalised Learning Checklists for every GCSE subject, alongside PREP, an online homework system designed to promote independence and organisation. For parents, this is the practical question: does your child respond well to structure, regular checking, and a clear “what to do next” pathway? If yes, the approach can be a good match. If your child is more self-directed and easily bored by routine, you will want to understand how teachers stretch and vary learning within that structure.

Frederick Gough is an 11–16 school, so Year 11 is a genuine transition point rather than a stepping stone into an in-house sixth form. The school’s own post-16 guidance names John Leggott College and North Lindsey College as the main destinations for the vast majority of students, with others moving into a wider spread that includes providers such as Bishop Burton College, Grimsby Institute, Queen Elizabeth’s High School (Gainsborough) and Engineering UTC Northern Lincolnshire.

The school also tracks destinations with unusual clarity. For the 2023 cohort, 98% were in a positive destination by late November: 121 went to a sixth form college, 129 to a further education college, and 13 moved into employment with training (apprenticeship or traineeship). For parents, that matters because it is evidence of a school that takes progression seriously, not as a last-term scramble.

Careers education is not treated as an add-on either. The school references challenge days involving a range of employers, mock interviews for all students, and a one-week work experience placement for all Year 10 students. In a town with real engineering and manufacturing routes, that practical, employer-facing approach can be as important as a GCSE grades discussion.

Routes and criteria

The admissions headline is simple: this is a non-selective community school, with applications handled through North Lincolnshire Council rather than directly by the school. The school’s published admission number is 269, and demand runs ahead of supply: 483 applications for 268 offers, around 1.80 applications per place.

That level of competition does not mean “impossible”, but it does mean you should be realistic about preferences and backup options. North Lincolnshire’s coordinated scheme allows you to name up to six schools in rank order, and the safest strategy is usually a first choice you genuinely want, backed by choices you can live with.

FindMySchoolMap Search is useful here, even without a published last-distance figure: use it to sanity-check the daily journey from home, because a manageable commute often matters more than a theoretical preference once the school week gets busy with clubs, revision and fixtures.

Timeline and practicalities

North Lincolnshire’s secondary application deadline typically falls at the end of October each year, with offers released in early March. Families moving into the area, or considering a change later on, should also look carefully at in-year admissions processes, as availability can differ sharply between year groups.

A pastoral approach only works if it is visible in routine moments, and Frederick Gough’s description leans heavily towards consistent, everyday support. The school references an “Every child matters” meeting structure to identify students who need extra help, alongside a large pastoral team. For families, that signals a school that expects to notice problems early rather than wait for a crisis.

Behaviour is described as calm and purposeful, with little low-level disruption and a behaviour policy used consistently by staff. The reward structure is also described as layered, aimed at encouraging positive behaviour and attendance. Those details matter for children who find secondary school overwhelming; predictability reduces anxiety.

Safeguarding is treated as a core expectation rather than a single policy document. Students are described as feeling safe in school, bullying is described as rare and addressed effectively when it occurs, and students are taught how to manage online and community risks. The school also uses alternative provision for some students who struggle to access the main curriculum, and leaders are expected to keep a close eye on quality so that these placements accelerate, rather than slow, a student’s progress.

Music & performance

The enrichment offer has some distinctive edges. In music, the school lists multiple groups including a String Group, Woodwind Group, Jazz Band, Choir and Taiko Drumming, alongside larger performance moments such as drama clubs and a school musical. For a child who needs school to feel bigger than lessons, that kind of structured rehearsal culture can be a powerful anchor.

Sport, leadership and wider opportunities

Sport is prominent too. The school’s 4G pitch is also used beyond the timetable, with evening and weekend opening hours for bookings, which hints at a school that sees facilities as part of the wider community offer, not just a PE resource.

Leadership opportunities are varied and practical: School Council, House Captains, prefect roles, literacy leaders, librarian roles and peer mentoring structures are all referenced. That breadth matters because it gives quieter students a way to contribute without needing to be the loudest voice in the room.

One surprisingly revealing detail is the school’s Summer School programme, which showcases the tone of enrichment it values: sessions such as Prints and Splats (forensic psychology), Mission pH Possible (hands-on chemistry), and Murder by Numbers (a maths mystery) sit alongside creative work. Even if Summer School is not your child’s route in, it is a good snapshot of how the school tries to make learning feel active rather than purely classroom-bound.

The school day runs from 08:40 to 15:25, with lunch at 12:20 and assemblies scheduled between 10:45 and 11:05. For working families, that timing usually means planning for an independent journey, lift shares, or a club at the end of the day rather than expecting a primary-style wraparound model.

Frederick Gough is based on Grange Lane South in Bottesford. For rail, Scunthorpe station is the main hub for the town; most day-to-day travel is likely to be by car or local buses. Drop-off and pick-up sit right on the busiest pinch points of the day, so building in a few minutes’ slack tends to make the week calmer.

Admissions pressure: With 483 applications for 268 offers (around 1.80 applications per place), competition shapes the experience before your child even starts. It is wise to put real thought into preference order, and to make sure the backup options are schools you would genuinely accept.

Outcomes and consistency: A Progress 8 score of -0.6 indicates below-average progress overall for similar prior attainment. Families should ask how the school targets support in English and maths, how it checks impact, and what happens if a student is not improving fast enough, especially for disadvantaged students.

No sixth form: Year 11 is a full transition, not a continuation. Many students move on to John Leggott College or North Lindsey College, and that change can be motivating, but it also means your child needs to be ready for a new environment at 16.

Uniform and standards: The uniform policy is detailed and explicit, right down to clip-on ties and shoe rules. That clarity can be reassuring, but it also suits students who are comfortable with firm boundaries about presentation.

Frederick Gough School reads as a large, organised comprehensive with a clear moral tone and a strong emphasis on inclusion. The house structure, the breadth of music and leadership roles, and the practical careers work combine to make it feel purposeful rather than chaotic.

The trade-off is that academic outcomes, as measured in the GCSE data, sit below England average overall and progress is an area families should look at closely. This school suits students who benefit from structure, clear rules, and steady pastoral support, and families who want a community school with breadth and a well-signposted route into post-16 choices. The main constraint is competition for places.