Priestlands School

About Priestlands School

Priestlands School is clearly a popular choice among local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 302 applications for 229 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.32, meaning roughly three children competed for every two spots. Of those applications, 227 were first-preference choices, and all 227 received an offer. This level of demand suggests strong parent confidence, and it aligns with the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, which judged it to be Good overall, with Good leadership and management. The school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections, though its previous graded inspection in 2012 also rated it Good, while the earlier 2008 inspection had awarded it Outstanding. With 1,236 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,215, Priestlands is operating slightly above its intended size, which is another sign of its draw in the New Forest area.

Academically, Priestlands delivers solid, middle-of-the-road results. Its Progress 8 score for the 2023/24 academic year was -0.01, which is bang on the national average and well above the Hampshire local authority average of -0.17. The school ranks 3rd out of 10 schools in the New Forest district on this measure, placing it in the top 30% locally. Nationally, it sits in the 49th percentile among 3,141 schools, so it is performing exactly as you would expect for a typical state secondary. The Attainment 8 score was 50.1, and 58.1% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths (the basics measure). The EBacc average point score was 4.43, with 28.5% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects. These figures paint a picture of a school that gets the job done without being exceptional, but which comfortably outperforms the local average.

The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, tennis courts, and science labs, plus a sixth form centre, though Priestlands itself only goes up to Year 11. There is no official sixth form on site. Sports provision is strong, with athletics, cricket, hockey, rowing, and gymnastics among the options, and clubs range from coding and drama to gardening and eco club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for a wide spectrum of SEND, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and social, emotional and mental health needs. Priestlands suits families who want a large, well-subscribed, non-selective secondary that performs reliably around the national average, with good facilities and a clear local reputation. It is not a high-flying academic outlier, but it is a dependable, popular choice in the New Forest.

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