The Bishop Wand Church of England School Review 2026: Faith-led community secondary with structured enrichment

A school can be both ambitious and grounded, and this one makes that balance a clear organising principle. The Bishop Wand Church of England School is an 11 to 18 mixed secondary in Sunbury-on-Thames, with a wide local draw and a distinctly Church of England identity that shows up in daily routines, language, and pastoral systems. It sits within Instanter Learning Trust, and operates as an academy.

The latest Ofsted inspection, carried out on 2 and 3 February 2022, confirmed that the school continues to be Good.

Leadership stability is also a feature. Daniel Aldridge has been headteacher since 2014, and he frames the school around high expectations paired with a strong moral vocabulary.

The school’s Church of England character is not limited to formal services. It is visible in the way the school speaks about purpose and belonging, and in the structure of support around students. Weekly spiritual themes sit alongside assemblies and form time reflection, with local clergy and youth workers contributing to chaplaincy activity. A notable point is that the chaplaincy offer is described as open to students of all faiths, and those with none, with support groups that flex to need, including bereavement support and anxiety support during pressure points such as exams.

Pastoral organisation is explicit, with named Heads of Year for each year group and a Head of Sixth Form. This matters for families because it suggests that responsibility is clearly allocated, and it tends to reduce the risk that concerns drift between teams.

Student leadership is also formalised through a house structure. There are seven houses, each with a staff Head of House and elected student leaders including a sixth form Deputy Head of House, plus representation by year group. The practical implication is that older students have defined responsibilities, and younger pupils have clear channels for voice and participation.

A final note on heritage: the school opened in 1969, and marked its 50th anniversary in 2019. That gives it the feel of an established local institution rather than a recent entrant.

Performance at GCSE level is broadly in line with the middle tier of schools in England on this dataset’s comparative lens. Ranked 1,535th in England and 2nd locally 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).

The headline GCSE indicators show an Attainment 8 score of 53.1 and a Progress 8 score of 0.4, which indicates above average progress from starting points. EBacc average point score is 4.5.

At sixth form, the outcomes profile is weaker on this dataset’s England comparison. Ranked 2,198th in England and 2nd locally for A level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), this places results below England average on the percentile model used here. The grade distribution shows 2.33% at A*, 9.69% at A, 14.73% at B, and 26.74% at A* to B, compared with an England average of 47.2% at A* to B.

If you are comparing options in Surrey, FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool are useful for stress testing whether this sixth form profile is a fit, especially if you are balancing academic outcomes against a particular programme such as sport, creative subjects, or vocational routes.

The strongest indicators here are around curriculum sequencing and classroom culture. Lessons are described as calm and purposeful, with high expectations for participation, and reading is treated as a priority with targeted support for those who need it.

The practical benefit for families is that this tends to support consistency for students who do well with routine and clear milestones. It also reduces reliance on informal support, which can otherwise disadvantage quieter students.

At the same time, there is a specific improvement point to understand: the inspection notes that checking prior knowledge is not consistently strong across all teaching, and that this can lead to some students being moved on before they have secured foundations.

For parents, the implication is straightforward, ask how departments assess and close gaps, especially in subjects your child finds harder.

This is a school with an active sixth form, and the leaver outcomes show a mixed pattern of destinations. For the 2023/24 leavers cohort, 52% progressed to university, 7% entered apprenticeships, 24% moved into employment, and 3% went into further education.

Oxbridge is present but not a defining pipeline on the available figures. In the measurement period, there were nine Oxbridge applications and one offer, which resulted in one Cambridge place.

The sensible way to read this is not as a verdict on aspiration, but as a sign that the sixth form serves a range of plans, including apprenticeships and work, rather than operating primarily as a high intensity university admissions machine.

Demand is clearly higher than capacity for the main admissions route. The available admissions data shows 753 applications for 211 offers, which is around 3.57 applications per offered place, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed.

For September 2026 entry, applications are coordinated through the local authority, with an on time deadline of 31 October 2025 for submission of the coordinated application. Where relevant, the school also requires a Supplementary Information Form by the same date for particular criteria categories.

