Herschel Grammar School Review 2026: Selective, high-performing grammar with a strong sixth form

Academic ambition is the organising principle here, with selection at 11 shaping both the pace of learning and the peer group. The school sits in a highly competitive local grammar landscape, and demand is substantial for Year 7 entry. Leadership is long-established, with Ms Joanne Rockall as headteacher since 2010, and the school forms part of The Schelwood Trust.

The latest Ofsted inspection (21 May 2024) judged every area as Outstanding, including sixth-form provision.

Facilities and enrichment read like a mature, established school: a sports centre completed in 2004 with astroturf pitches, a hockey pitch, tennis courts, indoor badminton courts, a dance studio, and changing facilities.

The strongest signal in the school’s published material is how consistently the culture is framed around purposeful learning and respectful conduct. Day-to-day expectations are explicit, and the school’s values, Responsibility, Success, Care, are used as a shared language for behaviour and contribution rather than as decorative branding.

The tone is academically serious, but not narrow. Alongside subject depth, there is a clear emphasis on responsibility and participation, with structured opportunities for pupils to lead, mentor, and represent. House captain roles, year and school councils, and sixth form mentoring are all positioned as normal parts of school life, rather than optional extras for a small minority.

Leadership continuity is a practical advantage for a selective school managing high demand and a complex admissions process. Ms Joanne Rockall has led since 2010, and also holds a trust-wide senior executive role, which tends to support consistent policy and implementation across the trust.

At GCSE, performance sits comfortably in the top tier by England comparison. The school ranks 191st in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 4th locally in Slough. This places it well above England average (top 10%).

The underlying GCSE indicators reinforce that picture. Attainment 8 is 75.4, and Progress 8 is +0.76, which points to pupils making significantly above-average progress from their starting points. Top-end grades are a defining feature, with 53% of grades at 9 to 8, and 69% at 9 to 7.

A-level outcomes are strong, though the profile is slightly broader than the ultra-elite sixth forms. The school ranks 535th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 5th locally in Slough. This places it above England average, within the top 25% of schools in England.

In grade terms, 8.54% of entries are at A*, 25.63% at A, and 66.67% at A* to B. Taken together, the school offers a sixth form where high academic performance remains the norm, but where the distribution suggests a sizeable cohort achieving solid, competitive profiles rather than only the very top band.

Parents comparing selective options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages and the Comparison Tool to view GCSE and A-level performance side-by-side against nearby grammars and high-performing comprehensives.

Curriculum design is described in a way that aligns with selective expectations: sequencing from Year 7 through sixth form, strong subject knowledge, and a deliberate emphasis on independent study habits. Homework and structured independent learning are used to build autonomy as pupils move through the school, which matters in a grammar context where pupils can be academically able but still need the habits to manage volume and complexity.

The school day itself supports a steady academic rhythm. A two-week timetable and five teaching periods per day creates predictability, which is particularly helpful for managing practical subjects, languages, and the step-change into GCSE option pathways.

For sixth form, the admissions documentation signals a standards-based approach: entry depends on meeting published GCSE requirements and subject-specific criteria, with places also shaped by course availability. This is typical of strong sixth forms that want to avoid over-promising on niche A-level combinations.

For the 2023/24 leavers cohort, 68% progressed to university. Apprenticeships accounted for 6%, and 9% moved into employment, with a small proportion progressing to further education. This mix suggests a school that is strongly university-oriented, but with visible routes into employment and apprenticeships for those pursuing technical or work-based pathways.

Oxbridge outcomes, as measured show a high volume of aspiration and a smaller number converting to places. There were 16 applications in the period, and one student secured an Oxbridge place, at Cambridge.

Where the school is particularly helpful is in publishing named destinations, even when it does not publish percentages. A recent destinations list for Year 13 includes a spread that will be familiar to parents seeking high academic progression, with universities such as Oxford and Cambridge appearing alongside Durham, Warwick, Bristol, Bath, UCL, King’s College London, and the London School of Economics, plus international destinations such as Emory University in the USA. The same document also lists apprenticeship and training destinations including named employers.

The practical implication is that the pipeline is not a single-track story. High academic routes are clearly present, and the school also appears to support structured alternatives for students who prefer employment-linked progression.

Year 7 entry is via the Slough Consortium 11+ process, shared across the local grammar schools. The admissions policy sets a planned admission number of 150 for Year 7, with eligibility defined by a standardised score of 111 or above in the entrance examination.

