Lawn Manor Academy Review 2026: A structured 11–16 academy with strong routines and broad enrichment

Breakfast club runs from 8:00am to 8:30am, which tells you something about the practical tone here, early starts are catered for, and the day is organised around clear routines.

Lawn Manor Academy is a mixed 11 to 16 secondary academy in Swindon, part of Ascend Learning Trust. The current senior leadership model is distinctive, with Mrs Sandra Muir as Executive Head and Mr Russell Langdown as Head of School. Mrs Muir has long-standing continuity with the school community, and Ascend Learning Trust notes she was appointed Executive Headteacher for Lawn Manor Academy (and The Wellington Academy) in 2025.

The academic picture is mixed. On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school sits below the England middle band, which is a useful reality check for families prioritising exam performance. At the same time, the school’s strengths are easier to see in day to day culture, consistent expectations, and the breadth of clubs and personal development opportunities.

A clear set of routines and shared language runs through the school’s public-facing materials. The school frames expectations through the Lawn Manor Way and the ILEARN values, Independence, Literacy, Equipment, Attitude, Resilience and Numeracy. That combination tends to suit pupils who benefit from consistency across classrooms, and parents who want predictable standards around behaviour, learning habits and readiness to learn.

Leadership continuity is a notable feature. The academy opened on 1 September 2017 under Ascend Learning Trust (formerly known as Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Trust). The current structure adds capacity across the trust, while keeping a named Head of School in post. Ascend Learning Trust notes Mr Russell Langdown took up the Head of School role in January 2025. In practice, that split can be helpful, as it creates a clear line between strategic leadership and the daily operational rhythm that most families experience.

The most persuasive evidence for atmosphere is the way the school presents its enrichment and personal development. This is not just sport and homework support, although those exist. There is a strong mix of cultural and identity-based provision, plus a visible emphasis on respectful conduct and inclusion.

The latest Ofsted inspection took place on 11 and 12 July 2023 and rated the school Good overall, with Good in quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

On FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 3,168th in England and 15th in Swindon, placing it below England average overall, within the lower-performing 40% band.

The underlying GCSE indicators reinforce that picture. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 39.4 and Progress 8 is -0.04, which indicates outcomes are slightly below the national benchmark once prior attainment is considered. The average EBacc APS is 3.31, compared with an England benchmark of 4.08. The percentage achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc subjects is 6.5%. (All figures in this paragraph are from the FindMySchool dataset.)

What that means in plain terms is that families choosing Lawn Manor Academy are typically choosing it for a balanced, all-ability offer and a stable daily experience, rather than because it is an exam-results outlier. If results are the primary driver, it is sensible to look closely at subject-level information, intervention approaches and reading support, which the school and the wider trust emphasise.

Teaching and learning is framed around consistency. The school describes shared behavioural expectations and learning routines intended to reduce variation between classrooms, so pupils know what is expected in every subject. For many pupils, particularly those who can be unsettled by mixed messages between teachers, this sort of “same standard everywhere” design is a genuine advantage.

Curriculum breadth is also clearly set out. At Key Stage 3, pupils study a standard academic base including English, mathematics, science, Spanish, geography, history, religious and philosophical education, physical education, and a creative and technical mix including art, music, dance, drama, computing and design and technology. At Key Stage 4, the core includes English language, English literature, mathematics, and either triple or combined science, with a wider option pool that includes subjects such as business, computer science, creative iMedia, hospitality and catering, leisure and tourism, and sport studies, alongside the more traditional humanities and arts choices.

For pupils thinking ahead to post-16 routes, this matters. A broad offer supports both academic and technical progression, and it also means pupils can keep options open while they develop stronger interests in Years 8 to 10.

As an 11 to 16 academy, Lawn Manor’s key transition is at the end of Year 11. The school’s careers programme emphasises structured guidance on post-16 choices, including apprenticeships and further or higher education routes. The careers lead is identified publicly, and the school positions careers support as available during the school week, rather than being limited to isolated events.

The same theme runs through published careers documents, which describe personal guidance appointments with a careers adviser, support with applications, and planned encounters with post-16 providers. For families, the implication is straightforward, if your child will need active support to evaluate colleges, sixth forms, technical routes and apprenticeships, there is evidence of a planned structure rather than an ad hoc approach.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award offer is another useful bridge into post-16 employability and wider development. The school sets clear expectations about commitment, including staying after school when needed and weekend expeditions, and frames it as skills-building alongside qualifications.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through Swindon Borough Council. For September 2026 entry, applications open on 1 September 2025 and the on-time deadline is 31 October 2025. Offers are made on 2 March 2026, with a parent response deadline of 15 March 2026.

