Harrow Way Community School

Harrow Way Community School is a welcoming, inclusive secondary school where pupils feel safe, happy and a strong sense of belonging. Pastoral care, personal development and wellbeing are particular strengths, supported by an inspiring programme that prepares pupils well for adult life. Pupils also benefit from a wide range of enrichment, competitive sport, leadership opportunities and effective careers guidance. Behaviour is positive, pupils are polite and respectful, and safeguarding arrangements meet the required standards. Overall, the school is performing solidly across achievement, curriculum, inclusion and leadership. Pupils generally achieve GCSE outcomes in line with national averages and move on to appropriate next steps, while pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make secure progress. Leadership and governance are effective, staff feel well supported, and parents are positive about the school. The current headteacher took up post in September 2023, and the proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is well above the national average. The main areas for further work are consistency. High-quality teaching and challenge are not yet securely embedded in all subjects and year groups, which affects the school's ability to ensure consistently strong key stage 4 outcomes. Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths grade 5 outcomes are below national averages, and the disadvantage gap remains wide. Leaders should also review the impact of additional funding more precisely and continue work to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence.

Strengths

• Inspiring personal development programme prepares pupils well for adult life
• Pastoral care and mental health support are a particular strength
• Pupils feel safe, happy and have a strong sense of belonging
• Wide range of enrichment, trips, competitive sport and leadership opportunities
• Highly effective careers education with personalised support
• Pupils behave well, are polite and take pride in their school
• Inclusive culture with accurate identification of pupils' needs
• Effective governance and supportive leadership
• Positive relationships with parents and clear communication
• GCSE outcomes are broadly in line with national averages
• Reading, literacy and nurture support help pupils catch up
• Attendance is close to national averages and most pupils attend regularly

Areas for Improvement

• High challenge is not consistently embedded across all subjects
• Teaching quality and consistency are not yet secure in all subjects and year groups
• Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths grade 5 outcomes are below national averages
• The disadvantage gap remains wide, particularly in English and maths
• The impact of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is not always reviewed precisely
• Attendance and persistent absence require further 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 Harrow Way Community School attended 92.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 21.2% 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, 4.8% of pupils at Harrow Way 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 Harrow Way Community School had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.2% 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, 15.3% of pupils at Harrow Way Community School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.9% 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 Harrow Way Community School received £8,482 and spent £8,076 for each of its 992 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,279,000 (£1,289 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 Andover · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Harrow Way Community School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Harrow Way Community School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Harrow Way Community School last inspected by Ofsted?

Harrow Way Community School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Harrow Way Community School have?

Harrow Way Community School has 992 pupils on roll.

What age range does Harrow Way Community School cover?

Harrow Way Community School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Harrow Way Community School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 46.0, and 45% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Harrow Way Community School?

Harrow Way Community School is at Harrow Way, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 3RH.