Sunbury Manor School Review 2026: Community secondary with a clear improvement agenda

A secondary school can be both familiar and demanding, familiar because it serves a broad local intake, demanding because it must get the basics right for every student, every lesson, every day. Sunbury Manor School sits squarely in that space. It is an 11 to 16 mixed school and a single academy trust; it also has a defined set of practical routines, including a structured school day and a published extra curricular timetable that runs from lunchtime clubs to after school revision and enrichment.

The recent headline has been school improvement. The latest graded Ofsted inspection (30 April and 1 May 2024) judged the school Inadequate in every area and placed it in special measures. A special measures monitoring letter dated 8 October 2025 reports that leaders have made progress, while further improvement is still required.

For parents, the right question is not whether the school has challenges, it does, but whether the direction of travel, leadership stability, and day to day systems feel convincing for their child.

Sunbury Manor describes itself as a community comprehensive school, with an explicit set of values that are repeated consistently across its public communications: commitment, community, responsibility, kindness and respect. That framing matters, because it signals a school aiming to rebuild norms and expectations in a way students can recognise and staff can apply consistently.

Leadership is a central part of that story. The current headteacher is Mr David Lee, who took up post in June 2024, after the graded inspection. That timing is important for parents weighing accountability and trajectory, because it suggests the current leadership team has been appointed specifically to drive improvement rather than to maintain an already secure position.

The picture that emerges from formal monitoring and the school’s own messaging is of a school trying to make daily experience more predictable. You see this in practical choices, such as phone management through Yondr Phone Pouches, and in the prominence given to routines, tutor time, and a clearly timetabled day. Predictability is not cosmetic, it is often the foundation for calmer corridors, better attendance, and a more teachable classroom.

For GCSE outcomes, Sunbury Manor School is ranked 3,218th in England and 3rd in Sunbury on Thames for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places performance below England average, within the lower 40% of schools in England.

The headline indicators align with that picture. The school’s Progress 8 score is -0.67, which suggests students, on average, make less progress than similar pupils nationally across eight subjects. Attainment 8 is 40, indicating the typical overall GCSE achievement across the suite of qualifications. EBacc average point score is 3.31. These metrics point to a school where raising consistency, especially in everyday classroom delivery and attendance, is likely to be the main lever for improving outcomes.

For families comparing options, the most useful approach is to treat the numbers as a baseline, then look for credible signs of improvement: stable staffing, stronger behaviour routines, and clear academic catch up structures for Year 10 and Year 11.

Curriculum breadth is visible in the way departments are presented, with dedicated pages across a wide span, including Art and Photography, Belief and Ethics, Business Studies, Child Development, Computing and iMedia, Food and Nutrition, and Life Skills. That range matters for a comprehensive intake because it allows students to find subjects where they can gain confidence and momentum.

What makes the difference in a school in special measures is not the list of subjects, it is how consistently they are taught. Formal monitoring highlights that improving pedagogy and staff expertise is an active focus, including professional development linked to agreed approaches in the classroom.

A practical indicator parents can look for is the amount of structured academic support sitting around the timetable. Sunbury Manor publishes multiple after school sessions tied to GCSE, including English grade booster support, science revision, and a series of mathematics revision and practice sessions for Year 10 and Year 11. The implication is clear: students who engage with these sessions are likely to benefit from tighter exam preparation, while students who avoid lessons or struggle with attendance may find it harder to access the support designed to close gaps.

This is an 11 to 16 school, so the main destination conversation is post 16 rather than university. The school’s published Careers area includes guidance around apprenticeships and college applications, which is useful in a community context where students’ next steps will vary widely.

The most realistic way to interpret “destinations” here is through readiness. In schools focused on improvement, strong next step outcomes typically follow once attendance stabilises and behaviour is consistent enough for students to complete courses effectively. Parents of Year 10 and Year 11 students may want to ask specifically how the school supports post 16 applications, including timelines, reference processes, and targeted support for students at risk of missing entry grades.

Year 7 admissions for September 2026 entry are coordinated by Surrey County Council rather than handled directly by the school. The school publishes its determined admission criteria and notes a published admission number of 210 for this admission round.

