We know that choosing a secondary school is a big and sometimes difficult decision. At INICIO, our students come from schools all over Leicestershire so we've put together a guide to all of the local secondary schools.
Bishop Stopford
Bishop Stopford school is a Church of England secondary school in Kettering, for mixed gender students age 11-18. The school converted to Academy status in August 2011. Bishop Stopford teach approximately 1400 students, including those in Sixth Form. The school also runs a number of lunchtime and after school activities/clubs, which include Sport, ICT, Music, Drama, Film, Debating Society and many more.
In 2014, 80% of all pupils attained five GCSE grades A*-C including English and mathematics. Bishop Stopford’s results were in the top 20% of all schools.
Beauchamp College
Part of the Oadby Family of Schools, Beauchamp is a mixed gender college with an age range of 14-18. Over 50% of Beauchamp students are from ethnic minorities and this has shown to greatly enrich daily college life. Student leadership is encouraged, with elected Student Governors participating at Leadership level as well as students running societies that vary from medical to engineering.
As of January 2016, 90% of Beauchamp pupils stay in education for at least two terms after KS4, with 77% staying on in the school sixth form.
Brooke Weston
Brooke Weston Academy is a secondary school for 11 to 18 year olds in Great Oakley, Corby. As an Academy, Brooke Weston decide upon their own term structure and working day; the year is made up of 5 terms with each term being 8 weeks long, followed by a 2 week break. Summer is usually four weeks long. Brooke Weston also operates a longer school day, which means that over five years of education, their students receive the equivalent of an additional year’s tuition. Beyond the formal school day, students can take full advantage of the school’s facilities for clubs and activities before and after the bell rings.
In 2015, 90% of students achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE, with the top 20 students achieving 95 A*’s and 86 A’s between them.
Guilsborough
Guilsborough is a mixed gender academy in Northampton, catering for ages 11 to 18. Guilsborough work closely with its family of primary schools to ensure a smooth transition into secondary education. These primary schools are:
Clipston, Crick, East Haddon, Great Creaton, Guilsborough, Long Buckby, Maidwell, Naseby, Spratton, Welford Sibbertoft and Sulby, West haddon, Yelvertoft.
As well as supporting the university application process, Guilsborough’s Career Academy also holds the Career Mark Gold Award for providing alternative routes to further qualifications post A-Level.
In 2015, 68% GCSE students achieved five A*-C grades, including English and mathematics. At A Level, Guilsborough’s students achieved 29% A/A* grades, 57% A*-B and 88% A*-C.
Kibworth
The Kibworth School is an 11-16 Academy based in Kibworth, Leicestershire. The school previously operated as an 11-14 school, converting to an 11-16 school in September 2015. Kibworth has a number of outstanding facilities, including a brand new 3G artificial pitch for any budding football players.
Kibworth’s 2013 Ofsted report identified them as good with outstanding behaviour.
Leicester Grammar
Based in Great Glen, South Leicestershie, Leicester Grammar is a leading independent HMC (Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference) school for pupils aged 11-18. LGS has a 75 acre campus with excellent facilities that range from state-of-the-art sports facilities, a spacious library and even a coffee shop for sixth form students, staff and parents.
Leicester Grammar was awarded the Governing Body of the Year award at the 2015 TES Independent Schools Award.
For the past 7 years, 100% of students achieved five A*-C grades at GCSE. At A-Level, LGS students had a pass rate of 100%, with 83.5% achieving A*-B grades.
See the Leicester Grammar website for fee information.
Montsaye
Montsaye is a mixed gender comprehensive academy in Rothwell, Northamptonshire. Montsaye caters for pupils aged 11-18 and maintains close links with its feeder primary schools in areas associated with the school eg. Arthingworth, Ashley, Barford, Brampton Ash, Braybrooke, Desborough, Dingley, Draughton, Faxton, Glendon, Hanging Houghton, Harrington, Lamport, Loddington, Mawsley, Maidwell, Orton, Pipewell, Rothwell, Rushton, Stoke Albany, Sutton Bassett, Thorpe Malsor, Thorpe Underwood, Weston-by-Welland, Wilbarston.
Montsaye Academy has vertical tutor groups, meaning that a few students from each year group make up a tutor group. This enables students to make friends of different ages and aims to create a family-like atmosphere in the tutor groups.
In 2015, 53% of GCSE students achieved 5 A*-C grades.
Robert Smyth
The Robert Smyth Academy in Market Harborough is a 14-19 upper school, but as of September 2016 the academy is changing to welcome students from age 11. Robert Smyth has a partner school near Strasbourg which allows them to operate a French exchange programme. Students can also participate in the Rotary Youth Exchange programme, which in the past has sent students to America, Canada and Taiwan, and the biannual World Challenge, sending students on expeditions to countries such as Peru, Laos and Tanzania.
After a record year for A-Level results in 2014, placing in the Tines Top 500 Schools list, Robert Smyth continued their success in 2015 with 90% of students gaining a place on their desired university course, including 4 students securing places at Oxbridge.
Uppingham College
Uppingham Community College is a specialist technology academy for students age 11-16 in Uppingham, Rutland. Uppingham’s facilities include an Astroturf pitch, tennis courts, a drama studio and specialist technology facilities including science laboratories, IT suites and laptop banks. In terms of admissions, Uppingham prioritises students from the following primary schools; Billesdon Parochial, Bringhurst County, Cottingham CofE Church Langton CofE Edith Weston County, Gretton CP, Hallaton CofE, Leighfield, St Mary & St John CofE North Luffenham, Tugby CofE, and Uppingham CofE.
At GCSE level, 69% of Uppingham students achieved 5 A*-C grades which is above average for both the local area (Rutland, 67.2%) and England (53.8%).
Welland Park
Welland Park Academy is a mixed gender comprehensive academy for students age 11-14 in Market Harborough. Primary schools with feeder status for Welland Park are Great Bowden, Little Bowden, Farndon Fields, Meadowdale, St Joseph’s Church of England, Ridgeway, Lubenham, Foxton, Church Langton and Billesdon. Although Welland Park do not offer KS4 education, the school keeps this transition in mind throughout by offering Year 9 options that are not part of the KS3 curriculum such as Business Studies, Engineering and Radio Welland Park.
Welland Park was deemed to be an outstanding school by Ofsted in their most recent inspection in 2012.
