Barclay Academy

Barclay Academy has demonstrated strong overall performance during its first inspection, achieving a 'Good' rating across several domains, including a notable 'Outstanding' rating for personal development and leadership. The school has established high expectations for both academic achievement and behaviour since its inception in 2019, with evidence of significant improvements made by leaders. A diverse curriculum supports students, particularly in core subjects, where a majority perform well, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The positive atmosphere encourages a strong sense of safety and well-being among the pupils.

Strengths

• Strong leadership and management
• Outstanding provision for personal development
• Effective support for students with SEND
• High expectations for pupil achievement and behaviour
• Exceptional range of extra-curricular activities
• Well-designed curriculum in core subjects

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistencies in work quality in some foundation subjects
• A small minority of pupils struggling to self-regulate behaviour

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Barclay Academy attended 91.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 23.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 8.3% of pupils at Barclay Academy were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Barclay Academy had 16.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.6% of pupils at Barclay Academy were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Barclay Academy received £8,320 and spent £7,648 for each of its 992 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,059,000 (£1,067 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Future Academies, income was £9,844 and spending £9,305 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Stevenage · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

Barclay Academy is part of Future Academies, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Ashtree Primary Academy Stevenage
• Gracewood Academy Potters Bar
• Laureate Academy Hemel Hempstead
• Future Academies Watford Watford
• The Grange Academy Bushey
• Phoenix Academy London
• Millbank Gardens Primary Academy London
• Pimlico Academy London
• Pimlico Primary London
• Trinity Academy London

What is Barclay Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Barclay Academy is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Barclay Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Barclay Academy was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Barclay Academy have?

Barclay Academy has 1,044 pupils on roll.

What age range does Barclay Academy cover?

Barclay Academy for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Barclay Academy's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.0, and 49% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Barclay Academy?

Barclay Academy is at Walkern Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, SG1 3RB.