All Saints' Church of England Academy Review 2026, faith-led comprehensive with a structured day and strong enrichment menu

A school day that starts early, finishes at 3:00pm, and includes a clear rhythm of tutor time, assemblies and collective worship gives this academy a purposeful feel. The house structure is explicitly values-led, with four saint-named houses and a points system tied to kindness, effort and contribution. A distinctive feature is the weekly enrichment hour, with options that range from Duke of Edinburgh and Sports Leaders to DJ Club, Dungeons and Dragons, Forest School and a Minecraft Competition.

The latest inspection outcome is Requires Improvement, with strengths identified in behaviour and attitudes and in personal development. The headline challenge is consistency in curriculum impact for older year groups, alongside raising outcomes. For families, the key question is fit: a Church of England ethos, an improving culture around behaviour and attendance, and plenty of structured opportunities beyond lessons, paired with the reality that academic performance measures are not yet where leaders want them to be.

The school’s identity is openly Church of England, positioned within the Diocese of Salisbury, and its culture is framed around values language that students see repeatedly across the week. The house system is an extension of that identity, with St Hildegard, St Sebastian, St Thomas and St Veronica used as reference points for creativity, courage, wisdom and compassion. For many families, this provides a clear moral framework that is visible in routines and recognition. For others, it will matter to read the admissions policy carefully and decide whether the denominational element aligns with their preference for a more faith-neutral experience.

Pastoral culture is organised through houses and a rewards structure, with points available for effort, academic contribution and living out the school values. That matters because it shifts recognition away from a narrow focus on grades. It also creates a shared vocabulary for conversations with tutors and heads of house, which can help some students settle more quickly in Year 7.

The most recent inspection described students as feeling safe and recognised an uplift in expectations around behaviour, while also flagging that some students experience bullying and do not always feel adult responses are consistent. That mix suggests a school that has made progress in establishing routines, but still needs to embed them reliably across classrooms and social spaces.

On GCSE outcomes, the academy sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile) on the FindMySchool ranking. Ranked 2614th in England and 2nd in Weymouth for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), it is performing broadly in line with many similar schools nationally, while still needing to accelerate improvement locally.

The attainment and progress picture is mixed. The Attainment 8 score is 40.5. Progress 8 is -0.33, indicating that, on average, students have made below-average progress from their starting points compared with pupils nationally with similar prior attainment. In the English Baccalaureate measures, the average EBacc APS is 3.65 and 14.8% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc subjects.

In practical terms, that set of figures usually points to two priorities for families to explore. First, how well the school identifies gaps in knowledge and then adapts curriculum and teaching to close them, particularly in Years 10 and 11. Second, how consistently homework, independent study and revision support are structured, especially for students who need tight scaffolding.

Parents comparing options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and the Comparison Tool to view these measures alongside other Weymouth secondaries, keeping the focus on like-for-like context rather than headline claims.

Curriculum intent is positioned as broad and ambitious at Key Stage 3, with students experiencing a large number of subjects early on, then narrowing for Key Stage 4, where GCSE and vocational options sit alongside a core curriculum. Options listed include subjects such as Computer Science, Engineering, Child Development, Food Technology and Performing Arts, with a stated invitation for students to take a modern foreign language to support the EBacc route.

A distinctive, concrete element of teaching and learning is the school’s focus on reading. DEAR, Drop Everything and Read, is built into tutor time, with two 30-minute sessions each week. The school publishes its chosen texts for each year group, which signals a deliberate attempt to build a shared reading culture and cultural literacy across the cohort. For students who arrive in Year 7 with weaker reading fluency, this kind of routine can be a practical support, as long as intervention is sharp and follow-through is consistent across subjects.

The Learning Resources Centre sits at the centre of this strategy, combining library provision with structured reading programmes at Key Stage 3 and space for study before and after school. It also hosts named activities such as All Saints Chess Club and reading groups linked to national book awards. For students who benefit from quiet, supervised study space, this can matter as much as any headline curriculum claim.

Where Students Go Next

As an 11 to 16 secondary, the key destination point is post-16. The school’s careers and provider engagement activity is visible in scheduled talks and guidance, including explicit signposting of local sixth form and college routes. Examples listed include Weymouth College sessions, including apprenticeship-focused guidance, and contact with Thomas Hardye School sixth form events. That matters for students who will need structured support to choose between A-levels, vocational courses and apprenticeship pathways, and for families who want clear timelines and practical next steps during Year 10 and Year 11.

Year 7 applications are coordinated through Dorset Council, rather than directly to the academy, and in-year admissions are also handled through local authority processes. The published admission numbers show Year 7 as 120, with larger cohorts in Years 8 to 11.

The school is oversubscribed on the most recent published demand data, with 212 applications for 85 offers, a ratio of 2.49 applications per place. In real terms, that implies families should not assume entry is automatic, particularly in years where local demand spikes.

