Bitterne Park School

Bitterne Park School demonstrates a strong overall performance, with a consistent 'Good' rating across all inspection categories. The school is characterized by a supportive and caring environment, where pupils feel safe and valued. Staff work diligently to maintain high expectations for behavior, resulting in a respectful and well-behaved student body. Notably, the school has made significant enhancements to its curriculum and educational offerings since the pandemic, focusing on ambitious goals for all pupils, including those with special educational needs. Pupils benefit from a wide range of subjects and bespoke support that caters to their individual requirements.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community and supportive environment.
• High expectations for pupil behavior and respectful communication.
• Effective support for vulnerable pupils and those with special educational needs.
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum across all key stages.
• Engaging extracurricular activities that encourage talent development.
• Strong careers education and support in the sixth form.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent expectations for writing, spelling, and punctuation.
• Some pupils lack sufficient opportunities to practice reading and writing across the curriculum.
• Teaching does not always adapt well to individual learning needs.

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 Bitterne Park School attended 89.4% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 26.8% 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, 9.6% of pupils at Bitterne Park 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 Bitterne Park School had 14.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.1% 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, 17.1% of pupils at Bitterne Park School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 41 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 Bitterne Park School received £8,957 and spent £8,953 for each of its 2,036 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £279,000 (£137 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 · Southampton local authority: places and applications

Bitterne Park School is part of Reach Cooperative Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Townhill Junior School Southampton
• St Denys Primary School Southampton
• Moorlands Primary School Southampton
• Bitterne Manor Primary and Nursery School Southampton
• Woodlands Community College Southampton
• Redbridge Community School Southampton

What is Bitterne Park School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Bitterne Park School is Good, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Bitterne Park School last inspected by Ofsted?

Bitterne Park School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Bitterne Park School have?

Bitterne Park School has 2,036 pupils on roll.

What age range does Bitterne Park School cover?

Bitterne Park School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Bitterne Park School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 40.6, and 33% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Bitterne Park School?

Bitterne Park School is at Dimond Road, Bitterne Park, Southampton, Hampshire, SO18 1BU.