Hazel Grove High School Review 2026: Laurus Trust secondary with standout personal development

Hazel Grove High School has the feel of a school that has reset its trajectory and is now intent on keeping momentum. The Laurus Trust framework, including its Four Cornerstones model and a structured Electives programme, creates a clear rhythm to the week and a consistent language around achievement, service, competition and culture. Leadership has also been in the spotlight recently, with Mrs Emma Moroney appointed as Head of School in January 2026, alongside an Executive Headteacher role that sits across leadership and standards.

The headline position is stable. The school is judged Good overall, with aspects of provision recognised as Outstanding. That mix matters for families. It signals a mainstream, comprehensive intake and solid academic outcomes, alongside unusually strong emphasis on personal development and sixth form culture.

A key feature here is how deliberately the school describes student experience. The Four Cornerstones are not a slogan; they translate into practical routines, especially through Electives. Students encounter a school day that expects engagement beyond lessons, whether that is debating, music ensembles, volunteering, or sport. That expectation can be motivating for students who like structure and clear pathways, and it can help quieter students find a niche because activities are built into the culture rather than treated as optional add-ons.

The house system reinforces belonging and identity. Students are allocated to one of five vertical houses in Year 7, with Years 7 to 11 represented in each house. House names draw on Latin and Olympic ideas, including Altius, Citius, Fortius, Laurus and Magnus, with points counted each half term and a winning house flag raised for the following half term. This is a straightforward mechanism, but it can be powerful in a large mixed secondary because it creates smaller communities, consistent adult oversight, and a reason for year groups to mix positively.

The most recent leadership update is significant. Mrs Emma Moroney is presented by the school as Head of School from January 2026, and the wider leadership structure also includes an Executive Headteacher role. For parents, that is a cue to look for clarity on who holds which responsibilities, particularly around the sixth form, behaviour systems, and curriculum development. In practical terms, it can be a strength, giving capacity for both strategic work and day-to-day running, but families usually benefit from asking directly how decision-making works.

The GCSE profile is best understood as steady and above average progress, rather than a headline-grabbing outlier. Ranked 1,288th in England and 6th in Stockport for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). That is a reassuring position for a large comprehensive because it suggests outcomes that are competitive locally without being narrowly exam-driven.

The Attainment 8 score is 48.2. Progress is a brighter point, with a Progress 8 score of +0.19 indicating that students, on average, make above-average progress from their starting points compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. For parents, Progress 8 is often the more revealing figure in a comprehensive context because it reflects teaching impact across the ability range, not just the proportion of high prior attainers.

The EBacc picture is more mixed, which is not necessarily a weakness, but it does shape curriculum choices. The average EBacc APS is 4.48 compared with an England figure of 4.08, suggesting stronger performance among those taking EBacc subjects. However, 27.5% achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure. Families who prioritise a full EBacc pathway should ask how many students are entered for EBacc subjects, and how language uptake is supported through Key Stage 4 options.

A-level performance data is not currently available in a format that allows simple like-for-like comparison here, so parents are best served by looking at sixth form entry requirements, enrichment, subject offer, and progression guidance, then discussing outcomes directly with the sixth form team.

The school’s curriculum is framed as ambitious and broad, with a clear intent to give all students access to substantial subject knowledge across disciplines. Teaching places emphasis on clarity and sequencing, which shows in how staff describe curriculum statements and assessment, particularly in subjects such as history and other traditionally essay-based disciplines where cumulative knowledge matters.

Reading support is a meaningful strand. Students who are at earlier stages of reading receive targeted help, and the school aims to embed reading opportunities across subjects rather than isolating literacy as a separate intervention. For students entering Year 7 with uneven confidence, this type of approach tends to reduce gaps over time, because reading becomes a shared responsibility across departments rather than the remit of English alone.

There is also an honest improvement edge. The curriculum intent is strong, but delivery consistency can vary in a small number of subjects, particularly in how well students retain and recall prior knowledge. For families, this is less about day-to-day classroom quality and more about whether departments have the staffing, training and subject leadership needed to apply the same standards everywhere. It is a sensible question to raise at open events, especially if your child has particular strengths or weaknesses in specific subjects.

The sixth form is positioned as a high-expectation environment with structured guidance. Students applying to join Year 12 are invited to a consultation meeting with senior staff, followed by conditional offers and an induction phase prior to September start. This matters because it signals that sixth form entry is not treated as automatic. Students are expected to arrive with clear plans and a readiness to work independently.

Enrichment is built into sixth form identity through an Electives model that looks more like a mini curriculum than a loose set of clubs. Options listed for sixth form Electives include Book to Film club, Politics, Chess, Social Sciences Society, R programming for Statistics, STEP-prep, as well as language options such as Russian, Italian, and skills-based sessions like video editing and image editing. For academically ambitious students, especially those targeting competitive university courses, electives like STEP-prep and programming provide stretch that can make applications more distinctive.

