Brookfield Community School

Brookfield Community School is a large mixed 11–16 community school that remains good overall following its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspectors found high expectations, a calm and orderly environment, and pupils who feel safe and behave very well. Personal development is outstanding, with a strong programme, a wide extra-curricular offer and meaningful pupil leadership roles. Careers education is a standout strength, with destinations significantly above average. Safeguarding is effective, and leadership, governance and staff support are strong. The curriculum is ambitious, broad and balanced, including a strong vocational offer, and teachers generally use checks on learning well. However, support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND is not consistently delivered: some teachers do not adapt the curriculum effectively, which can hinder access for a small number of pupils with SEND. Reading and literacy initiatives, including targeted interventions and subject-specific vocabulary work, are not yet fully embedded, so pupils’ reading and literacy skills are still developing. Attendance is improving and now aligns with national averages, but persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils remains a challenge. The school has appropriate strategies and training in place, but these areas need time and systematic review to become fully effective.

Strengths

• Firmly embedded culture of being ready, respectful and responsible
• High expectations for pupils’ achievement with strong support
• Pupils feel safe and are safe
• Very good behaviour and rare low-level disruption
• Extensive extra-curricular programme fostering belonging
• Meaningful pupil leadership roles and student voice
• Phoenix Centre provides tailored well-being, mental health and attendance support
• Ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum with strong vocational offer
• Consistent lesson format and effective checks on learning
• Strong personal development programme covering age-appropriate topics
• Careers education is a standout strength with above-average destinations
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Governors provide support and challenge and know the school well
• Staff positive about support for well-being and workload

Areas for Improvement

• Some teachers do not consistently use strategies to support disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND
• A small number of pupils with SEND are hindered in accessing and engaging with learning
• Reading and literacy initiatives are not fully embedded
• Subject-specific vocabulary and extended disciplinary texts are not applied consistently
• Persistent absence among disadvantaged pupils remains a challenge
• Recent reading and literacy programmes need systematic review to ensure ongoing improvement

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 Brookfield Community School attended 91.9% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.5% 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, 7.1% of pupils at Brookfield Community School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was 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 Brookfield Community School had 17.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.8% 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, 11.4% of pupils at Brookfield Community School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 2.4% 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 2025–26 Brookfield Community School received £7,284 and spent £7,218 for each of its 1,854 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £152,000 (£82 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Southampton · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Brookfield Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Brookfield Community School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Brookfield Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Brookfield Community School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Brookfield Community School have?

Brookfield Community School has 1,854 pupils on roll.

What age range does Brookfield Community School cover?

Brookfield Community School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Brookfield Community School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.5, and 54% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Brookfield Community School?

Brookfield Community School is at Brook Lane, Sarisbury Green, Southampton, Hampshire, SO31 7DU.