Kings' School

Kings' School has demonstrated good overall effectiveness while excelling in several key areas, including behaviour, attitudes, and personal development, which have both been rated as outstanding. The strong sense of community and support from staff fosters pride and high achievement among pupils. The curriculum is ambitious, and the teaching staff are highly skilled. However, the school has identified a need to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, particularly those eligible for free school meals, and has begun to implement strategies to address these challenges. The previous inspection, conducted a decade ago, assessed the school as outstanding, and this inspection has noted that while many strengths remain, the impact of the curriculum on disadvantaged pupils has not met expectations. School leaders are aware of this issue and are taking steps to ensure that the advantages offered by the school are shared more equitably among all pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The atmosphere of respect and collaboration among pupils, combined with strong pastoral support, sets a promising context for future growth and development.

Strengths

• Impeccable pupil behaviour and high levels of respect among students.
• Outstanding personal development and leadership.
• Ambitious and coherent curriculum with skilled teachers.
• Extensive and inclusive extracurricular activities.
• Strong support systems for pupils with special educational needs.
• Effective safeguards in place to protect students.
• High levels of student engagement and commitment to learning.

Areas for Improvement

• Underperformance of disadvantaged pupils, particularly in examination results.

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 Kings' School attended 92.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.3% 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, 3.3% of pupils at Kings' 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 Kings' School had 16.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.9% 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, 9.0% of pupils at Kings' School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.2% 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 Kings' School received £8,420 and spent £8,633 for each of its 1,737 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £775,000 (£446 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 Winchester · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Kings' School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Kings' School is Good, from an inspection in March 2024.

When was Kings' School last inspected by Ofsted?

Kings' School was last inspected in March 2024.

How many pupils does Kings' School have?

Kings' School has 1,737 pupils on roll.

What age range does Kings' School cover?

Kings' School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Kings' School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.6, and 68% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Kings' School?

Kings' School is at Romsey Road, Winchester, Hampshire, SO22 5PN.