The Costello School
| Type | Secondary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 11-16 |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Address | Crossborough Hill London Road Basingstoke Hampshire RG21 4AL |
| Phone | 01256321263 |
| Reference Number | 138287 |
The Costello School is performing well overall, with strong standards across various domains. Pupils achieve close to national averages in examinations, and there has been noticeable improvement in the performance of disadvantaged pupils. The school's curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, enabling pupils to build vital knowledge and skills as they progress through their education. A positive culture around safeguarding ensures that pupils feel safe and valued, and effective behaviour management has led to a calm and orderly environment.
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 1222 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 51.39%
Girls: 48.61% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 16.2% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 14.8% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 25.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 135 | 122 | 257 |
| 8 | 134 | 105 | 239 |
| 9 | 127 | 116 | 243 |
| 10 | 117 | 117 | 234 |
| 11 | 115 | 134 | 249 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 65.5% |
| White, Other | 9.9% |
| African | 4.4% |
| Asian, Other | 3.4% |
| Indian | 3.3% |
| Mixed, Other | 3% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 2.8% |
| White & Asian | 2.3% |
| Chinese | 1.3% |
| Caribbean | 0.7% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.6% |
| Pakistani | 0.6% |
| Unclassified | 0.2% |
| Irish | 0.2% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Expected standard |
| > Leadership & Governance | Expected standard |
| > Personal Development & Wellbeing | Expected standard |
| > Achievement | Expected standard |
| > Attendance & Behaviour | Expected standard |
| > Curriculum & Teaching | Expected standard |
| > Inclusion | Expected standard |
| Last Report Date | 10 Feb 2026 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 10 Feb 2026 | School inspection |
| 09 Nov 2021 | School inspection |
| 06 Mar 2018 | Full inspection |
| 08 May 2014 | Full inspection |
| 10 Aug 2012 | Academy conversion letter |
| 20 Jun 2012 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as Costello Technology College | |
| 20 Jun 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 10 Mar 2010 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 10 Mar 2010 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 01 Oct 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 01 Oct 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 21 Jan 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 21 Jan 2008 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 23 Jan 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 23 Jan 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 02 Oct 2000 | Full inspection |
| 02 Oct 2000 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Pupils achieve well across the curriculum.
- Strong support systems help improve pupil attendance.
- Clear and consistent expectations for pupil behaviour.
- Effective leadership and governance that actively support school improvement.
- Ambitious and well-planned curriculum across all subjects.
- Robust support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils have gaps in foundational knowledge of reading, particularly phonics.
- Needs to refine methods for identifying specific learning gaps in a small number of pupils.
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 47.3 |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 49.6% | ||
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 62.8% |
Attainment 8 Score
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
UnlockGCSE Results
Note: Exam results were not published in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic.
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| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | ||
| Second Preference | 146 | 43 |
| Third Preference | 112 | 14 |
| From another Local Authority | 1 | 0 |
Previous Years
Sample
UnlockDestinations after GCSE's
| Staying in Education | |
| > Further Education | |
| > School Sixth Form | |
| > Sixth Form College | |
| > Other Education | |
| Apprenticeships | |
| Employment | |
| Not in education or employment | |
| Unknown |
| Name | Distance |
|
Rucstall Primary School
Holbein Close, Black Dam, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 3EX |
0.36 miles |
|
Fairfields Primary School
Council Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 3DH |
0.43 miles |
|
St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Kingsmill Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 3JU |
0.78 miles |
|
South View Junior School
Shooters Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 5LL |
0.9 miles |
|
South View Infant and Nursery School
Off Shooters Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 5LL |
0.95 miles |
|
Kings Furlong Infant School and Nursery
Upper Chestnut Drive, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 8YJ |
1.01 miles |
|
Maple Ridge School
Maple Crescent, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 5SX |
1.03 miles |
|
Kings Furlong Junior School
Upper Chestnut Drive, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 8YJ |
1.05 miles |
|
Oakridge Junior School
Oakridge Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 5RR |
1.15 miles |
|
Oakridge Infant School
Oakridge Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 5RR |
1.21 miles |
|
Merton Infant School
Romsey Close, Popley Way, Popley, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9HB |
1.48 miles |
|
Merton Junior School
Romsey Close, Popley Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9HB |
1.52 miles |
|
Marnel Junior School
Shetland Road, Popley Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9PT |
1.53 miles |
|
Old Basing Infant School
Milkingpen Lane, Old Basing, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 7DL |
1.54 miles |
|
Chalk Ridge Primary School
Sullivan Road, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 4ER |
1.56 miles |
|
Marnel Community Infant School
Shetland Road, Popley Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9PT |
1.58 miles |
|
St Bede's Catholic Primary School
Popley Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9DX |
1.61 miles |
|
St Anne's Catholic Primary School
Pinkerton Road, South Ham, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 6RE |
1.61 miles |
|
St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School
Belle Vue Road, Old Basing, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 7DE |
1.66 miles |
|
Winklebury Junior School
Willoughby Way, Off Winklebury Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG23 8AF |
1.7 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Queen Mary's College
Cliddesden Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 3HF |
0.54 miles |
|
Basingstoke College of Technology
Worting Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 8TN |
0.73 miles |
|
The Vyne Community School
Vyne Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 5PB |
0.94 miles |
|
Dove House Academy
Sutton Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 5SU |
0.96 miles |
|
Cranbourne
Wessex Close, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 3NP |
1.01 miles |
|
Chiltern Way Academy Austen
Shakespeare Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9BP |
1.19 miles |
|
Inclusion School
Jays Close, Viables, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 4BS |
1.32 miles |
|
Limington House School
St Andrew's Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 6PS |
1.54 miles |
|
The Blue Coat School Basingstoke
Western Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 6HA |
1.66 miles |
|
Everest Community Academy
Oxford Way, Oxford Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24 9UP |
1.82 miles |
|
Brighton Hill Community School
Brighton Way, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 4HS |
1.84 miles |
|
Bishop Challoner Catholic Secondary School
St Michael's Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 6SR |
1.93 miles |
|
Chiltern Way Academy Basingstoke
Pack Lane, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 5TH |
2.02 miles |
|
The Loddon School
Wildmoor Lane, Sherfield-on-Loddon, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 0JD |
3.5 miles |
|
Sherfield School
Reading Road, Hampshire, RG27 0HU |
4.02 miles |