The Costello School

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.

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.

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 The Costello School attended 91.2% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 22.0% 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, 9.0% of pupils at The Costello School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 3 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 The Costello School had 16.8 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, 15.6% of pupils at The Costello School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.4% 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 The Costello School received £7,587 and spent £7,054 for each of its 1,224 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,862,000 (£1,521 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Bohunt Education Trust, income was £8,104 and spending £7,910 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 Basingstoke · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

The Costello School is part of Bohunt Education Trust, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Bohunt School Wokingham Wokingham
• Bohunt Farnborough Farnborough
• Bohunt School Liphook
• The Petersfield School Petersfield
• Priory School Southsea
• Bohunt Horsham Horsham
• Rusper Primary School Horsham
• Steyning Grammar School Steyning
• Bohunt School Worthing Worthing

What is The Costello School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for The Costello School is Expected standard, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was The Costello School last inspected by Ofsted?

The Costello School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does The Costello School have?

The Costello School has 1,160 pupils on roll.

What age range does The Costello School cover?

The Costello School for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are The Costello School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 50.4, and 53% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is The Costello School?

The Costello School is at Crossborough Hill, London Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 4AL.