Because it is a denominational school, admissions criteria include a faith pathway. The academy’s published admissions policy sets out priority categories that include Christian denominations, alongside other criteria such as siblings and distance. Families applying on denominational grounds are required to complete a supplementary form endorsed through their church, and there is a stated timeline for submission alongside the coordinated application process.

For September 2026 Year 7 entry in Dorset, the local authority closing date for applications is 31 October 2025. Dorset Council issues outcomes on 2 March 2026 for on-time applications, with late applications handled on a later timetable.

Open events are typically positioned early in the autumn term. The school’s events listing shows an Open Evening in late September, which is broadly consistent with how many secondaries support Year 6 families before the October deadline. Families should still check the academy’s current year calendar because dates can shift.

Parents who want to be precise about distance and realistic about likelihood should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check their measured distance against likely cut-offs, especially if the application route is through distance rather than a faith criterion.

Pastoral structures are organised through houses, with planned touchpoints across the week that include tutor time and collective worship. The timetable structure is explicit about these slots, which can suit students who do best with predictable routines.

The latest inspection evidence points to a school where students generally report feeling safe and where expectations for behaviour have been raised. It also flags inconsistency in how concerns, including bullying, are resolved. For families, this is an area to probe carefully in visits and conversations: how concerns are recorded, what escalation looks like, how quickly issues are resolved, and how the school communicates with parents when patterns repeat.

The Church of England dimension adds another strand to wellbeing, through an explicit emphasis on community and service. The school also holds a SIAMS judgement of Good Church School from its most recent SIAMS inspection, which will matter to families who want confidence that the faith ethos is more than a label.

This is an academy where enrichment is structured into the week rather than left as an optional add-on. The Friday enrichment hour has a published menu for 2025 to 2026, and it is unusually broad for a mainstream 11 to 16. Academic and skills-focused options include Master Chef, First Aid, Financial Investments, Linguistics and Independent Project work. There is also a clear strand of recognised awards and leadership, including Duke of Edinburgh, Sports Leaders and the Archbishop’s Award.

Creative and practical options include DJ Club, Photography, Crochet, Woodwork, Lino-printing, Origami and Cultural Crafts. The inclusion of Forest School and Horticulture signals that practical, outdoor learning is not restricted to primary settings here. For students who switch on when learning is tactile and project-based, this kind of offer can make school feel more purposeful, particularly for those who find long sequences of academic lessons draining.

The school calendar also shows a consistent pattern of trips and events that expand students’ horizons. Examples listed include a Religious Education trip to Monkey World, a theatre trip to see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and a Question Time style event with a local MP. Each of these has an obvious curriculum link, and it also signals that students are expected to engage with the wider world, not only exam specifications.

A final pillar is reading enrichment. Beyond DEAR, the Learning Resources Centre runs activities linked to national book awards and provides before and after school access for study and homework support. This is a concrete, practical offer for students who need a calm base on site to get work done.

The academy day starts at 8:30am, with students expected on site before 8:25am, and finishes at 3:00pm. Breakfast club is listed from 8:00am. For families balancing work schedules, that early start helps, although after-school wraparound arrangements are not set out in the same place and may vary by year group and provision, so it is sensible to confirm current availability directly with the school.

The school serves the communities of Weymouth, Wyke Regis and Portland. That geography usually means a mix of walking, cycling and bus travel, depending on where families live. For students attending after-school study in the Learning Resources Centre, it is worth considering transport reliability later in the afternoon.

• Requires Improvement rating. The latest inspection outcome is Requires Improvement, with Good judgements for behaviour and attitudes and personal development, and areas still rated Requires Improvement for quality of education and leadership and management. Families should ask what has changed since the inspection and how improvement is tracked term by term.

• Academic progress is still a challenge. A Progress 8 score of -0.33 indicates students have, on average, made below-average progress from their starting points. This will not be the right fit for every learner, particularly those who need consistently high stretch and rapid pacing across all subjects.

• Faith pathway is real in admissions. Applying on Christian denominational grounds requires a supplementary form and evidence through the published process. Families who prefer not to engage with that route should understand how distance and other criteria operate locally.

• Consistency around bullying responses. The inspection evidence acknowledges that bullying occurs at times and that student confidence in consistent resolution is not uniform. Parents should test how concerns are managed, escalated and communicated.

All Saints' Church of England Academy combines a clearly articulated faith ethos, a structured day, and an unusually extensive enrichment menu that gives students many routes to feel successful, from reading programmes and chess through to practical crafts and leadership awards. The limiting factor is academic impact and consistency, reflected in the current inspection judgement and the Progress 8 measure.

Who it suits: families who want a values-led comprehensive with strong personal development and enrichment opportunities, and who are comfortable engaging with a Church of England identity. The best fit is likely to be students who respond well to structure and who will use the school’s study, reading and enrichment systems to build confidence and momentum.