Open events follow a recognisable annual rhythm. For September 2026 entry, the open evening was scheduled for 2 October 2025, and the school also offered daytime tours across September and October.

If you are looking a year ahead, it is reasonable to expect a similar pattern, with dates confirmed on the school’s website.

Parents thinking about competitiveness should use the FindMySchool Map Search to sanity check travel options and day to day practicality, particularly when multiple oversubscribed schools are on a shortlist.

Pastoral systems are reinforced by the school’s faith framework and chaplaincy structure. Students are invited into support through a chaplaincy model that includes student participation, a named chaplain, and support groups that respond to need, including bereavement support and support for anxiety.

The inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective, and describes a school culture where bullying is not tolerated and issues are acted on quickly.

The implication for families is that the school appears to take a whole school approach to wellbeing rather than treating it as an add on, with the faith character used as a practical structure for support rather than as a separate strand.

The most distinctive feature is how enrichment is structured into the week. The school runs Brighter Futures as a timetabled slot after the main part of the day, framed as employability skill development through co-curricular activity.

What this looks like in practice is concrete. An exemplar Year 7 timetable shows activities in that slot such as STEM club, drama club, a craft focused option, creative writing, global cuisine, couch to 5K, and team sports options including girls football and boys rugby.

The inspection also references clubs that are unusually specific for a state secondary, including gardening, landscape design, middle eastern cookery, music journalism, and political debate.

The benefit is that students who do not naturally self-start after school still have an organised, school-led route into activities that build confidence and skills.

Facilities support this breadth. The school has a floodlit all weather pitch with a named Tiger Turf Evolution surface, a sports hall set up for multiple sports with four badminton courts, and an indoor 20 metre swimming pool with accessibility equipment including a platform lift and hoist.

Creative arts are also supported through a drama studio with a sprung wooden floor, and the Bishop’s Building is presented as a meeting and conference space designed for good acoustics and lighting.

For sixth form students with a strong sport focus, the Bishop Wand ACE Programme in partnership with Harlequins is a significant differentiator. The school states there are 25 places in Year 12 and Year 13 for students studying alongside the programme, combining education with high level rugby training delivered via the Harlequins training ground at Hazelwood in Sunbury, supported by strength and conditioning and physiotherapy input.

The implication is clear, this route suits students who are both academically committed and serious about rugby, and it can shape the weekly timetable, travel, and physical load.

The school day begins with registration and assembly at 8.15am, with five academic periods running through to afternoon registration, and a timetabled slot through to 3.45pm designated for sixth form lessons and Brighter Futures.

For many younger students, the Brighter Futures structure functions as an organised extension to the day, though families should confirm year group expectations for attendance and transport planning.

For travel, the school sits on Layton’s Lane, and public transport mapping shows a named bus stop directly outside the school, which can be a practical advantage for students commuting across the local area.

• Sixth form outcomes: A level results sit lower on the England percentile model used here, with 26.74% at A* to B compared with an England average of 47.2%. For students aiming for highly competitive university courses, it is worth probing subject by subject performance and support.

• High demand for places: Demand materially exceeds supply, with 753 applications for 211 offers on the available admissions data. Late applications are unlikely to improve chances, so deadlines matter.

• Faith character: The Church of England identity is embedded in assemblies, chaplaincy activity, and the language of values. Families from other faith backgrounds, or none, are explicitly included, but those who prefer a strictly secular school culture should weigh fit carefully.

• Programme specific commitments: The ACE rugby pathway can be an excellent match for the right student, but it adds training load and complexity. Ensure your child wants that level of sport commitment alongside study.

The Bishop Wand Church of England School is an oversubscribed local secondary with a clear identity, structured enrichment, and a pastoral model that uses its faith character as a practical framework for community and support. GCSE outcomes sit in the solid middle tier on England comparisons, while the sixth form profile is more mixed and will suit some pathways better than others.

Who it suits: families who value a faith-informed ethos, a well organised co-curricular structure, and a school culture built around participation, leadership and community, especially where sport, creative options, or a balanced set of post 16 routes matter as much as purely academic intensity.