John Ferneley College

About John Ferneley College

John Ferneley College was rated Requires Improvement in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024, a downgrade from the Good rating it had held since its previous graded inspection in 2015. The school’s Progress 8 score of -0.34 is the most telling academic metric here: it means that, on average, pupils achieved about a third of a grade less per subject than students with similar starting points nationally. That places the school in the bottom 50 nationally for progress, and it sits fourth out of four secondary schools in the Melton local authority area. The picture is slightly more nuanced when you look at individual subjects — Progress 8 in English was -0.19, closer to the national average, while maths was -0.31 and the EBacc element was -0.44. Compared with the Leicestershire local authority average Progress 8 of -0.1, John Ferneley’s score is notably weaker, and it ranks 26th out of 46 similar schools across the county.

On attainment, 45.1% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs, and 65.2% achieved a grade 4 or above. The school’s Attainment 8 score sits at 45, meaning the average pupil scored the equivalent of a low grade 5 across their best eight subjects. The EBacc entry rate is 32.6%, with 23.6% of pupils achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above and 15.9% at grade 5 or above. Ofsted’s breakdown shows that behaviour and attitudes, and personal development, were both rated Good — the only two areas to hold that higher grade. Leadership and management, and the quality of education, were both judged to require improvement. The school does not have a sixth form, so all pupils leave at 16, and the inspection did not assess sixth-form provision.

The school is heavily oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, it received 377 applications for 221 places, with 123 first-preference offers made. That gives an oversubscription ratio of 1.71, suggesting strong local demand despite the Requires Improvement rating. Facilities are generous for a state secondary, including a swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, music rooms, art studios, and a chapel. The clubs list is broad, with Duke of Edinburgh, Model UN, Young Enterprise, and an orchestra on offer. SEND provision covers nine categories, including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. With 18.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals — above the national average — the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake. This is a school that families in Melton clearly want to send their children to, but the academic outcomes data suggests there is work to do on the progress pupils make once they arrive.

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