Applemore College

About Applemore College

Of the 107 parents who responded to Ofsted’s Parent View survey between September 2024 and September 2025, 83% said they would recommend Applemore College to other parents. That’s a strong endorsement, though it’s worth noting the school is heavily oversubscribed: for 64 places in the 2025/26 academic year, there were 155 applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.42. Only 63 first-preference offers were made, so securing a place is competitive. Parents generally feel their children are happy and safe, with 81% agreeing or strongly agreeing on happiness and 86% on safety. However, the picture is more mixed on SEND support: of the 37% of respondents with children receiving SEND support, 50% agreed or strongly agreed that the school gives them the help they need, but 45% disagreed or strongly disagreed. On behaviour, 74% agreed the school ensures good conduct, though 20% disagreed.

Academically, Applemore’s Progress 8 score of -0.74 is well below average nationally, placing it in the bottom 50 of all schools. In the New Forest local authority, it ranks 8th out of 10 schools on this measure, and 52nd out of 80 similar schools across Hampshire. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 35.8, and 49.6% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths, compared with 29.8% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc average point score is 3.1, with 22% of pupils entering the EBacc combination. The local authority average Progress 8 score is -0.17, so Applemore sits significantly below that benchmark. In its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2024, the school was judged Good across all areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — a notable improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating in July 2022.

Applemore is an 11-16 mixed secondary in the New Forest with no sixth form and no nursery provision. It has a capacity of 775 but currently has 525 pupils on roll, so there is some spare capacity despite oversubscription. The school offers a wide range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, astro turf, and science labs, and clubs range from Model UN and coding to choir and rowing. SEND provisions cover nine areas including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and a resourced provision. With 27.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake compared with the national average. This is a school that has turned around its Ofsted rating and is popular locally, but parents should weigh the positive parent sentiment and improving leadership against the below-average academic outcomes when deciding if it’s the right fit for their child.

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