Langley Grammar School Review 2026: High-Performing State Selective in the Heart of Slough

When Buckinghamshire County Council opened Langley Grammar School in 1955 under founding Headmaster Mr J. G. Day, they created what would become one of England's most consistently high-performing state schools. More than 70 years later, under the leadership of Headteacher David Harding, the school has completed an £18 million transformation that has left it with state-of-the-art facilities while maintaining the academic rigour and selective character that define it. The 2021 Ofsted inspection awarded Outstanding across all areas, including sixth form provision. Just inside gates lined by immaculate gardens, you notice immediately the purposeful energy: students move between lessons with clear direction, the buildings speak to serious investment, and there is a tangible sense of academic expectation. With 75% of GCSE entries graded 7-9 and a sixth form ranked in the top 25% in England for value-added progress, Langley Grammar delivers consistently exceptional outcomes. Over 200 students learn instruments, the debate teams compete regionally, robotics teams participate in national finals, and the school ranks 75th in England among top 100 STEM schools. This is a selective grammar school that combines fierce academic ambition with genuine breadth of opportunity. Entry is competitive, 6.14 applications for every place, and confined largely to the top 35% of the 11+ cohort. For families living within reach of Slough willing to prepare for the entrance exam, Langley offers an outstanding education at no tuition cost.

The building landscape tells Langley's story of thoughtful evolution. The original 1955 structures, practical post-war red brick, remain functional. But arriving in 2006 was a dedicated Sports Hall, officially opened by the Mayor of Slough. In 2007, Princess Anne herself opened the Sixth Form Centre, a 220-seat lecture theatre and accompanying teaching spaces that signalled the school's growing ambition for post-16 provision. The most dramatic transformation came in 2020, when the new Teaching Block, built through the Government's Priority Schools Building Programme, was completed, replacing the original 1956 buildings with modern accommodation for science, art, technology and computing. Today, students move between the Modern Teaching Block, the 96 Block (sixth form), the Sports Centre, and the Modern Foreign Languages Block, each designed specifically for its purpose. Science facilities include dedicated laboratories, and the technology suites accommodate the iPad integration that has made Langley one of only 30 Apple Distinguished Schools in the UK.

The atmosphere is purposeful without being austere. Students are polite and engaged, consistent with the 2021 Ofsted finding that behaviour is exemplary, both in lessons and around the school site. There is order, but not rigidity. Teachers here have been carefully selected for subject expertise and the school boasts relatively low staff turnover, meaning continuity in teaching relationships. The diverse student body, over 90% from minority ethnic backgrounds, with around 61% speaking English as a second language, contributes to a genuinely cosmopolitan environment. This diversity is a strength: Ofsted noted that warm relationships between staff and pupils characterise the school, and any form of bullying or unkindness is not tolerated. The pastoral house system organises students, with traditional house names (Clarke, Seymour, and others) that seventh-formers creatively reimagine with house crests drawing on Harry Potter aesthetics. The school's core values, articulated through signage and embedded in daily practice, emphasise developing confident, independent, creative and responsible young people.

GCSE Performance

Langley Grammar School ranks 144th in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 10% of schools in England, well above the England average. In 2024, 77% of GCSE entries achieved grades 7-9 (the equivalent of A*/A), with an average grade of 7.4 across all subjects. This represents a 23-percentage-point margin above the England average of 54%. The school's attainment 8 score of 76.7 reflects consistent excellence across the full GCSE cohort, not concentrated advantage for top sets. With 63% achieving grades 5 or above in the English Baccalaureate combination, science, languages, history/geography, maths, and English, the school successfully encourages breadth alongside depth.

Progress 8 scores of +0.75 are significantly above the England average of zero, indicating that students make well-above-average progress from their starting points. This is particularly important: Langley Grammar selects only those in the top 35% of the 11+ ability range, so high GCSE results would be expected. The Progress 8 figure demonstrates that the school adds genuine value, not merely selecting and maintaining an already able cohort.

A-Level Performance

The sixth form is where Langley truly distinguishes itself. A-level rank is 109th in England (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 10% of schools in England. In 2024, 59% of A-level entries achieved grades A*-B, with 27% at A* and 33% at A. The school maintains an ALPS (A-level Performance System) grade of 3, placing it in the top 25% of schools in England for value-added progress, meaning sixth-formers achieve grades significantly above the average for students with comparable GCSE profiles. This is not merely selecting high-attaining applicants; it reflects excellent teaching and substantial support throughout the sixth form.

