Purbrook Park School

Purbrook Park School continues to perform well, maintaining its status as a good school since its last inspection in 2018. The school is characterized by a broad and inclusive curriculum that positively impacts students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The strong culture of the school is underpinned by positive relationships between pupils and staff, contributing to a supportive learning environment where students feel safe and valued. While the school fosters personal development effectively, there are areas needing improvement, particularly in deepening curriculum engagement and enhancing reading strategies across subjects.

Strengths

• The curriculum is broad and aspirational across all key stages.
• Staff create inclusive classrooms that support diverse learning needs.
• Pupils achieve well, especially those with SEND.
• The school's focus on character virtues promotes excellent behavior.
• Strong emphasis on personal development and careers education.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements in place.
• Positive relationships between pupils and staff.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistency in deep curriculum design affecting pupils' ability to think critically.
• Underdeveloped reading strategy hindering vocabulary and cultural capital.

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 Purbrook Park School attended 92.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.0% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Purbrook 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 Purbrook Park School had 15.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 10.3% 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, 12.6% of pupils at Purbrook Park School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.8% 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 Purbrook Park School received £8,058 and spent £8,208 for each of its 922 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £739,000 (£802 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 Waterlooville · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Purbrook Park School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Purbrook Park School last inspected by Ofsted?

Purbrook Park School was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Purbrook Park School have?

Purbrook Park School has 921 pupils on roll.

What age range does Purbrook Park School cover?

Purbrook Park School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Purbrook Park School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.8, and 37% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Purbrook Park School?

Purbrook Park School is at Park Avenue, Purbrook, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO7 5DS.