Budmouth Academy Weymouth Review 2026: A large coastal secondary with a structured pastoral model and a sixth form that is gathering momentum

Budmouth Academy Weymouth is a sizeable 11–18 academy serving Weymouth and the surrounding Dorset coastline, with the scale to offer breadth in both curriculum and activities. The academy opened as Budmouth Academy in September 2019 and sits within Aspirations Academies Trust.

The headline picture is mixed. GCSE outcomes place the academy broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), based on FindMySchool rankings derived from official data. Sixth form outcomes are more challenging in national terms, while still ranking first locally in Weymouth on the same measure. Alongside that, the offer beyond lessons stands out as a consistent strength, with structured leadership roles and large-scale participation in activities.

For families, this is a school to weigh on fit and trajectory. Many students will thrive with clear routines, a house-style pastoral system, and a very wide menu of options. Others will want to look carefully at subject consistency and how the school is sharpening curriculum delivery.

Budmouth’s identity is shaped by two features that are practical rather than cosmetic: its size and its internal organisation. Students are placed into tutor groups within one of four “schools”, Attenborough, Hawking, Shelley and Turing, designed to combine academic oversight with a house-like sense of belonging. That model matters at this scale because it creates smaller communities for competition, charity work and student leadership, while keeping access to whole-school facilities and staffing.

Pastoral messaging is deliberately framed around student development and employability. In the sixth form, that is formalised through an employability diploma programme and a strong emphasis on community service. The school also highlights a daily Breakfast Club as part of its wellbeing centre offer, aiming to create a calm start and a predictable support structure for students who need it.

Leadership is now under Mrs Sara Mashike, listed as Headteacher/Principal on Get Information About Schools. A letter to families dated 03 April 2025 confirms her appointment as the permanent Principal, a helpful marker for parents trying to understand how recent leadership changes may connect to improvement planning.

At GCSE, outcomes point to a school that is not yet delivering consistently across subjects. The academy’s Attainment 8 score is 39.9, and Progress 8 is -0.62, indicating students, on average, make less progress than similar pupils nationally from their starting points. The English Baccalaureate average point score is 3.75, below the England figure of 4.08.

In FindMySchool’s England-wide GCSE ranking, Budmouth Academy Weymouth is ranked 2748th in England and 3rd locally in Weymouth for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This positioning aligns with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), which is broadly “typical” performance in national context.

Post-16 outcomes are a second, distinct picture. At A-level, 3.6% of grades are A*, 7.2% are A, and 32% are A*–B. Against England benchmarks, A*–A (10.8%) is below the England average of 23.6%, and A*–B (32%) is below the England average of 47.2%. In FindMySchool’s A-level ranking, the sixth form is ranked 2021st in England and 1st in Weymouth for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

The practical implication is that the sixth form offer may be most attractive to students who value breadth of course choice, local convenience, and structured employability support, and who are ready to take ownership of independent study. Students seeking a highly academic sixth form environment driven primarily by top-end A-level outcomes will likely compare several providers carefully.

Budmouth presents itself as a broad-curriculum academy with both academic and applied routes. The school states that up to 30 A levels are available alongside seven vocational courses that can be combined or taken separately. That scale matters because it increases timetable flexibility, which is often what determines whether a student can continue with a niche subject or a particular blend of academic and vocational choices.

The school day structure also signals a deliberate approach to routines and learning habits. For 2025–26, the published timetable includes tutorial or assembly from 8.30am, five taught periods, and a dedicated mid-afternoon slot for reading, intervention or tutorial work, labelled DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) and intervention.

From a learning-support perspective, reading catch-up is identified as a priority for students at the early stages of reading, and there is evidence of sixth form students supporting younger pupils with reading. For families, this is relevant if your child needs literacy confidence rebuilt rather than assumed, and it also speaks to the leadership culture the school tries to build across year groups.

Budmouth is the main local provider with a sixth form, so progression routes matter both at 16 and at 18.

At age 18, destination measures for the 2023/24 leavers cohort show 25% progressing to university, 7% starting apprenticeships, 1% entering further education, and 41% entering employment. Cohorts like this often include a wide spread of attainment and aspirations, so these figures are best read as a sign of breadth rather than a single pathway identity.

For highly academic applicants, Oxbridge numbers are small but present. In the measured period, three students applied to Cambridge, one received an offer, and one accepted a place. In practical terms, this suggests that ambitious pathways are possible here, but they are likely to be individualised and supported case-by-case rather than a dominant sixth form pipeline.

At 16, Budmouth’s own admissions policy is explicit that every Year 11 student is entitled to a sixth form place provided there is a suitable course, the programme is full, and entry requirements are met. For external applicants, the published Year 12 entry number is set at 40 places, with a minimum entry expectation that students have taken at least eight GCSE examinations.

