Lyndon School Review 2026: A large Solihull secondary with a strong progress story

Lyndon School is a mixed 11 to 16 academy in Solihull, part of Summit Learning Trust, with capacity for 1,380 pupils. It is a big secondary, yet the public messaging leans heavily on a “small school ethos”, built around consistent routines, clear expectations, and a leadership structure that separates day to day school operations from trust-wide strategy. The current leadership team is led by Syreeta Kapswara (Head of School) and Abid Butt (Executive Principal).

Inspection evidence aligns with a settled, all-round “good” profile, and the school’s published curriculum narrative puts enrichment, careers, and student leadership alongside classroom learning rather than treating them as optional extras.

Academically, the FindMySchool GCSE ranking places Lyndon in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), with a Progress 8 score that indicates students typically make above-average progress from their starting points. For many families, that combination is the headline: a large local school that appears to add measurable value, while keeping the wider offer broad and structured.

Lyndon presents itself as values-led and system-driven. You see that most clearly in two choices. First, the school explicitly builds “learner voice” into its routines, through a school council that meets each half term, plus a prefect programme tied to school development priorities. Second, the leadership communication frames consistency as a strength, with emphasis on students being known, supported, and challenged within a large intake.

The school’s trust context matters here. Summit Learning Trust messaging highlights shared expectations across academies, and Lyndon’s own website uses the trust’s values language as a common reference point. In practical terms, that often translates into aligned policies, staff development structures, and shared enrichment opportunities across the trust.

There is also a local-history dimension that adds personality. Lyndon’s Daylesford Road site is widely associated with post-war school building and modernist civic design, and local historical writing credits Coventry architects Rolf Hellberg and Maurice Harris with the original design, with the school opening in September 1952. This is not something most parents choose a school on, but it does explain why the setting is frequently described as a showpiece of its era.

Lyndon is a secondary school without sixth form, so the key performance story is GCSE-focused. In the FindMySchool ranking, Lyndon is ranked 1,422nd in England and 8th in Solihull for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). That position equates to performance in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), which is a useful shorthand for families comparing broadly similar local comprehensives.

The more distinctive data point is progress. A Progress 8 score of 0.47 indicates that, on average, students at Lyndon make above-average progress from their starting points across eight qualifications. That matters because it is less dependent on prior attainment and more reflective of the school’s added value over time.

The curriculum balance can be seen in the English Baccalaureate figures. The school’s EBacc average point score is 4.29, compared with an England average of 4.08, and 26% of pupils achieve grade 5 or above in the EBacc suite. Taken together, this suggests a cohort where EBacc entry and success is meaningful but not the dominant identity, and where the school’s strongest story is progress rather than a single headline attainment statistic.

For parents comparing locally, a sensible next step is to use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view Lyndon alongside other Solihull secondaries using the same underlying methodology, then sense-check the shortlist via open events and conversations with staff.

The school describes its curriculum as extending beyond subject content, with enrichment positioned as a core entitlement rather than a bolt-on. In practice, the most tangible evidence is the published after-school programme and subject pages that repeatedly reference visitors, external partnerships, and structured academic support.

Subject-level detail points to a pragmatic approach. For example, science references on-site visitors such as the Royal Navy and Energy Quest, which signals a deliberate attempt to connect classroom content to real-world pathways, particularly for students who engage best with applied examples.

Support structures also show up in how additional time is used. The school day structure explicitly adds a Year 11 Period 5, which is described as supplementing the core offer with enrichment and additional learning time. That is often where schools make the biggest difference for borderline grades, provided the sessions are targeted and attendance is consistent.

Lyndon is an 11 to 16 school, so the key destination moment is post-16 transition. The school does not publish a sixth form pathway because it does not run one, and the provided dataset does not include leaver destinations data for this school. The practical implication is that families should look early at local post-16 options, including sixth form colleges and training routes, and ask how Lyndon supports decision-making in Year 9 to Year 11 through careers education and guidance.

Careers appears integrated into the school’s wider model, with repeated references to employer engagement and preparation for next steps.

