Wigston Academy Review 2026: A large, community-facing secondary with structured routines and strong enrichment

Set on Station Road in Wigston, this is an 11 to 16 state secondary that sits within a wider trust campus alongside Wigston College, which provides local post 16 progression.

The most recent graded Ofsted inspection (June 2022) judged the school Good across the headline areas.

On outcomes, the picture is mixed. The FindMySchool GCSE ranking places the school at 3,161st in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 1st locally within Wigston. This performance sits below England average overall, based on its England percentile position.

What stands out most in day to day life is the breadth of organised enrichment and the way it is used to build belonging, routines, and confidence. The enrichment programme published by the academy includes structured sport and activity sessions, plus specific clubs such as Pride Club, STEM Club, Maths Challenge Training, French Club, Chess and Board Game Club, Football Supporters Club, and GCSE Computer Science and Creative iMedia Club.

The school presents itself as a welcoming and ambitious learning community, with a clear emphasis on raised aspirations and consistent expectations. The headteacher messaging foregrounds standards, ambition, and access to strong teaching and a broad curriculum.

A recurring theme in published transition materials is that Year 7 induction is treated as a serious piece of work rather than an afterthought. The induction presentation lays out named pastoral roles for Year 7, and describes a tutor programme that deliberately mixes literacy, numeracy, assemblies, reading routines (ERIC), and inter form activities through the week. That kind of structure tends to suit students who benefit from predictable routines and clear daily starts.

The campus model also matters. The academy frames itself as part of an 11 to 19 learning campus with Wigston College, which can make the “what next” conversation more concrete from Year 9 onwards, particularly for families who prefer a local route into sixth form rather than moving across the city.

The data available here points to outcomes that are currently below typical levels in England for several GCSE benchmarks.

FindMySchool GCSE ranking context

Ranked 3,161st in England and 1st in Wigston for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places the school below England average overall, based on its England percentile position.

Key GCSE indicators (latest available)

• Attainment 8: 38.4

• Progress 8: -0.63

• EBacc average point score: 3.49

• Percentage achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc: 6.8%

For parents, the most important interpretation point is Progress 8. A negative figure indicates pupils, as a group, make less progress than pupils nationally with similar starting points. That does not tell you everything about individual experiences, but it does suggest that families should look closely at how the school supports catching up, stretches the highest attainers, and secures consistency across subjects.

Published curriculum intent places emphasis on students leaving as confident learners who can progress to the next stage, with explicit attention to wider readiness for modern life and civic participation.

At key stage 4, the academy publishes a broad menu of subjects, including options such as Creative iMedia, Child Development, Health and Social, Food, Dance, and both French and Spanish, alongside the core set. The implication is a reasonably practical and varied pathway offer for students whose strengths are not only academic.

One strength that is easy to verify is the way enrichment is used to extend learning beyond lessons. The enrichment programme includes both subject linked clubs (for example GCSE Computer Science and Creative iMedia Club, Maths Homework Club, Maths Challenge Training, French Club, STEM Club) and structured study support for Year 11.

For families, the practical implication is that motivated students can build extra practice time into the week without relying entirely on private support.

Because the school is 11 to 16, the main transition point is post 16. Locally, Wigston College sits on the same campus and is positioned as the trust route for sixth form study.

The school does not publish, in the sources reviewed, a quantified destinations breakdown for leavers. In practice, parents should treat Year 9 options and Year 11 guidance as the moments to test how well advice is tailored to the student, particularly around the balance between A level routes at sixth form, Level 3 vocational options, and apprenticeship pathways.

Admissions for Year 7 places are coordinated through the local authority route for Leicestershire area applicants, with an established annual cadence.

For September 2026 entry, the published closing date for secondary applications was 31 October 2025, with National Offer Day on 2 March 2026.

If you are planning ahead for the following year, the same pattern typically applies, applications open in early September, close at the end of October, and offers arrive in early March.

Demand is measurable in the admissions data available: 450 applications for 254 offers, which equates to 1.77 applications per place, and the route is described as oversubscribed. This indicates that, at least in the recorded cycle, competition for places exceeded supply.

If you are comparing local options, FindMySchool’s Map Search can help you sanity check distance and transport practicality, especially if your shortlist includes schools with tight geographic criteria.

The most concrete wellbeing signal in the sources reviewed is the way student support is embedded into routines and transition. Induction materials emphasise daily tutor time, a structured tutor programme, and planned support as students arrive into Year 7.

The enrichment timetable also includes dedicated Year 11 study sessions, which can reduce last minute pressure by creating supervised time and space for revision.

Safeguarding and wider pastoral detail (for example counselling provision, anti bullying systems, and SEND practice) should be tested directly through policy documents and open events, as the public facing pages reviewed focus more on intent and routines than on detailed service models.

This is where the school is most distinctive, because the enrichment offer is unusually specific, with named clubs, days, times, and locations.

Sport and activity

The published programme includes organised sessions such as Girls Rugby and Boys Rugby supported by Leicester Tigers coaches, plus football, netball, basketball, badminton, and multi sports.

The practical value is twofold. Students who need a reason to stay after school get one, and students who thrive on team identity can build it through consistent fixtures and training blocks.

Clubs with a clear identity

The programme also lists clubs with a strong pastoral or cultural dimension, including Pride Club, alongside interest led clubs such as Chess and Board Game Club and Pop Music History Club.

For many families, this matters as much as sport, because it signals that there are structured spaces for belonging that are not tied to performance.

Academic and skills building support

There is a visible thread of structured academic support: Maths Homework Club, Maths Challenge Training, GCSE Computer Science and Creative iMedia Club, and STEM Club, plus Year 11 study sessions.

The implication is that students who want to improve can access extra time with staff guidance without needing to build everything outside school hours.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

A free breakfast club is published as running from 8.00am to 8.30am each school day.

The most specific published “start time” reference located in current materials is in induction documentation that references an 8.35am start for the first day of term communication. Families should check the website calendar and current year guidance for the up to date daily finish time and any differences by year group.

Term dates for 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027 are published, which is helpful for planning childcare and travel.

• Results and progress. Progress 8 is negative in the latest available dataset. Families should ask what has changed since that reporting period, and how subject leaders are being supported to secure consistency across departments.

• Oversubscription risk. The available admissions data indicates more applications than offers. Have a realistic plan B, and use the local authority timelines carefully.

• Clarity on daily timings. Breakfast provision is clear, but the full day timetable is not surfaced in a single, easy to locate public page in the sources reviewed. If wraparound or transport timing is tight for your household, verify start and finish times early.

Wigston Academy is best understood as a large, structured, community secondary where enrichment and routine are used as the engine of engagement. The Ofsted judgement confirms a secure baseline, and the published enrichment programme shows a deliberate attempt to give students multiple ways to belong, from sport with external coaches to identity based and subject linked clubs.

It will suit families who want a local 11 to 16 route with a clear pathway into sixth form on the same campus, and who value organised after school opportunities as part of the weekly rhythm. Those prioritising top end exam outcomes should scrutinise progress and improvement strategy closely, and ask for subject level evidence rather than relying on headline messaging.