Barclay Academy Review 2026: A Future Academies secondary with a strong personal development offer

Post-war Stevenage has a few landmarks that still shape daily life, and this school has one of the most unusual. A major Henry Moore bronze, commissioned for the original Barclay School, sits as a visible reminder that education and culture were designed into the new town from the start. The site’s story also matters academically: the school opened in February 2019 as part of Future Academies Trust, and the emphasis since then has been on high expectations, structured routines, reading, and character development.

Leadership is now in the hands of Principal Scarlett O’Sullivan, named on the school website and on official records. The most recent full inspection (published June 2023) judged the school Good overall, with Outstanding for personal development and for leadership and management.

The guiding idea is captured in the school motto, libertas per cultum (Freedom through education). It is not framed as a slogan; it shows up in the way the school describes its standards and the way it positions itself as inclusive and non-selective while still aiming high.

The school’s identity is also shaped by place and design. It was established in 1949 and is described by the school as the first purpose-built secondary school created in the UK after the Second World War, developed as Stevenage expanded. Local historical records add architectural detail, describing the original Barclay School as designed by Yorke, Rosenberg & Mardell, and noting the Festival of Britain architectural award in 1951. That legacy matters to families because it explains why the campus, and what sits inside it, feels different from many later, more standard builds.

One of the clearest cultural signals is the prominence of reading and curriculum structure. External evaluation describes a whole-school approach to reading for pleasure, alongside structured support for students who arrive needing help with reading, and a curriculum built around carefully sequenced programmes in core subjects. The school also offers Latin from Year 7, an unusual choice in a non-selective context, and one that influences language uptake and the English Baccalaureate route later on.

The leadership story is worth understanding. The 2023 inspection report lists Dr Matthew Laban as headteacher at the time, while the current website and official listings name Scarlett O’Sullivan as principal. For parents, that means the school’s recent performance narrative includes both a documented improvement phase post-2019 opening and a more recent leadership transition that may bring further changes to routines, staffing, and priorities.

This is a secondary school with sixth form, so the most useful academic picture combines GCSE outcomes, Progress 8, and post-16 grade distribution.

GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking)

Ranked 1,172nd in England and 2nd locally (Stevenage) for GCSE outcomes, this performance sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). These are proprietary FindMySchool rankings based on official data, designed to help families compare schools on a consistent basis. Alongside that positioning, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 48.4 and Progress 8 is +0.17, indicating students make above-average progress from their starting points.

EBacc picture

The average EBacc APS score is 4.56, above the England average of 4.08. The percentage achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc is 30.9. The inspection evidence aligns with an EBacc direction of travel, describing an increased range of demanding courses in Years 10 and 11 and a rising number of students following EBacc-related courses, including languages.

A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking)

For A-levels, the school is ranked 1,388th in England and 3rd locally (Stevenage), which also places outcomes within the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). These are proprietary FindMySchool rankings based on official data. In the most recent data, 50.98% of grades were A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2%. A* grades account for 0.98% and A grades for 14.71%.

What this means in practice is a school where the academic profile is broadly in line with the England mid-range overall, with a stronger value-add signal at GCSE (Progress 8 above zero) and a post-16 picture that is competitive on A* to B, even if the very top grade concentration is lower than many sixth forms marketed primarily on elite outcomes.

Parents comparing options should use FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and the Comparison Tool to test this profile against nearby alternatives, particularly if post-16 pathways are a deciding factor.

The clearest strength is the focus on programme design and routine. Inspection evidence describes very well-designed and well-sequenced programmes in English, mathematics and science, with students expected to settle quickly into learning via consistent classroom routines and recall tasks. For families, that usually translates into predictable lessons and fewer “lost minutes” at the start of each period, which matters most for students who either need structure or are working towards better outcomes than their prior attainment might suggest.

Reading is treated as a whole-school priority rather than an intervention-only add-on. The published inspection narrative points to reading for pleasure as a cultural norm, with targeted support to help students access texts in lessons when they struggle. That combination tends to work best when it is applied consistently across subjects, not just in English, because it improves comprehension and exam performance in humanities and sciences as well.

Curriculum breadth at Key Stage 3 is described as full, with a note that a small number of foundation subjects need further work to ensure content is sufficiently demanding and that students’ work is consistently strong. For parents, this is a useful nuance: the school’s strongest academic story is the core, while the long-term aim appears to be raising consistency across the wider curriculum. If your child is particularly driven by a specialist foundation area, it is sensible to ask how that department has evolved since the last inspection, what staffing stability looks like, and how curriculum expectations are set and checked.

The school does not publish a Russell Group percentage or Oxbridge totals on its website in the material reviewed, so the most reliable destination picture here is the official 16 to 18 leavers data provided.

In the 2023/24 leaver cohort (29 students), 31% progressed to university. Apprenticeships account for 10%, further education for 14%, and employment for 28%. These figures are helpful because they show a mixed set of next steps rather than a single “default” route. For some families, that variety is a positive signal, especially when a student’s best pathway is a technical or employment route with planned progression rather than university at any cost.

