Dean Trust Rose Bridge Review 2026: A structured 11–16 academy with a strong behaviour judgement

This is an 11–16 secondary academy in Ince, Wigan, with a clear emphasis on routines, punctuality, and consistent expectations across year groups. The current headteacher is Miss Lucy Cropper.

The most recent Ofsted inspection took place in March 2025 and judged Quality of Education as Requires Improvement, while Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Leadership and Management were all judged Good.

For families, the headline is this: the school has a positive picture on safety, culture, and leadership, but academic outcomes and curriculum impact are still the main improvement priority.

The school presents itself as traditional in approach, with an ethos that places a premium on aspiration and community. That tone aligns with the external picture of a school where pupils feel safe and supported, and where staff build trusting relationships with families.

A key feature of daily life is structure. Pupils are expected on site by the first bell at 08:38 and in their form room by 08:40, with the school day ending at 15:10. The clarity of these routines matters for parents weighing “calm and predictable” versus “more flexible and informal”.

As part of The Dean Trust, the school sits within a multi-academy trust model, which typically means common approaches to governance, policies, and staff development across schools.

On GCSE outcomes, the school sits below the England average range in FindMySchool’s GCSE ranking distribution, placing it in the lower performance band nationally. Ranked 3210th in England and 11th in Wigan for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data).

The attainment and curriculum headline metrics also point to challenge. Attainment 8 is 37.4, EBacc average point score is 3.28, and 9% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above across the EBacc measure in the most recent dataset available here. A Progress 8 score of -0.6 indicates pupils made less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally.

The most useful way to interpret this set of numbers is practical rather than abstract. If your child is already confident, well organised, and resilient, the school’s structure and expectations may help them keep momentum. If your child needs rapid academic acceleration, or has gaps from earlier years, it is sensible to ask how intervention is delivered, how subject knowledge is checked over time, and what improvement has looked like since the March 2025 inspection.

The curriculum is designed to be broad and inclusive, with vocational routes alongside academic options. Published curriculum documentation references Key Stage 4 pathways including subjects such as Construction, Hospitality and Catering, Health and Social Care, Hair and Beauty, and Child Development, alongside more traditional GCSE choices.

That mix can be a strength for students who learn best through applied, practical work, or who want a clearer line of sight to post-16 training and employment routes. It can also support motivation in Key Stage 4, where engagement often improves when students can connect learning to future plans.

Academic support is positioned as a combination of lesson teaching, targeted revision, and subject-specific enrichment. The maths department materials, for example, reference homework support sessions and structured preparation for UK Mathematics Trust challenges for Year 7 and 8.

Where Students Go Next

With no sixth form on site, the main transition point is after Year 11. Careers education is framed as a whole-school entitlement, including employer engagement and careers fairs, plus opportunities to visit colleges in Years 10 and 11.

For outcomes after Key Stage 4, the school reports that 86% of students stay in education or enter employment after finishing Year 11. That is a helpful headline for families focused on successful progression, even while GCSE performance remains an improvement priority.

When comparing options, it is worth asking for clarity on the most common local destinations for students at 16, plus how the school supports applications for colleges, apprenticeships, and training providers, especially for students who are not pursuing purely academic routes.

Admissions are coordinated through Wigan Local Authority, and the Year 7 Published Admission Number is 150 for September 2026 entry.

For the Wigan 2026 entry cycle, the Local Authority timetable states applications opened 12 September 2025, the closing date was 31 October 2025, and national allocation day correspondence was issued on 2 March 2026 (because 1 March 2026 fell on a Sunday).

The school’s published admissions policy also states that places for September 2026 would be offered by the Local Authority on 1 March 2026, which matches the statutory national offer date, with communications sent on the next working day where required.

Oversubscription criteria follow a standard academy model that prioritises looked-after children and previously looked-after children, then siblings, then (as published in Local Authority materials) children of staff with qualifying service, then distance from the home address to the school.

Open events vary year to year, but Wigan’s published admissions booklet listed a September open evening for the 2026 intake cycle. Families should treat this as a typical timing signal and check the school’s current events information for the latest schedule.

A practical tip: if you are weighing catchment and travel time, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check your distance using the same start point and measurement approach used in Local Authority allocations, then cross-check against how allocations have worked in recent cycles.

A key strength in the latest inspection evidence is the safeguarding culture and the sense of safety students experience day to day. The March 2025 inspection describes a welcoming, safe environment and highlights that students know who to speak to if they need support.

Personal development is judged Good, and the school’s approach to wider development is visible through enrichment, leadership roles, and structured opportunities that sit alongside the academic timetable.

For families, the implication is straightforward. If your child benefits from predictable routines, clear behaviour standards, and adults who take relationships seriously, the school’s culture is likely to feel supportive. If your child needs a very high level of academic stretch and extension, it is sensible to ask how that is delivered within a school working to improve the impact of its curriculum.

Extracurricular life here is anchored in targeted enrichment rather than generic “clubs for the sake of it”. What stands out is the way departments use enrichment to build confidence and engagement in subjects where progress can otherwise stall.

In maths and STEM-related enrichment, the school promotes a weekly STEM club, with themed challenges designed to hook students into problem-solving, as well as preparation for UK Mathematics Trust challenges for younger year groups.

In English, enrichment includes a Star Writers activity where students develop stories and record them in podcast format, which supports oracy, performance confidence, and editing discipline.

Music and performance opportunities appear regularly across the year, with a music development plan that references ensembles, termly performance opportunities, and events such as talent competitions and award evenings.

The school also references wider personal development offers, including Duke of Edinburgh provision for older year groups.

The school operates a 32.5-hour week, opening to pupils from 08:00, with arrival routines tied to the 08:38 and 08:40 bells, and a 15:10 finish.

After-school enrichment is positioned as a routine part of the offer, with communications indicating clubs typically run after school and finish at 16:00.

Transport planning matters in Wigan, especially for students travelling across neighbourhood boundaries. When you visit, it is worth checking walking routes, public transport reliability at the start and end of the school day, and how the school manages arrivals to support punctuality.

• Academic improvement journey. Quality of Education was judged Requires Improvement in March 2025, so parents should expect continued work on curriculum impact and outcomes. Ask what has changed since that inspection, and how the school measures impact.

• Progress measure is below average. A Progress 8 score of -0.6 indicates students made less progress than pupils with similar starting points nationally, so targeted support and attendance patterns matter.

• No sixth form. Students transfer at 16, which can be a positive reset for some teenagers, but it also means planning early for college, training, or apprenticeships.

• Deadlines are non-negotiable. The Wigan coordinated admissions process has a firm closing date, and late applications reduce choice.

Dean Trust Rose Bridge offers a structured secondary experience with a positive judgement for behaviour, personal development, and leadership, and a safeguarding culture that is clearly taken seriously.

It suits students who respond well to clear routines, consistent expectations, and a school day that runs to tight timings, and it can be a sensible option for families who value practical pathways alongside academic GCSEs. The main decision point is whether the current academic outcomes profile, and the school’s improvement trajectory since March 2025, match what your child needs over the next two to three years.