Leigh Academy Ebbsfleet Review 2026: Fair-banded admissions, clear routines, growing sixth-form ambition

A school built around consistency and inclusion, Leigh Academy Ebbsfleet combines a comprehensive intake with a structured approach to behaviour and learning. The admissions model is unusual for a state secondary, using a fair banding test to help secure a spread of abilities across the year group rather than skewing the intake towards any one level.

The most recent Ofsted visit was an ungraded inspection on 3 and 4 December 2024; it reported that the academy’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection, and confirmed safeguarding as effective.

For families weighing options in the Ebbsfleet and Swanscombe area, the practical proposition is straightforward. This is a state school with no tuition fees, with a published admission number of 150 into Year 7, and a sixth form that sets clear entry thresholds for both internal and external applicants.

The academy’s public messaging is direct, with values framed as Be Ready, Work Hard, Be Nice. This matters because it aligns with what external review evidence highlights: clear routines, high expectations for conduct, and a culture where pupils can settle quickly, including those joining mid-year.

The internal structure is also part of the feel. The school is organised into two smaller colleges, intended to help pupils feel known and supported. The practical implication is that pastoral oversight can be more personal than the headline roll suggests, particularly for students who need a reset after transition into Year 7 or a move from another school.

Student leadership is positioned as a visible part of school life, with prefects, subject ambassadors, and separate student councils for Key Stage 3 and 4 and for sixth form. The value here is not simply a badge for a CV. Done well, it creates an adult-like rhythm where students practise responsibility in real contexts such as supporting events, guiding visitors, and acting as role models for younger pupils.

At GCSE, the academy’s latest data shows an Attainment 8 score of 44.7 and a Progress 8 score of -0.13. The Progress 8 figure indicates that, on average, pupils made slightly below-average progress from their starting points across eight subjects. Ebacc average point score is 3.97, and 10.9% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the Ebacc measure.

Ranked 2324th in England and 1st locally for GCSE outcomes, this sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), based on a proprietary FindMySchool ranking drawn from official data.

The sixth form picture is more challenging in headline grade distribution, with 2.02% of entries at A*, 11.11% at A, 15.15% at B, and 28.28% achieving A* to B. the England averages are 23.6% at A* to A and 47.2% at A* to B, which indicates a gap against national benchmarks.

Ranked 2140th in England and 1st locally for A-level outcomes, the sixth form sits below England average overall, again based on the proprietary FindMySchool ranking from official data.

The important nuance for parents is what sits behind a headline distribution. Where systems and teaching are consistent, improvement can show up first in attendance, behaviour and curriculum access, before it shows fully in post-16 grade outcomes. That matters here because the most recent external review points to improved curriculum coherence and stronger classroom routines, which are the conditions most schools need before results follow.

Parents comparing Ebbsfleet with nearby options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view GCSE and A-level measures side by side, rather than relying on one headline statistic.

Curriculum intent is framed around breadth, with the International Baccalaureate philosophy described as central to how pupils learn to think, reflect and communicate. The practical implication is that teaching aims to develop habits that travel across subjects, such as structured reflection, communication, and building confidence in explaining ideas.

A distinctive operational feature is the digital strategy. Pupils have access to their own laptop, with the intended benefit being easier access to resources and continuity between classroom learning and home learning. The value is highest when it is paired with strong routines and teacher checking, because devices amplify good instruction and can undermine weak instruction. Here, the external evidence points to systematic checking of understanding and clear feedback, which is the right pairing for a one-to-one device model.

Support systems are designed to pick up additional needs, including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities and pupils at early stages of learning English. The strongest implication for families is that identification and classroom strategies appear to be treated as a whole-staff discipline rather than a single-department task, which tends to lead to more consistent support across subjects.

Destination data is best read as direction-of-travel rather than a promise for any individual child. The academy’s published leaver destinations data for the 2023 to 2024 cohort shows 68% progressing to university and 24% moving into employment, from a cohort of 25 students.

Alongside that, the academy’s Oxbridge pipeline is small but present. Across the measurement period, two applications were recorded and one student accepted a place at Cambridge, which signals that the most academically ambitious pathways do exist for the right candidates, even if they are not the dominant story.

The more general implication is about guidance and aspiration. Where schools build a credible culture of next-steps planning, students benefit whether their route is university, employment, or a mix of technical and academic progression. Evidence from the most recent external review highlights careers and life-skills education as a strong feature, with sixth form students supported towards increasingly ambitious destinations.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through the local authority timetable, but with an additional academy requirement: applicants are expected to sit a fair banding test. The test is designed so that it cannot be passed or failed; instead it is used to split applicants into five bands so that offers can be made across the ability range rather than clustering in one band.

