Tewkesbury Academy Review 2026: Improving momentum, clearer routines, and a sixth form with defined next steps

A secondary school can feel like a moving target when leadership, systems, and expectations keep shifting. The recent story here is more settled than it used to be. Since joining Cabot Learning Federation in July 2023, the academy has leaned into trust-wide curriculum and staff development, while also tightening behaviour routines and pastoral pathways.

The latest Ofsted inspection (29 and 30 April 2025) judged Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, Leadership and Management, and Sixth Form Provision all as Good, marking a step forward from the previous Requires Improvement judgement.

For parents, the practical appeal is straightforward. It is the main local 11 to 18 option for many families around Ashchurch and Tewkesbury, with a defined school day (8:30am to 3:05pm) and an admissions route run through Gloucestershire’s coordinated system for Year 7.

The tone is shaped by a combination of structured routines and a deliberate “belonging” push. A reintroduced house system is a good example. Houses are named Roses, Abbey, Severn, and Avon, and tutor groups are organised into these houses to build identity across year groups.

Safeguarding culture and routes for reporting concerns are clearly described, including the use of a “Red Hand” system for students to raise worries. That matters in a school where parents will want reassurance that concerns do not get stuck in the gaps between busy staff and busy corridors.

There is also a pragmatic realism running through the school’s own communications and through formal reporting: expectations have been raised, but consistency is still the work. When routines are applied evenly, students tend to respond well; when they are not, disruption can feel unfair to those trying to learn. That is an important nuance for families with children who need predictable boundaries to thrive.

Leadership is stable in the sense that the principal is clearly identified and visible in school communications. The Headteacher and Principal listed on the government register is Ms Kathleen McGillycuddy. Her appointment is recorded publicly from 1 September 2022.

This is a school where the performance picture is best read as “improving foundations, outcomes still catching up”.

At GCSE, the latest available data places the academy at 3,011th in England and 2nd in the Tewkesbury local area for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This sits in the band that reflects below England average performance (60th to 100th percentile).

The GCSE metrics show:

• Attainment 8: 42.5

• Progress 8: -0.07

• EBacc average point score: 3.44

• Pupils achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc: 3.5%

The Progress 8 figure is close to the England midpoint, but slightly below. Read plainly, it suggests the school is close to average progress from starting points, with some work still needed to make above-average progress routine rather than occasional.

At A-level, the sixth form ranking is 2,247th in England and 2nd in the Tewkesbury local area for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). The A-level grade profile is:

• A*: 0.88%

• A: 7.52%

• B: 19.47%

• A* to B: 27.88%

The implication for families is not that ambitious pathways are closed, but that students who are aiming for high-tariff routes usually benefit from strong self-management and a clear plan, plus careful subject choice. The school’s careers and “Futures” emphasis becomes important in this context, because advice and structure can materially affect outcomes for borderline grades.

Parents comparing options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub page to view local results side-by-side, and to understand how GCSE and sixth form outcomes compare across nearby schools using the Comparison Tool.

Curriculum intent is not presented as a marketing flourish. The school has adopted and adapted the trust curriculum, described as tailored to local needs, including explicit reference to local history as part of what students learn.

Reading is positioned as a priority, with targeted support for students who need it and deliberate use of shared texts in class to drive discussion and debate. The library is not framed as a quiet room at the edge of school life; it is used for reading promotion through events such as author visits, and it also hosts everyday academic support such as Homework Club.

SEND support is described in a practical way: identification, staff information, and curriculum adaptation. The critical point for parents is that the model relies on consistent classroom implementation. Where teachers apply adaptations well, students with SEND keep pace with peers; where practice varies, the experience can feel uneven.

At sixth form, the school’s own documentation places emphasis on preparation for qualifications alongside the wider support that sits around study, including interview points and post-16 guidance.

The most useful destination data available is broad, but still informative. For the 2023 to 2024 cohort of 85 leavers, 49% progressed to university, 25% entered employment, 12% started apprenticeships, and 1% went to further education.

This is a mixed pathway profile, which is often what parents want to see from a local comprehensive sixth form: university for a substantial group, but also credible technical and employment routes for students whose strengths and plans sit elsewhere. It also aligns with the school’s stated approach to careers and employer engagement, including structured programmes designed to support next-step decisions.

