The Hayling College

About The Hayling College

The Hayling College is a mixed state secondary for 11 to 16 year olds in Havant, Hampshire, currently home to 553 pupils against a capacity of 750. That means the school is operating at around 74% capacity, leaving significant room for growth. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 27.1%, which is notably high compared with the national average of roughly 23% and suggests the school serves a community with above-average levels of economic disadvantage. Despite the spare capacity, demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 97 total applications for 88 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.1 applicants per place. Of those, 83 were first-preference applications, and all 83 first-preference offers were accepted. This indicates that while the school isn't full, it remains a popular choice among local families who list it as their top option.

Academically, the school's most recent data from the 2023/24 academic year paints a challenging picture. The Progress 8 score is -0.78, placing it in the 'well below average' banding nationally, and ranking it 54th out of 80 schools in Hampshire. This is significantly below the local authority average Progress 8 of -0.17. The Attainment 8 score is 34.9, and just 20.8% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is very low at 8.5%, and no pupils entered the full EBacc combination. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in September 2024, the school was rated Requires Improvement across all areas: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This is a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2018. Parent View responses from 178 families between September 2024 and September 2025 show mixed feelings: 43% would recommend the school, while 57% would not. On the positive side, 94% of parents agreed that their child can take part in clubs and activities, and 68% agreed their child is happy at the school.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, sports hall, gymnasium, tennis courts, and music rooms. Sports on offer include netball, swimming, football, rugby, cross country, and gymnastics, while clubs range from Young Enterprise and Model UN to DofE, coding, chess, and eco club. For pupils with special educational needs, the school supports six categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, and social, emotional and mental health needs. However, only 19% of parent respondents said their child has SEND, and of those, 47% disagreed that the school gives SEND children the support they need. The school has no sixth form or nursery provision, so pupils must move on after Year 11. Given its oversubscription status and high FSM intake, this is a school that local families clearly want to support, but the Ofsted rating and academic outcomes suggest it is still working through significant challenges. It may suit parents who value a broad extracurricular offer and are comfortable with a school in a period of transition.

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