The school’s published admission number for Year 7 is 200. When oversubscribed, the admissions hierarchy prioritises children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school, followed by looked after and previously looked after children, then siblings, then children of staff in specific circumstances, then children attending named feeder primary schools. The named feeder schools listed include Lawn Primary and Nursery School, Lainesmead Primary School and Nursery, Oaktree Nursery and Primary School, Goddard Park Primary, Drove Primary, Mountford Manor Primary School and Badbury Park Primary School.

Distance is used as a tie-breaker only when applications cannot be separated by the oversubscription criteria. The school describes straight-line measurement from the home address point to the school front gates on Salcombe Grove, with random allocation used where distance is the same.

The FindMySchool dataset does not include a last distance offered figure for this school, so families should rely on the local authority’s published admissions materials and the school’s admission arrangements when assessing likelihood. (No distance is quoted here.)

For in-year admissions (moving mid-phase), the school accepts applications subject to availability, with details set out in its admissions materials.

A strong pastoral model is visible through the combination of systems and targeted groups. The school lists a safeguarding team structure and also highlights provision such as a Young Carers Club. For parents, the practical takeaway is that support is not limited to “speak to your tutor”, it includes identifiable roles and specific programmes.

The overall school culture is described in official documentation as calm and purposeful, with consistent routines designed to reduce low-level disruption. The inspection confirmed safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff training, accurate checks, and appropriate follow-up with external agencies where needed.

Attendance and behaviour are areas where the school’s own documentation and external evaluation point to ongoing work. Most pupils enjoy attending, and disruption is generally infrequent, but a small minority do not consistently meet expectations and some pupils still do not attend regularly enough. For families, this is worth exploring in visits and conversations, not as a deal-breaker, but as a reality check on how the school handles persistent absence and repeated behaviour concerns.

The enrichment offer is one of the more distinctive strengths. The published extracurricular timetable for 2025 to 26 includes a mix that goes well beyond sport, even though sport is present too. Examples include Mindful Drawing, Bernie’s Story Holocaust, Mock Trails, Spanish club, Band Club, Film Club, Drama Club, Chess Club, Board Games Club, and an LGBTQ+ group, alongside structured support such as Connect Homework Club and Year 7 Hub sessions.

This matters because it signals choice and identity. A pupil who wants a creative outlet has a route into mindful drawing, art, drama and music ensembles. A pupil who wants structured social support can find it via year group hubs or the young carers offer. A pupil who needs an extra push for exams can access revision support such as “Year 11 Heaven”, which is explicitly positioned as a revision-focused space.

Duke of Edinburgh provision adds another strand, one that asks for commitment and self-discipline. The school frames it as skill-building and confidence-building, but also as requiring longer-term dedication, including staying after school and weekend expeditions. For the right pupils, that combination is powerful because it builds a track record of follow-through, not just participation.

There are no tuition fees, this is a state-funded school.

School day timings are not presented as a single, simple timetable on the public “School Day” page, but published materials show breakfast club running 8:00am to 8:30am and many after-school clubs running 3:20pm to 4:20pm. A Swindon local authority document lists the school’s opening hours as 8:30am to 4:00pm. Families should treat those as indicative of the operational day, and confirm the precise lesson timetable via the school’s current parent information.

For transport, this is a Swindon secondary serving local families, so the practical question is usually whether your child can travel safely by foot, bike, bus or lift-share, and whether after-school clubs create a later pickup expectation on certain days.

• Academic outcomes vs routine strength. GCSE indicators sit below England average overall, so this is best approached as a school where structure and culture are central, rather than one selected primarily for headline exam performance.

• Attendance and a small minority of persistent behaviour issues. Official evaluation points to improved systems, but also notes that some pupils still do not attend regularly enough and a small minority do not consistently meet expectations. Families should ask directly about current attendance strategy and how repeated disruption is handled.

• Enrichment can extend the day. Many clubs run until 4:20pm and Duke of Edinburgh can involve after-school time and weekends. That is a benefit for many pupils, but it has a logistics impact for families.

Lawn Manor Academy is a structured, all-ability 11 to 16 academy where clarity of routines and breadth of enrichment are the defining strengths. Academic results, as reflected in the FindMySchool dataset, are not at the top end for England, but the school’s offer is wider than grades alone, with strong personal development strands, a meaningful clubs programme, and explicit post-16 guidance. It suits families who value consistent expectations, inclusive culture, and a wide menu of extracurricular pathways for different personalities, including pupils who thrive when school feels organised and predictable.