Progression support also covers employment and training routes. Students receive structured exposure to future pathways, including apprenticeships and technical education options, alongside traditional university guidance. This balanced approach tends to suit students who want strong academic grounding but do not yet have a single fixed destination.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through Stockport’s local authority process rather than direct school application. For September entry, the local authority application window typically opens in mid August and closes on 31 October, with offers released in early March. Families considering Year 7 should plan around that cycle and avoid leaving preferences to the final weeks, particularly if moving house or managing evidence for priority categories.

The school runs open events as part of its admissions cycle. For the 2026 Year 7 intake, the main open evening took place in October. The timing is a useful guide for future years, and parents should check the school website for the current schedule and booking arrangements.

Sixth form admissions run directly through the school, with an admissions timeline beginning with a sixth form open event in November and an application deadline in December. Consultation meetings then take place through December to February depending on whether applicants are internal or external, with conditional offers typically issued in February.

Pastoral systems are designed to be visible rather than purely reactive. Students are taught how to manage risk, how to seek support, and how to treat differences with respect, which aligns with the school’s emphasis on personal development and house identity. A school of this size needs clear behaviour routines to keep corridors and transitions calm, and the school’s approach is built around consistency, predictable expectations, and adult accessibility.

The most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2022 judged the school Good overall, with Outstanding judgements for personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision. The report also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Beyond formal systems, the school highlights student participation in structured programmes and a sense that staff are approachable. Families of students who can be anxious about transition into Year 7 should take confidence from the way Year 7 routines are explicitly explained, including lunch arrangements and supervised spaces, and from the emphasis on students knowing where to go and who to ask when worried.

The defining feature here is that extracurricular is organised as Electives, linked to the Four Cornerstones framework. The point is not simply to offer activities, it is to make participation routine, with lunchtimes and after-school blocks used deliberately. For students who thrive when a week is predictable, this can reduce the barrier to trying something new.

The Spring 2026 whole-school Electives timetable illustrates the blend. Academic Aspiration is reflected in activities such as Maths Stretch Club and Maths Sparx PP&R Club, while culture and creativity shows up through Made for the Stage, Art Sketch Club, Scientific Drawing Club, and music ensembles. Leadership and service has tangible expression through groups such as Young Carers and a structured approach to student participation. Students who enjoy speaking and argument can look to the Debates Team, while those drawn to identity and inclusion have options including Diversity Club and Pride of Lions.

Music is organised with the specificity of a department that expects commitment. Electives listed include Advanced Choir, Pop Choir, Orchestra, String Group, School of Rock, plus targeted GCSE Composition sessions and a Stomp Station. For students already learning an instrument, this creates a clear pathway into ensemble work, which typically accelerates progress and builds confidence in performance settings.

Sport is also clearly structured, supported by on-site facilities and a school-based sports centre that operates outside normal school hours for the wider community. The PE timetable includes activities such as rugby, girls’ rugby, netball, volleyball, boxing, trampolining, basketball, football, girls’ football, table tennis, badminton, dance and ultimate frisbee. For families, the practical implication is simple, a student who wants regular sport will find a routine, and a student who prefers something less traditional still has credible options.

The school day starts with registration at 8.30am. Finish times vary through the week, with Monday, Tuesday and Thursday finishing at 3.20pm, Wednesday at 2.25pm, and Friday at 2.35pm. Electives and other co-curricular activities typically run after school, often in the 3pm to 4pm window, with a slightly earlier pattern on Wednesdays due to the early finish.

Term dates are published by the school, including forward planning into the next academic year. For travel planning, families are best served by checking the school’s published guidance and considering the impact of after-school Electives on pickup times, particularly for younger students in Year 7.

• Curriculum consistency in a small number of subjects. Teaching is generally strong and expectations are clear, but there is acknowledged variation in how consistently some subjects are delivered. Families may want to ask how departments are supported to improve retention and recall in weaker areas.

• EBacc pathway needs checking early. EBacc performance for those taking it is positive, but families who want a full EBacc suite should ask about language uptake, entry decisions, and how option blocks are constructed at Key Stage 4.

• The weekly timetable has early finishes midweek and on Friday. That suits many families and can help with staff training and enrichment, but it can also complicate childcare and transport for some households, especially if Electives extend the day on other afternoons.

• Sixth form entry is structured and expectation-led. Minimum GCSE entry requirements and consultation meetings mean students need to be ready for independent study and clear target-setting. This can be motivating, but it is not the right fit for every student.

Hazel Grove High School is best understood as a large, mainstream Laurus Trust secondary that has made personal development a central strength while maintaining solid academic outcomes. The Electives model, house system and sixth form enrichment create structure and identity, which can suit students who like clarity and who respond well when participation is expected rather than optional. Best suited to families seeking a comprehensive school with above-average progress measures, strong personal development culture, and a sixth form that expects ambition and maturity.