Year 7 entry (September 2026)

Year 7 applications are handled through Gloucestershire’s coordinated admissions process. For September 2026 intake, the county’s published timeline includes:

• Online applications open: 3 September 2025

• Closing date: midnight, 31 October 2025

• Allocation day: 2 March 2026

• Acceptance and waiting list deadline: midnight, 16 March 2026

Families should treat those dates as fixed and plan backwards from the deadline, particularly if they may need to provide supporting evidence for priorities such as siblings or exceptional circumstances.

For parents who want to see the school before naming preferences, an Open Evening was scheduled for Monday 22 September 2025, 5:30pm to 7:30pm, starting with a principal’s presentation.

Sixth form entry

Sixth form entry has a clearer “process shape” than an exact calendar list. Internal students are directed to apply via the MCAS app, with interviews described as taking place in January for Year 11 students. External applicants are directed to a separate application form and are encouraged to attend the sixth form open evening, which the school states runs in November each year.

For families planning a Year 12 move, the sensible approach is to treat November as the normal window for first contact and January as the key decision period, then check the school calendar and communications for the live dates each year.

Pastoral success in a large secondary is rarely about one programme. It is about whether adults are available, whether students know how to ask for help, and whether systems are followed consistently.

There are several practical signals of a school that is building those foundations: published safeguarding pathways (including student reporting routes), explicit anti-bullying expectations, and a school-wide focus on attendance and persistent absence reduction.

Wellbeing education is described as covering physical and mental health, with age-appropriate relationships and sex education and ongoing preparation for adult life extending into the sixth form through structured programmes.

A good extracurricular offer is not the same thing as a long list of clubs. What matters is whether there are multiple “on-ramps” for different types of student: creative, practical, academic, quietly social, and performance-oriented.

There are clear examples of that breadth. Voice Box (a singing club) appears repeatedly across the school’s published club materials and in formal reporting. Craft Club and Fishing Club sit at the other end of the spectrum, giving students a calm, interest-led option that is often valuable for confidence and belonging.

For students who prefer structured academic support, Homework Club runs daily in the library, and there are subject-led options such as a science club for younger years and mathematics strategy games.

Creative performance has a visible place, with drama activity linked to a whole-school production (one published plan references The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe). Music also has outward-facing moments, including student performances at Tewkesbury Abbey, which can be a meaningful stage for teenagers who gain confidence through public contribution.

The published school day runs from 8:30am to 3:05pm, with a warning bell at 8:25am and gates locking at 8:30am. Students can arrive from 8:00am, with the canteen open for breakfast.

As a secondary and sixth form provider, the academy does not typically present wraparound care in the same format as a primary school. The best indicator for families is the early arrival window and breakfast availability, and parents should check current arrangements for after-school supervision through the school’s published club timetable and calendar.

For travel, the school publishes road guidance indicating proximity to the M5 (Junction 9). That is useful for families commuting from surrounding villages as well as Tewkesbury itself.

• Consistency of behaviour routines. Expectations have been raised, but some students report frustration when low-level disruption is not challenged consistently. This matters most for children who need predictable boundaries to concentrate.

• Outcomes still lag the pace of improvement. The school’s recent inspection profile is stronger, but GCSE and A-level ranks sit in the lower national band in England. Families should ask how current classroom changes are translating into exam readiness, particularly at GCSE.

• EBacc participation is low. The curriculum supports EBacc study, but the proportion completing it is described as low. If your child is aiming for a strongly academic route, ask how EBacc subjects are encouraged and supported.

• Parent communication is a stated improvement area. Some parents have not felt fully informed about change and progress, and the school has identified communication as a priority. If you value frequent, detailed updates, ask what has changed this year and what the normal cadence now is.

Tewkesbury Academy is on a clearer trajectory than it was earlier in the decade, with stronger external judgements and more structured routines, particularly since trust integration. The day-to-day picture is best suited to students who respond well to clear systems, benefit from visible extracurricular routes (music, clubs, and practical activities), and want a local 11 to 18 pathway with a defined sixth form process. The key question for families is consistency: whether behaviour expectations and classroom adaptation are applied evenly enough to protect learning for every student.