The key dates matter. The school lists 31 October 2025 as the closing date for secondary applications, and 3 March 2026 as the date offers are issued, with confirmation required by 17 March 2026. Surrey County Council also states that families can apply from 1 September 2025, with the closing date for on time applications on 31 October 2025.

For parents who want to plan accurately, the most useful workflow is to read the school’s published criteria carefully, then use FindMySchoolMap Search to check distance and local alternatives, especially if you are weighing several Surrey options and need a realistic shortlist. Where a supplementary form is relevant, Sunbury Manor indicates a separate deadline for returning this to the school.

In a school working through special measures, wellbeing and safeguarding systems are foundational. Formal monitoring describes safeguarding as effective and notes detailed oversight of pupils’ whereabouts when they are not in school. That is a meaningful reassurance, particularly for parents of students with higher vulnerability or complex circumstances.

The bigger wellbeing question for parents is culture. The 2024 inspection raised serious concerns about behaviour, attendance, and the normalisation of harmful language between pupils. For families, the practical implication is that the right due diligence is detailed and specific. Ask how incidents are recorded, how families are informed, what sanctions look like in practice, and how the school is rebuilding a culture where students feel confident reporting issues.

Sunbury Manor’s extracurricular offer is unusually concrete, because it is published as a day by day schedule rather than a broad promise. This allows parents to judge fit and accessibility.

A strong example is the STEM and computing strand. Code Club runs after school for Years 7 to 9, and Arduino Coding Club is offered for Year 10. The evidence here is practical, named provision, at defined times, with clear year group access. The implication is that students who enjoy building, problem solving, and computing can find a structured pathway that complements Computing and iMedia in the curriculum.

The arts and culture offer is also visible. West African Drumming, Creative Writing Club, Magazine Club, and multiple year group bands appear across the week, alongside Art Club and Sketchbook sessions. The implication is that the school is trying to provide identity and belonging beyond lessons, which is often a key retention lever for students who disengage academically.

There are also distinctive opportunities that give the school a clearer identity. Wimbledon training and a pathway to ball boy or ball girl roles is referenced as a notable sporting opportunity, and Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme participation is signposted. Finally, the Allies Group and Equality Group are explicitly listed, which is important context given the school’s recent focus on behaviour and respect.

The published school day begins with doors opening at 8:00, breakfast availability from 8:00, and a start of day at 8:25, with lessons running through to 15:00. The compulsory week is stated as 32.5 hours.

Transport information is unusually detailed. The nearest train stations are Sunbury and Upper Halliford. The school also lists several bus routes that serve the area and highlights cycle parking on site. For families who drive, the school’s travel guidance is explicit about avoiding certain parking areas and the focus on safer local streets for drop off and collection, which is relevant given the concentration of schools nearby.

Wraparound care is not presented as a formal after school club offer in the published day structure; families who need extended provision should check directly what is currently available and whether it is consistent across the year.

• Special measures context. The school is still working through a formal improvement process. This can bring rapid change, but it can also mean that policies, staffing, and routines may evolve during a child’s time at the school.

• Behaviour and culture. Recent formal findings raised concerns about inconsistent classroom experience and the handling of harmful language. Families should ask detailed questions about how incidents are addressed now, not in theory.

• Attendance and engagement. Improvement work often depends on students being in lessons consistently. If your child has struggled with attendance, ask what early intervention looks like and how the school works with families.

• No sixth form. Post 16 planning is part of Year 10 and Year 11 decision making. Families should be comfortable that the school can support pathways into college, sixth form elsewhere, or apprenticeships.

Sunbury Manor School is a comprehensive secondary in Sunbury on Thames with clear published routines, a detailed extracurricular timetable, and a leadership team that has been appointed specifically to drive improvement. The academic indicators show outcomes below England average and underline why consistency, attendance, and classroom culture are central priorities.

Who it suits: families who want a local state secondary and are prepared to engage actively with the school, particularly around behaviour expectations, attendance, and academic support in Key Stage 4. For students who will use structured revision sessions and commit to clubs such as Code Club, Arduino Coding Club, or Creative Writing, the school offers practical routes to belonging and progress.