In 2021, 140 out of 160 sixth-formers secured places at their first-choice university. Seven students progressed to Oxbridge. The school's own analysis shows that 50% of leavers gained places at Russell Group universities, with a significant proportion progressing to top 40 institutions. The breadth of subject uptake is noteworthy: 26 A-level subjects are offered, including Classical Greek, Russian, Psychology, Sociology, and Economics, alongside traditional STEM and humanities options.

Teaching here is characterised by rigorous subject knowledge. Ofsted noted that subject leaders skilfully apply expert knowledge to bring their subjects to life, and lessons are clearly structured with high expectations embedded throughout. The curriculum balance reflects both academic tradition and contemporary relevance. Sciences are taught separately from Year 7, supporting the school's STEM profile (ranked 75th among the country's top 100 STEM schools by the Your Life campaign). Languages feature prominently, with French, German, Spanish and additional options reflecting the school's international outlook.

Technology for Learning is a defining feature. As an Apple Distinguished School, Langley distributes iPads to all students, a notable commitment to digital-age learning uncommon in state schools. Teachers use this technology not as a gimmick but as a genuine pedagogical tool, supporting collaborative work, research, and presentation. The explicit focus on vocabulary development and precise use of subject-specific language runs through all subjects, reflecting best practice in cognitive science around how memory and understanding develop.

The curriculum is ambitious. Teachers share a focus on high expectations and there is collective passion to provide every pupil with the very best academic provision, as Ofsted observed. This ambition is sustained but not oppressive: Year 10 poetry conferences, geographical investigations across London sites, trips to Imperial War Museum Duxford, the academic programme reaches beyond the classroom. Yet the core discipline remains exam performance: GCSEs and A-levels are the summative measures, and the school allocates substantial teaching time to ensuring students master specification content.

University Destinations

In the 2023-24 cohort, 77% of leavers progressed to university, with a further 4% entering apprenticeships, 3% direct employment, and 1% further education. The Oxbridge record is noteworthy: 7 students gained places across Oxford and Cambridge in the measurement period, with Cambridge securing 3 and Oxford 4. Beyond Oxbridge, leavers regularly secure places at Russell Group universities including Imperial College, Durham, Bristol, Edinburgh, and Warwick.

The school does not publish exhaustive destination lists by name, but emphasises that progression is to "well-regarded universities including Oxbridge and Russell Group institutions." The most popular subject choices among leavers include medicine, engineering, psychology, and mathematics, though the full range extends across arts, sciences, and professional degrees. The dedicated Sixth Form Destinations page on the school website provides an insight into typical university choices, with engineering and medical courses particularly prominent given the school's STEM strength.

University Support

The dedicated LGS Futures: Careers and Higher Education programme begins in Year 9 with careers education integrated throughout. By sixth form, students receive one-to-one UCAS guidance, attend fortnightly lecture series featuring university speakers and industry professionals, and have access to a "Fellows Society" providing mentorship. The progression rate (87% to university in the cohort data above) exceeds the England average, reflecting both strong sixth form outcomes and effective careers guidance.

Langley Grammar's extracurricular provision is both substantial and genuinely achieved, not merely listed but actively run and producing results.

Music: A Defining Strength

Music is central to school life in the most practical sense. Around 200 students learn instruments at the school, taught by accomplished peripatetic staff covering a remarkable range: piano, violin, cello, viola, double bass, flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, keyboard, drum kit, ukulele, brass, Indian voice, singing, tabla, and sitar. This breadth, particularly the inclusion of Indian classical instruments, reflects the school's diverse student population and genuine commitment to musical pluralism.

The Langley Grammar School Voice choir is the flagship ensemble, performing at the annual Carol Concert held at St Mary's Church, one of the most celebrated events in the school calendar. The school runs a Jazz Band, bringing together students across ability levels for improvisation and contemporary music. Other ensembles include orchestral and chamber groups. Students can progress to grade examinations and performance opportunities, with competitions and tours beyond the school. The Director of Music, Seann Wilkinson, oversees a department recognised for vibrancy and excellence, consistent with the 2021 Ofsted finding that learning is further enriched through diverse clubs, trips and visits.

Drama: Thriving Production Culture

Drama facilities include a dedicated Drama Studio (rooms 101/102), and the curriculum encompasses GCSE and A-level courses in Drama and Theatre (OCR specification H059, H459). Beyond the curriculum, the Drama Rehearsal Club runs year-round, producing major productions annually. Students perform across multiple venues, including the main hall and dedicated theatre spaces. The school runs GCSE Shakespeare Drama in autumn term and a Drama Festival Play in spring, ensuring multiple opportunities to perform scripted work. Technical aspects, lighting, sound, costume design, are embedded in teaching, not treated as optional add-ons. Sixth-formers take leadership roles directing, designing and managing productions, developing resilience and independent creativity.