When there are more eligible applicants than places, the published oversubscription approach is multi-layered. After children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school and looked-after children, priority is given by proximity within a defined catchment. The catchment is defined as living within 4 miles of the school, with distance measured in a straight line using the local authority’s geographical system. There is also a specific allocation of up to 10 places for eligible applicants within 10 miles who are eligible for the Pupil Premium at the Common Application Form closing date. Remaining places are then allocated by rank order of performance in the examination.

Demand is substantial. For the most recent Year 7 admissions cycle there were 1,170 applications for 146 offers, which equates to roughly eight applications per place. A first-preference pressure ratio of 2.74 indicates that even among families listing the school first, demand materially exceeds supply.

Applications for state secondary places are coordinated through the local authority. For September 2026 entry, the national deadline to submit applications was 31 October 2025, with offers released on 02 March 2026.

Given how distance, scoring thresholds, and local competition interact, families should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check their precise distance to the school gates and to sense-check how realistic their shortlist is for a selective school in a high-demand area.

Sixth Form entry

The published admission number for Year 12 is 160, with a minimum of 10 external places, though the school indicates it can admit above planned numbers to meet cohort targets where appropriate.

For September 2026 sixth form entry, the school’s deadline for applications is 3.15pm on Friday 30 January 2026, via its online application route.

The pastoral model is closely linked to personal development teaching and assemblies, and it is presented as a coherent programme rather than a set of isolated initiatives. Careers guidance is explicitly structured and includes access to an identified careers adviser, which matters in a setting where many students will be weighing highly competitive university routes alongside degree apprenticeships and employment-linked training.

Safeguarding is described as effective in the most recent inspection report, and the wider safeguarding culture is positioned as open, with staff and systems designed to surface concerns early.

The day-to-day implication for families is that the school aims to pair high expectations with clear routines and adult oversight, particularly at transition points such as Year 7 induction and GCSE option selection.

Enrichment is not treated as optional. The school frames it as a core part of developing confident, capable pupils, and the published examples are unusually specific for a state school.

Culture Week is cited as a structured opportunity for pupils to broaden their understanding beyond their own background. The practical benefit is not simply cultural awareness, but the confidence that comes from presenting, collaborating, and contributing in contexts that sit outside examination specifications.

For pupils seeking structured challenge and leadership, schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Young Enterprise appear as established pathways, supported by house competitions and formal leadership roles including house captain and council membership. The implication is that pupils who enjoy taking responsibility can build a credible portfolio over time, rather than scrambling for opportunities in Year 11 or Year 12.

The Magistrate Mock Trials Club is a good example of a distinctive offering that combines academic interest with performance under pressure. The school describes participation in mock trial roles and competing in court settings, including activity at Reading Crown Court in March 2024. For students considering law, politics, or any career requiring structured argument and public speaking, the obvious benefit is repeated practice in forming and defending a case under time constraints.

Environmental leadership is also formalised via an Eco-Committee, and sixth form mentoring provides a clear mechanism for older students to support younger pupils. Both are practical, routine forms of responsibility that tend to strengthen school culture in a selective environment.

The school day is tightly structured. Pupils are expected to be on site by 08:20, with registration and assembly from 08:30, and the formal end of day at 14:55. The timetable runs on a two-week cycle, with five teaching periods per day.

School transport information published by the school names NP Coaches as the exclusive transport provider, indicating that there is an established coach network supporting commuting students.

For public transport, local bus operators publish school travel information, including routes serving the school from a range of local areas.

• Entry pressure and competition: With around eight applications per place in the most recent dataset, the limiting factor is often admission rather than day-to-day school quality. Families should approach the 11+ year with a realistic plan for outcomes across the full shortlist.

• Distance still matters even in a selective model: The admissions policy uses a defined 4-mile catchment and distance-based prioritisation within that, so academic eligibility alone does not remove geography from the equation.

• Sixth form places for external applicants are limited: Year 12 has a minimum external intake of 10 places, and entry is subject to GCSE and subject-specific requirements. Students outside the school should treat the sixth form as competitive and prepare alternatives.

• A short formal day, with a longer practical day for many: The official end of day is 14:55, but a school with extensive clubs and leadership expectations often creates a culture where committed pupils stay later for enrichment and study. This suits motivated students; it can feel demanding for those balancing significant commuting time.

Herschel Grammar School suits academically able pupils who respond well to high expectations, structured routines, and a peer group where strong attainment is normal. The combination of top-tier GCSE outcomes, a strong A-level profile, and a rich menu of leadership and enrichment makes it a compelling option for families seeking a traditional grammar-school experience with breadth beyond exams. The central challenge is access, with competitive entry and policy-driven prioritisation that blends selection with geography.