The Cottesloe School

About The Cottesloe School

The Cottesloe School is a mixed state secondary in Buckinghamshire that is currently operating above its official capacity, with 1,141 pupils on roll against a capacity of 1,105. This oversubscription is reflected in its admissions data for the 2025/26 intake, where the school received 423 applications for 231 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.83. Of those, 196 offers went to first-preference applicants out of 209 who listed the school as their top choice. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 15.1%, which is higher than the national average for secondary schools, indicating a more diverse socioeconomic intake than many of its neighbours in a selective authority. The school has no religious character and is led by headteacher Simon Jones. It has a large sixth form, with 61 students in the most recent A-level cohort, and offers facilities including a swimming pool, art studios, music rooms, and a sixth form centre.

Academically, the school performs solidly but sits in the middle of the pack within Buckinghamshire, a selective authority where grammar schools dominate the top rankings. Its Progress 8 score of 0.11 is positive, meaning pupils typically achieve slightly better than the national average, though it falls below the local authority average of 0.25. In the South East region, it ranks 199th out of 461 schools on this measure, and nationally it sits in the 40th percentile. At Key Stage 4, the Attainment 8 score is 45.6, with 67.4% of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is 52.9%, but only 28.9% achieved the full EBacc at grade 4 or above. In the sixth form, the average points per entry is 32.47, equivalent to a C+ grade, and the best three A-levels average out at a B-. The value-added score of 0.1 is rated as average, and the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021 confirmed it remains Good, having improved from a Requires Improvement rating in its 2014 inspection.

The school is well equipped to support a wide range of students, with SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. This makes it a practical choice for families whose children may need additional support within a mainstream setting. The extracurricular offering is strong, with ten sports including rowing and martial arts, plus clubs such as Debate, Coding, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. The school is not a boarding option and has no nursery provision. Given its oversubscription and positive but not exceptional results, The Cottesloe School is likely to suit families who want a solid, inclusive state secondary with a good sixth form, but who are not targeting the highly selective grammar school route.

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