STEM: Innovation and Competition

The Robotics Club is Langley Grammar's flagship STEM activity, with two teams regularly competing in the First Lego League competition. In 2019, the Langley Steampunks and Langley Master Builders competed against 30 other teams at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratories in Oxford. The Steampunks secured second place overall in the robot challenge, while the Master Builders won the innovative project award. These competitions require students to research real-world problems, design technical solutions using Lego Mindstorms programmable bricks, and present findings to judges, embedding engineering thinking, problem-solving, and communication within a competitive framework. Mr Oakley's leadership of the club is particularly valued, with students commenting that participation is "fun, exciting and challenging for everyone involved."

Philosophy Club engages older students in formal logical thinking and ethical debate. Chess Club caters to competitive players and novices alike, developing strategic thinking and concentration. The school has achieved recognition as one of the top 100 STEM schools in England, ranked 75th by the Your Life campaign (which analyses A*-B grades in STEM subjects relative to total A-level entries). This position among a field that includes 50 independent schools underscores the calibre of science, technology, engineering and mathematics teaching.

Sports: Breadth, Depth and Elite Pathways

The PE department runs clubs and competitive teams across football, netball, hockey, cricket, basketball, trampolining, athletics, badminton and table tennis. The school does not offer swimming (an unusual note, worth mentioning for families for whom this matters). The physical facilities support this range: the purpose-built Sports Centre houses a multi-use hall, six outdoor courts, an astro-turf pitch, a dance studio, and a fitness suite. Saturday morning football continues tradition, and fixtures are scheduled throughout the academic year across all sports.

Beyond school teams, the sports facilities are hired to local clubs (badminton, cricket, football), demonstrating community integration and adding to the vibrancy of the site. There is genuine breadth, students can find sport at club, team or competitive level. House competitions and inter-school fixtures create additional pathways for participation.

Enrichment: Leadership, Award Schemes, Visits

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme operates through Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels, with sixth-formers actively progressing through the scheme. The Sixth Form Passport for Life programme embeds personal development alongside academics, including leadership roles, service to school and community, and opportunities to "showcase the school or support others" as Ofsted noted. Year 10 Poetry Live conferences provide literary enrichment; Year 9 Focus Days include geographical investigations across London sites (visiting Poplar, Canary Wharf, Greenwich Millennium Village to assess sustainability and practice map reading). Educational visits are structured throughout: Imperial War Museum Duxford for History Year 9, specialist trips for Modern Languages, art gallery visits for sixth-formers. These are not tokenistic, they are linked to curriculum, purposeful, and regular.

Langley Grammar School is a selective grammar school serving the Slough Consortium alongside three others: Herschel, Upton Court, and St Bernard's Catholic. Entry to Year 7 requires success in the Slough 11+ examination (administered by GL Assessment, formerly CEM). The test consists of two papers covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and mathematics, taken in September of Year 6. A standardised score of 111 is required to be eligible for consideration, this represents approximately the top 35% of the cohort.

In 2024, 180 Year 7 places were offered to 1,105 applicants, a subscription ratio of 6.14 applications per place. The school is significantly oversubscribed. After looked-after children and those with special needs, places are allocated by distance from the school, with priority given to families within a 6.4km radius. Around 50% of the student body comes from Slough itself and the immediate locality; the remainder are drawn from West London boroughs and south Buckinghamshire.

The entrance test itself is not tutoring-proof, though 11+ preparation is nearly universal among applicants. The school's language around tutoring is carefully measured: the examination is described as assessing "a range of skills relevant to grammar school entry" without endorsing intensive coaching. Parents should expect that a significant proportion of the cohort will have received private tuition, though it is not mandatory for success.

For sixth form entry, current Year 11 students at Langley progress automatically if they meet minimum standards (typically a minimum average grade 5.5 across subjects, with grade 5 or above in English Language and Mathematics required for progression). External applicants from other schools are welcomed and compete for limited spaces; the deadline was February 2025 for September 2025 entry. Entry to year 12 from other schools is genuinely competitive, with the school reporting an "unprecedented number of applications" in recent cycles.

Students are organised into a pastoral house system with assigned house tutors who know them well and monitor progress. The 2021 Ofsted inspection confirmed that safeguarding systems are robust, staff are well trained, and pupils feel supported and confident that concerns are addressed effectively. Any form of bullying or unkindness is not tolerated, and the school is described as a very supportive and safe place to learn.