Entry to Lyndon is via Solihull’s local authority coordinated admissions process for Year 7. The published admissions information for the 2026 intake states an admission number of 240 places, with a closing date of 31 October 2025 and offer day on 1 March 2026.

The most important practical point is timing. Even families who are confident about eligibility can be caught out by deadlines, especially if they move across local authority borders. If you are applying from outside Solihull, the local authority route still matters, and you should check which “home council” is responsible for submitting the application.

Because the available dataset does not include a published last distance offered for this school, it is not sensible to infer a catchment tightness figure. Families who are distance-sensitive should use the FindMySchool Map Search to measure home-to-school distance precisely and compare it against any published local authority allocation information for the relevant year.

Pastoral systems are easiest to judge through what is operationalised rather than what is promised. Here, Lyndon’s student leadership structures are relevant: council notes are shared through tutor systems, and the prefect programme is positioned as ownership of school development, not just a badge. That tends to work best in schools where tutors have consistent time and where feedback loops are visible to students.

There is also evidence of structured support for students with additional needs and those who benefit from quieter academic spaces. The published enrichment programme includes a Homework Club for SEN learners, alongside supervised study and computer access through the library at set times. This does not replace in-lesson adaptation, but it can be an important part of maintaining progress for students who need extra scaffolding.

The latest full inspection outcome is “Good” across the graded areas, which is consistent with a school where safeguarding, behaviour, and leadership are functioning reliably even if the profile is not positioned as ultra-selective.

Lyndon publishes a detailed clubs timetable, which is a strong signal in itself. Schools sometimes describe enrichment in generalities; Lyndon’s offer is easier to evaluate because it is listed by day, location, and year group, including both academic and sport routes.

Two strands stand out.

Academic and creative clubs with clear staffing: Examples include Science Club (Years 7 to 9), Debate Club (Years 7 to 10), and Pen Pals Creative Writing Club. These are not generic labels; they have named staff leads and scheduled weekly sessions, which usually correlates with continuity and sustained participation.

Sport and participation-based activity: The timetable includes cross country, netball, dodgeball, badminton, gymnastics, football, and table tennis across multiple year groups. For families, the implication is choice and routine. Students who need structure after school can stay on-site in supervised activity, and students who want a competitive outlet have multiple entry points rather than a single flagship sport.

There is also a clear “quiet study” pathway, with before-school and after-school read or study sessions with access to computers, which can be particularly valuable for students who struggle to work effectively at home.

The published school day expects students on site and in uniform by 8:30am. For Years 7 to 10, the core day runs to 3:00pm; Year 11 includes an additional Period 5, finishing at 4:00pm.

The clubs timetable includes a breakfast club (listed 8:00am to 8:30am) and scheduled supervised study slots. That is helpful for working families, although it is not the same as a full secondary wraparound model, so families should check what is available in the specific year group and term.

• A large-school experience. With capacity for 1,380 pupils, this is not a small setting. The benefit is breadth and facilities; the trade-off can be that some students need time to find their place within a bigger year group.

• Progress is the standout metric. A Progress 8 score of 0.47 indicates above-average progress. Families mainly seeking the highest raw-attainment peer group should still compare local options carefully, because Lyndon’s overall ranking sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England.

• Admissions timelines are not forgiving. For the 2026 Year 7 intake, the deadline is 31 October 2025 and offers are released on 1 March 2026. Missing the application window can significantly reduce realistic options.

• Post-16 planning needs to start early. With no sixth form on site, students will move to external providers at 16. Parents should ask how subject choices, careers guidance, and applications are supported through Year 10 and Year 11.

Lyndon School suits families who want a structured, mainstream Solihull secondary with a broad enrichment programme and evidence of above-average progress over time. The leadership model, published routines, and detailed clubs offer point to a school that takes consistency seriously. Best suited to students who respond well to clear expectations and who benefit from having multiple after-school options on site. For families deciding between local secondaries, the best approach is a data shortlist using FindMySchool’s comparison tools, followed by an open event to test day-to-day fit.