Upper Shirley High School

Upper Shirley High has been recognized for providing a good quality of education, fostering a positive and engaging environment for its pupils. The school prides itself on its inclusive atmosphere, where both students and staff exhibit respect for one another. Encouragingly, pupils demonstrate enthusiasm for learning and feel well supported by their teachers. The leadership team is dedicated and has effectively enhanced the school's reputation and popularity, ensuring smooth transitions for students from primary to secondary education. Despite its strengths, there are areas for improvement identified, particularly in the consistency of teaching practices across subjects and the need for better support for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). The absence of a high-quality specialist teacher in design and technology also limits the curriculum options for pupils. Overall, the school is working on various initiatives to address these challenges while maintaining its positive community ethos.

Strengths

• Leaders have high ambitions for pupil achievement.
• Pupils enjoy lessons and appreciate teachers' enthusiasm.
• Inclusive environment with respect shown by pupils and staff.
• Strong subject expertise among teachers with effective staff training.
• High GCSE results exceeding national levels.
• Smooth transition process for pupils coming from primary school.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent teaching practices across subjects.
• Some teachers do not adapt teaching to meet the needs of SEND pupils.
• Difficulty in recruiting a specialist design and technology teacher.

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 Upper Shirley High School attended 91.7% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.5% 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, 6.3% of pupils at Upper Shirley High School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 4 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 Upper Shirley High School had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.4% 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, 12.0% of pupils at Upper Shirley High School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.6% 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 2024–25 Upper Shirley High School received £7,963 and spent £7,979 for each of its 1,082 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £367,000 (£339 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Hamwic Education Trust, income was £7,058 and spending £7,015 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Southampton · Southampton local authority: places and applications

Upper Shirley High School is part of Hamwic Education Trust, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Shirley Infant School Southampton
• Shirley Junior School Southampton
• Hollybrook Junior School Southampton
• Hollybrook Infant School Southampton
• Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School Southampton
• Beechwood Junior School Southampton
• Glenfield Infant School Southampton
• Townhill Infant School Southampton
• Ludlow Infant Academy Southampton
• Woolston Infant School Southampton

What is Upper Shirley High School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Upper Shirley High School is Good, from an inspection in February 2025.

When was Upper Shirley High School last inspected by Ofsted?

Upper Shirley High School was last inspected in February 2025.

How many pupils does Upper Shirley High School have?

Upper Shirley High School has 1,062 pupils on roll.

What age range does Upper Shirley High School cover?

Upper Shirley High School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Upper Shirley High School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.6, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Upper Shirley High School?

Upper Shirley High School is at Bellemoor Road, Upper Shirley, Southampton, Hampshire, SO15 7QU.