The promotion of pupils' mental and physical health and wellbeing is stated as being at the heart of all that leaders do. There is no complacency from leadership; governors and leaders actively handle concerns and are constantly seeking to adapt and improve the school. Behaviour is exemplary in lessons and around the site, with pupils described as considerate and respectful. Support is personalised where needed: Year 11 and Year 13 students have access to practice exam sessions and targeted support, and the sixth form provides structured tutorials alongside academic subject teaching.

Anti-bullying procedures are explicit and enforced. Communication home is regular and accessible through multiple channels (email, phone, parents' evenings, school newsletters). For Year 10 and above, a dedicated online learning platform provides engagement outside formal lessons. Online Safety is explicitly taught, recognising the realities of adolescent digital lives.

The school day runs from 8:50am to 3:20pm, with sixth form students having some flexibility in timetabling to accommodate A-level study. The school is located at Reddington Drive, Langley, Slough SL3 7QS, adjacent to Kedermister Park and just north of the A4, with good Elizabeth Line rail links to London. Cycle route 61 runs alongside the west side of the school. Parking on-site is limited, and families are advised to use nearby public transport or park legally in surrounding streets.

For families with younger children, the school does not operate a nursery. Students are admitted in Reception through the usual infant school progression. No boarding facilities are available; all students are day pupils. Catering is available through the on-site dining facilities, with options for free school meals for eligible families and the option to pre-pay for lunches via the ParentPay portal. Uniform requirements are standard (blazer, tie, formal dress codes), with clear guidance published on the school website.

Lunch and break facilities serve approximately 1,260 pupils across the main and sixth form buildings, with dining spaces recently upgraded as part of the £18 million building investment. The fitness suite and sports centre are available for student use during allocated times, providing additional recreational opportunities beyond formal PE lessons.

Entry Competition is Fierce. With 6.14 applications per place and entry dependent on 11+ performance, securing a place requires both academic ability (top 35% at minimum) and, for many, external preparation. Families should realistically assess whether their child is comfortable with selective entry processes and whether they are willing to engage with 11+ preparation from Year 5 onwards. Entry to the school is a genuine achievement and should not be taken for granted.

Tutoring Culture is Ubiquitous. While not mandatory, the prevalence of private tuition for 11+ entry means that many families investing in Langley Grammar will have engaged tutors. This is a market reality, not a school failing, but families should be aware of the cultural expectation and associated costs (typically £20-50 per hour, with many receiving 1-2 hours weekly from Year 5).

Sixth Form Expansion Has Created Intense Competition for External Entry. The school is now receiving "unprecedented numbers of applications" for Year 12 from external students. While it welcomes external entrants, spaces are genuinely limited and competition is rising. Families hoping for sixth form entry from outside should prepare early and understand that entry is not assured.

Distance and Catchment Limitations Affect Accessibility. While not formally selective by postcode, the school's location north of Slough and reliance on distance as the tiebreaker mean that families living outside the 6.4km priority area are less likely to secure places. This is manageable if living within reach, but families further away should plan transport carefully and consider alternatives.

Selective Schools Can Create Academic Pressure. Langley Grammar's selective intake, high expectations, and competition-focused culture (house competitions, public examination emphasis, university destination tracking) mean that some students may experience the environment as pressured. For families seeking a gentler, less formally assessed environment, a non-selective comprehensive may be preferable.

Langley Grammar School is one of England's strongest state-funded secondary schools, consistently delivering exceptional academic outcomes, a genuinely ambitious curriculum, and a breadth of extracurricular opportunity that rivals many independent schools, all without tuition fees. The 2021 Ofsted Outstanding rating, GCSE results placing it in the top 3% in England, A-level value-added in the top 25%, and Oxbridge progression all reflect genuine educational strength. The recent £18 million investment in facilities has created modern, purpose-built learning environments. Music, drama, robotics, STEM, sports and enrichment programmes are substantive, producing results (First Lego League finals, regional debate success, published STEM school status). The student body is genuinely diverse, the pastoral care is strong, and behaviour is exemplary.

This is best suited to:

• Academically able children (top 35% at 11+) who are comfortable with selective entry and prepared for a rigorous, expectation-rich environment
• Families living within the Slough area or surrounding West London/south Buckinghamshire catchment willing to manage transport
• Families who value explicit academic outcomes and university progression tracking
• Students seeking breadth alongside depth, genuine subject variety, strong STEM but not at the expense of arts and humanities

Main challenges are entry competition and the tutoring culture surrounding 11+ selection. For families able to navigate these, Langley Grammar delivers an excellent, ambitious education.