Year 7 entry is coordinated through Dorset Council’s coordinated admissions process. The school’s admissions page states that the closing date for secondary applications for September 2026 entry is 31 October 2025, with national offer day outcomes communicated on 02 March 2026 for on-time applicants.

Budmouth has an unusual feature for a non-selective academy: its published admissions policy sets out that 30 students demonstrating the highest ability in an abilities test are offered places, with the test taking place during the autumn term before the September start. After that, oversubscription is handled through typical priorities, including looked-after children, siblings, children of staff in defined circumstances, and then distance.

For parents, the key implication is that there are two different routes that can influence entry: the abilities test route, and the standard distance and priority criteria route. Families considering the abilities test should watch for the school’s autumn-term testing information each year.

Open events follow a clear pattern. The school published a Year 6 Open Evening on Thursday 25 September 2025 (6–8pm), which suggests late September is a typical window. Open event dates can vary annually, so it is sensible to treat timing as indicative and confirm the current cycle directly via the school’s calendar.

If you are comparing schools by proximity, FindMySchool’s Map Search is a useful sense-check for travel practicality, particularly if you are relying on distance-based criteria elsewhere in Dorset.

Support structures at Budmouth are designed to operate at two levels: whole-school systems and targeted provision. The “Schools within Schools” model is meant to make pastoral monitoring more consistent, with Heads of School embedded in senior leadership and responsible for both academic and social progress in their community.

The school also highlights confidential support spaces, group rooms, and a lounge and kitchen area within its wellbeing centre, alongside a daily Breakfast Club. Those details matter because they indicate provision that goes beyond “a member of staff you can speak to” and towards a dedicated, routinised support environment.

The latest Ofsted inspection (19 March 2024) graded the school as Requires Improvement overall, with Good judgements for behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and sixth form provision. Ofsted also confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

For families, the practical takeaway is that day-to-day conduct and care structures appear stronger than academic consistency, and that balance is central to how you should evaluate suitability.

Budmouth’s enrichment offer is one of its clearest differentiators. The Combined Cadet Force (CCF) and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award are prominent, alongside leadership roles such as anti-bullying ambassadors and academy council representatives. These are not marginal add-ons; they create identifiable pathways for students who gain confidence through responsibility, uniformed service, expedition work, or structured service to others.

The school runs enrichment activities at lunchtimes and after school Tuesday to Friday (3.00–4.00pm), and it also offers daily study support via Homework Club in the Resources Centre from 3.00–5.00pm. For many families, that Homework Club detail is a practical advantage, particularly if home study routines are a source of friction.

STEM enrichment is presented as a wider programme rather than a single club, with references to robotics, coding and engineering challenges, external visitors, and competition opportunities. The important implication here is access: a large school can often sustain specialist staffing and equipment for these activities, and that can be decisive for students who learn best through applied projects.

The published school day for 2025–26 runs from 8.30am (tutorial/assembly) to 3.00pm (end of Period 5), with a lunchtime for all years and a mid-afternoon DEAR or intervention slot.

For travel, Dorset Council provides school transport route and timetable information for Budmouth Academy. As with most large secondaries, drop-off congestion is a realistic consideration at peak times, and families often benefit from establishing a walking or bus routine early in Year 7.

As a secondary school, wraparound childcare is not a standard expectation in the way it is for primaries. The school does, however, publish structured after-school study support and enrichment provision, which often serves the same practical need for working families.

• Academic consistency across subjects. Outcomes and external evaluation indicate that curriculum planning and classroom execution are not yet consistent across departments. This matters most for students who need highly structured teaching in every subject to maintain momentum.

• A-level outcomes compared with England benchmarks. The sixth form offers breadth and employability-focused programming, but headline A-level grade distributions are below England averages. Families should match ambitions to the support and study culture that will suit the student.

• Admissions complexity. Year 7 entry combines standard oversubscription criteria with an abilities test route for a set number of places. Families should understand both pathways early, and avoid relying on assumptions about “catchment only” admission.

• Large-school experience. Scale brings choice and facilities, but it also requires students to manage transitions, multiple teachers, and personal organisation. The house-style pastoral structure helps, but independence is still part of daily life.

Budmouth Academy Weymouth is a broad, complex local secondary with real strengths in enrichment, student leadership, and structured pastoral organisation. The academic picture is improving but uneven, with sixth form provision offering strong breadth and destination variety rather than consistently high national outcomes.

This school suits students who benefit from a wide menu of activities, clear routines, and a pastoral model that creates smaller communities within a big setting. It is also a sensible option for students who want to stay local for sixth form while taking advantage of employability programming and course breadth. The key decision point is whether your child will thrive academically with some variation between subjects, and whether you can actively engage with the school’s support and intervention structures.