Within school, careers and character education are described as strong, and the inspection narrative links sixth form leadership opportunities and responsibility with a structured programme of wider development. In practical terms, students aiming for apprenticeships should ask about employer engagement, application coaching, and the timing of support for CVs and interviews. Students aiming for university should ask about personal statement or application planning, super-curricular expectations, and subject-specific guidance.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through Hertfordshire County Council, with the county’s timeline providing the key dates families should plan around. For September 2026 entry, applications open on 01 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025, with offers released on 02 March 2026. The school’s own admissions page reinforces that September 2026 admissions open in September 2025 and that applications are made via the local authority route.

The Hertfordshire directory also notes that the school is its own admitting authority, which typically means the oversubscription criteria are set by the school (within the local coordinated scheme). Families should read the determined admissions rules for 2026/27 via the local authority listing, then use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check how distance and transport would work from your exact address, particularly if you are comparing realistic daily travel options.

Sixth form admissions are handled directly by the school via its online application route. For 2026 entry, the published deadline is Friday 19 December 2025, followed by interviews and conditional offers in February and March 2026. The school also lists a sixth form open evening on Thursday 20 November 2025 (5pm to 7pm), a taster day on Wednesday 24 June 2026, and a first day of sixth form on Thursday 03 September 2026.

Pastoral support is not presented as a generic add-on; it has named components and a clear “what it is for” framing. The school works with Place2Be, a mental health charity, and describes access to an in-school room where students can express themselves through art and conversation, as well as counselling support for students dealing with anxiety, low mood, family change, or bullying.

Safeguarding is addressed clearly in the most recent inspection evidence: the report states that safeguarding arrangements are effective, with required checks, prompt referrals, regular staff training, and clear systems for reporting concerns.

Pastoral culture is also connected to character education. The school’s approach includes taught personal, social and health education twice weekly, supported by visiting speakers and theatre groups covering issues such as consent, bullying, and moral choices, alongside digital safety and resilience. For parents, the practical question is not whether the themes exist, but how well students engage with them. It is worth asking how sessions are timetabled, how impact is tracked, and how parents are brought into shared expectations around online behaviour and respectful conduct.

The co-curricular offer is a defining feature, and there is enough specific detail to distinguish it from the standard “clubs and sport” claim.

Sport is wide and structured across the year. The school lists football, netball, hockey, table tennis, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, cheerleading, cricket and rounders, with opportunities for both district and county competition as well as recreational participation. The facilities described for community hire give a sense of what is available day to day: grass pitches, an indoor sports hall, and a floodlit 2G Astro configured for 7v7 or two 5v5 areas. The implication for families is straightforward: students who need regular physical outlet or thrive on team routines are likely to find a place quickly, while beginners are not locked out if they want to try something new.

Arts provision has the sort of named structure that suggests consistent delivery. Instrumental lessons are offered through a peripatetic programme, with ensembles including a woodwind and strings group, guitar ensemble, and separate Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 choirs. Drama and dance are organised through groups including Performing Arts Company, Drama Group, and Dance Company, with an annual cycle of concerts, productions, and exhibitions that includes a carol concert, showcases, whole-school productions, and Key Stage 4 and sixth form art exhibitions.

The inspection report adds distinctive examples that most schools do not offer, including karting and rowing, plus trips to the theatre and abroad, and it links the breadth of provision to trust support. That matters because it suggests the enrichment programme is not simply dependent on one enthusiastic staff member; it is more likely to be built into staffing and resourcing.

For older students, leadership and communication opportunities appear in student-run elements such as The Barclay Bugle, described as a sixth form newspaper with contributions from staff, students, and parents.

The published school day starts early. School opens at 8.00am, with students expected on site by 8.25am. Lessons run until 3.10pm, followed by co-curricular clubs from 3.15pm to 4.15pm.

For travel, the site’s facilities information notes Stevenage as the nearest train station, with local bus routes serving the area. Families should check the most realistic route at the times your child would travel, since peak services and walking links can make a material difference to the day-to-day experience.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual associated costs, particularly uniform, equipment, trips, and optional music tuition.

• Leadership transition since the last inspection. The latest published inspection names a different headteacher to the current principal. That does not indicate a problem, but it does mean families should ask what has changed in behaviour systems, curriculum priorities, and pastoral structures under the current leadership.

• Variation across foundation subjects. The inspection evidence highlights strong core provision while noting that a small number of foundation subjects needed further work to ensure content is sufficiently demanding and outcomes are consistently strong. Families with a child strongly motivated by a specific foundation area should probe subject plans and staffing stability.

• Behaviour expectations for a minority. The published evidence describes high expectations and generally orderly conduct, alongside a small but persistent minority who struggle to self-regulate, sometimes leading to isolation or exclusion. Ask how the school works with families to reduce disruption and support students who need more help with routines.

• Sixth form scale. The sixth form is described in inspection evidence as small but growing. This can suit students who want closer guidance; students seeking a very large sixth form social and subject environment should explore breadth of subjects and enrichment in detail.

Barclay Academy is a non-selective secondary that leans hard into structure, character education, and enrichment, supported by Future Academies Trust and underpinned by a campus with genuine post-war significance. The academic profile is broadly mid-range for England overall, with above-average GCSE progress and a competitive A* to B proportion at A-level, and a destinations picture that includes university, apprenticeships, further education, and employment. Best suited to students who benefit from clear routines, enjoy a strong co-curricular programme, and want a school that treats personal development as central rather than optional.