The Wavell School

The Wavell School is demonstrating strong overall performance with effective leadership and a strong, positive culture among staff and students. The school has made significant progress in pupil attendance and demonstrates a commitment to raising educational standards by ensuring students are well-prepared for their future after school. Pupils are supported adequately, particularly those with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils, although there remains room for improvement in the consistency of teaching and checking pupil understanding across subjects. The school balances a broad and ambitious curriculum with supportive measures to help all pupils thrive academically and personally.

Strengths

• Effective safeguarding culture ensuring pupils feel safe
• Strong support for disadvantaged and SEND students
• Broad and ambitious curriculum with well-sequenced knowledge
• Improved attendance rates, above national averages for disadvantaged pupils
• Confidence in staff professional development linking to school priorities
• Positive relationships with families and community stakeholders

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent teaching strategies impacting pupil understanding
• Need for stronger dedication to learning among some pupils

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 The Wavell School attended 92.5% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 18.0% 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, 7.3% of pupils at The Wavell School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No 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 The Wavell School had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.6% 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, 14.0% of pupils at The Wavell School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 13 pupils.

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 The Wavell School received £8,443 and spent £8,355 for each of its 1,043 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £662,000 (£635 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 Farnborough · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is The Wavell School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Wavell School is Expected standard, from an inspection in March 2026.

When was The Wavell School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Wavell School was last inspected in March 2026.

How many pupils does The Wavell School have?

The Wavell School has 1,042 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Wavell School cover?

The Wavell School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Wavell School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 45.7, and 40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Wavell School?

The Wavell School is at Lynchford Road, The Wavell School, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 6BH.