Sparsholt College Hampshire
N/A
Capacity
N/A
Pupils
2.8x
Demand
About Sparsholt College Hampshire
Sparsholt College Hampshire sits within the Hampshire local authority and, for its secondary phase, ranks first out of five schools in the Winchester area based on Progress 8 scores. That puts it ahead of its nearest local peers: Lift Winton, Thornden School, and Bohunt School. The college is a state-funded, mixed sixth-form institution for students aged 16 to 99, and it operates under headteacher Julie Milburn. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, conducted in 2023, awarded the school Outstanding across every category, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is a repeat of the Outstanding rating it held in its previous inspection in 2008. With a school capacity of 1,500, it is a sizeable provider of post-16 education in the region, and its official sixth form means it focuses entirely on older students rather than offering a full secondary school programme.
Academically, Sparsholt College Hampshire delivers results that are well above average. Its Progress 8 score of 0.96 is significantly higher than the Hampshire local authority average of -0.17, placing the college in the top 5% nationally and ninth in the South East region out of 461 schools. The Attainment 8 score stands at 64.6, and 90.2% of students achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc average point score is 5.96, with 70.1% of pupils entering the EBacc combination of subjects. At A-level, the average points per entry is 40.02, equivalent to a B grade, and the best three A-levels also average a B. The value-added score of 0.07 is rated as Average, with a confidence interval ranging from -0.05 to 0.2. The college’s sixth-form provision was also judged Outstanding in the 2023 inspection.
The college is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 651 total applications for 236 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.76. Of those, 257 were first-preference applications, and 204 first-preference offers were made. Facilities include a sports hall, astro turf, swimming pool, art studios, music rooms, and a dedicated sixth-form centre. The sports programme covers tennis, hockey, rowing, rugby, and cricket, among others, while extracurricular clubs include Debate, Model UN, Young Enterprise, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. SEND provisions are broad, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This combination of strong academic outcomes, specialist facilities, and comprehensive SEND support makes the college a compelling choice for post-16 students in Hampshire, particularly those aiming for high attainment in a structured, well-resourced environment.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 16 to 99 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Westley Lane, Winchester, Winchester, SO21 2NF |
| Headteacher | Julie Milburn |
| Local Authority | Hampshire |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 5.9% |
| School Capacity | 1,500 |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
28 Mar 2023Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 22 May 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.96)
94th of 3,141
Nationally
9th of 461
In South East
1st of 5
In Winchester
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly more progress than similar students nationally
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
42.3
'22/23
38.2
'23/24
40.0
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2371%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 208 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)71%
- FE college12%
- Sixth form college11%
- Apprenticeship1%
98% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2367%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 134 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
41%
Russell Group
41%
Top-third HE
1%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)67%
- Employment21%
- Not sustained4%
- Apprenticeship2%
- Further education1%
- Other education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Psychology59
- Biology57
- Mathematics43
- Chemistry32
- English Literature23
- Geography20
- Business Studies:Single18
- Economics16
- Sociology15
- Art and Design (Fine Art)14
- History12
- Physical Education / Sports Studies9
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed236
651
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
257 families put this school as their 1st choice (39% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British42.3%
- Asian36.0%
- Mixed6.9%
- White (other)5.2%
- Black0.3%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than half of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
2
Total schools
2
Oversubscribed
1
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Sparsholt College Hampshire
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Westley Lane, Winchester
Winchester, SO21 2NF
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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