For September 2026 entry, the admissions arrangements state two practical deadlines that families should treat as non-negotiable. First, the supplementary form used to register for the fair banding test must be received by 31 October 2025. Second, families must also submit their Common Application Form by the same 31 October deadline through the usual local authority route.

The published admission number is 150 places in Year 7. When applications exceed that number, priority is applied within each band, including looked-after and previously looked-after children, siblings, and other stated criteria, with distance used as a tie-break.

For families trying to judge realistic chances, the most useful habit is precision. Use the FindMySchool Map Search to check home-to-school distance accurately, and then compare that with any published allocation patterns from the local authority in the relevant year.

Sixth form entry

Sixth form entry is open to internal and external students, with minimum academic thresholds. The academy sets an expectation of at least five GCSE passes at grade 4 or above, including grade 4 in maths and English, and typically grade 6 or better in the subjects a student wants to study. For September 2026 entry, the stated application deadline is Friday 16 January 2026.

Pastoral strength often shows up most clearly in predictable routines and consistently applied expectations. The academy’s stated model combines clear behaviour standards with smaller community structures (the two-college approach), which can help pupils settle quickly, including those arriving outside the usual intake points.

Attendance is explicitly treated as a priority area, with sustained effort described to address absence and improve overall attendance over recent years. For parents, the practical question to ask at open events is how this is implemented day-to-day: early contact, mentoring, reintegration planning, and support for emotionally based school avoidance. The academy’s own communications show it actively engages with this topic, which is a useful indicator of awareness and intent.

The sixth form also has a clear expectation of students leading by example and contributing to wider academy life. In a mixed-ability 11 to 18 school, this can be a real stabiliser, particularly when older students take visible roles as prefects, ambassadors, mentors and club leaders.

Extracurricular life is organised with a practical rhythm, with activities available at lunchtime and after school and updated regularly across the year. The value of this model is that it reduces the sense that clubs are only for a small subset. If the timetable is refreshed frequently, more students can try something new without committing for a full year.

Several activities stand out because they signal both breadth and identity. Archery appears as a sustained strand, including an archery team and beginner courses, and it is also referenced as a successful area in external review evidence. The implication is a sport offer that is not limited to the most common team games, which can help students who do not see themselves as football-first still feel part of competitive school life.

There is also a clear STEM thread. The co-curricular list includes a STEM Club and UKMT maths problem-solving for younger year groups, while the sixth form curriculum includes computing and mathematics alongside a wide set of other academic and applied options. For students who need stretch, the combination of enrichment and accessible teaching routines is often what converts interest into real progress.

Creative and community-facing options are visible too, with drama club, book club, creative writing, guitar club, choir options, and a community project referenced for Year 9. These are the kinds of strands that help schools build belonging, because pupils can find a niche even if their primary motivation is not academic or sporting competition.

The academy day starts early. Gates open at 8:20am, with tutor time from 8:30am, and the main day ending at 3:15pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday finishes at 2:00pm. Total taught time is stated as 32.5 hours per week.

This is a secondary school, so wraparound care is not typically structured as it is in primary settings. Co-curricular activities run at lunchtimes and after school, which can provide practical coverage for many families, but parents who need formal late-day supervision should confirm what is available for the relevant year group.

Transport planning is helped by the academy’s travel guidance, which references connections via Ebbsfleet International and Swanscombe, as well as bus routes including Fastrack services and Arriva routes in the area. As routes and timetables change, families should re-check options each year, particularly for winter travel.

• Fair banding adds an extra step. Year 7 applicants are expected to sit a fair banding test and submit an additional supplementary form by 31 October 2025 for September 2026 entry. Families should plan early so deadlines do not slip.

• Sixth form outcomes are a development area. The sixth form’s ranking sits below England average in the latest FindMySchool data, so students aiming for highly competitive university routes should ask detailed questions about subject-level support, study supervision and retake policies.

• A digital model needs self-discipline. One-to-one device access can be a major advantage, but it works best for students who respond well to routines and teacher feedback. Families should explore how online safety and study habits are reinforced at home and in school.

• Wednesday is a shorter day. A 2:00pm finish can be convenient for appointments, but it may require childcare planning for some households.

Leigh Academy Ebbsfleet is a structured, comprehensive 11 to 18 school with a distinctive admissions approach and visible emphasis on routine, behaviour and student leadership. GCSE outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle of England schools on the FindMySchool ranking, while the sixth form remains the more demanding area in headline results.

Who it suits: families seeking a state secondary with clear expectations, a broad curriculum culture, and a fair-banded admissions model that aims to keep the intake genuinely comprehensive. The best next step is to focus on fit, specifically how well your child responds to routine, feedback, and a digitally supported learning model.