What is Upper Shirley High School's Ofsted rating?

Upper Shirley High School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This is the overall judgement recorded under the inspection framework in use on the inspection date. Read the report and date before comparing it with newer inspections.

Does Upper Shirley High School offer SEND support?

DfE data for Upper Shirley High School lists these SEND need or provision categories: Specific Learning Difficulty (Dyslexia), Moderate Learning Difficulty, Social, Emotional & Mental Health, Speech, Language & Communication, Hearing Impairment, and 4 more categories. This does not guarantee a particular place or service. Contact the school's SENCO for its current provision.

What are Upper Shirley High School's exam results?

Upper Shirley High School's published exam results include: 49% achieved grade 5+ in English and Maths GCSE; Attainment 8 score of 47.0. Check the result year before comparing schools.

Upper Shirley High School

#4 in Best Secondary Schools in Southampton

Parent reviews

Pupils: 1,062
Ages: 11–16
Gender: Mixed
School type: Academy converter

About

Upper Shirley High School is a state-funded secondary school in Southampton, South East, for pupils aged 11 to 16 for boys and girls. DfE data records 1,062 pupils on roll and a published capacity of 990.

The latest recorded Ofsted overall judgement is Good (22 Jan 2025). The published Attainment 8 score was 47.0 for 2024/25. Admissions data records 248 first-preference applications and 215 offers made on national offer day for 2026/27.

Reporting periods vary by source — Methodology.

School Rating

6/10

Classpot Rating

Upper Shirley High School’s combined academic results and attendance score is in the typical band compared with mainstream state secondary schools across England for 2024/25.

6/10Academic results

Typical

The school’s Attainment 8 score was 47 in 2024/25. This measures average attainment across eight GCSE-level qualifications, using DfE’s subject weighting rules.

The score compares this result with 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both required measures for 2024/25. Academic attainment contributes 90% of the combined score. It measures exam or assessment results, not how much progress pupils made from their starting points.

6/10Attendance

Typical

Overall absence was 8.27% of possible school sessions in 2024/25. This includes authorised and unauthorised absence; it is not the percentage of pupils who were persistently absent.

The score compares absence with 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both required measures for 2024/25. Lower absence receives a higher score. Attendance contributes 10% of the combined score and does not on its own measure teaching quality.

NAPupil progress

Not available for 2024/25

DfE did not publish Progress 8 for 2024/25 because the required KS2 assessments were cancelled during the pandemic. Progress would compare pupils’ outcomes with those of pupils with similar earlier attainment.

Pupil progress is not included in this version of Classpot Rating. Its absence does not reduce the school’s score.

Methodology and official sources

Contact Information

02380325333 uppershirleyhigh.org

Bellemoor Road, Upper Shirley, Southampton, Southampton, SO15 7QU

Mr Christopher Sykes

Details

School Type: Secondary (State)
Age Range: 11 to 16 years
Gender: Mixed
Establishment type: Academy converter
Local Authority: Southampton

The full reporton this school

School admissions data, what the Ofsted report means for you, and how it compares to nearby schools.

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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

Good

Based on 22 Jan 2025 · Legacy grading · Open inspection report ↗

Inspection judgements
Area	Judgement
Quality of education	Good
Behaviour & attitudes	Good
Personal development	Good
Leadership & management	Good

Previous inspection · 19 May 2011Legacy grading · Good

Previous inspection judgements
Area	Judgement
Overall effectiveness	Good
Leadership & management	Outstanding

Ungraded inspection · 22 Jan 2025: Standards maintained

Published 13 Nov 2019.

Ofsted legacy grades; compare inspection dates and frameworks.

Catchment & distance

Distance unavailable; check admission criteria with the school or council.

Admissions

Application dates · 2027/28 entry
Measure	Value
School’s local authority	Southampton
Applications open	Usually 1 September 2026
Application deadline	31 October 2026
National offer day	1 March 2027

Apply through your home council; confirm local dates and any extra school forms.

Southampton admissions

Admissions demand · 2026/27
Measure	Value
Offers made on National Offer Day	215
First-preference applications	248
Applications (all preferences)	559
First-preference offers	197

Source: Published admissions data; follow each measure’s labelled basis, including all preferences where shown.

School performance

GCSE results

GCSE results · 2024/25
Measure	Value
Attainment 8 (average score)	47
English & maths: grades 9–4	68.2%
English & maths: grades 9–5	49.3%
EBacc entry	29.5%
EBacc grades 9–4	22.6%
EBacc grades 9–5	16.1%
EBacc average point score	4.09

DfE · 2024/25; compare the same year and measure (— unavailable or suppressed).

Destinations after GCSE · 2022/23
Destination	Pupils
This school’s sixth form	0%
Sixth-form college	67.2%
Further education college	21.7%
Apprenticeship	2.2%
Employment	1.1%
Not sustained	5%
Unknown	2.8%

Cohort: 180 pupils · Sustained education or employment: 92.2%

DfE destinations follow school leavers, not current pupils.

Students and teachers

16.4 pupils per qualified teacher

2025/26 · Full-time equivalent teachers, not class size.

Students

Number of pupilsPeriod not recorded: 1062
School capacityPeriod not recorded: 990
Free school meals (FSM)2025/26: 30.4%
English as an additional language (EAL)2025/26: 32.2%
Attendance2024/25: 91.73%
Persistent absence (10% or more of sessions)2024/25: 20.51%

Classes & attendance

Average class size2025/26: 24
Suspensions per 100 pupils2024/25: 14.89
Suspensions (count)2024/25: 161
Permanent exclusions per 100 pupils2024/25: 0.37
Permanent exclusions (count)2024/25: 4

More pupil data

Absence breakdown
Measure	Value
Authorised absence2024/25	5.43%
Unauthorised absence2024/25	2.84%

Ethnic background · 2025/26
Group	Pupils
White British	57.7%
White other	12.1%
Mixed	7.8%
Asian	12.9%
Black	6.3%
Other	1.1%

DfE school, census, workforce, absence and exclusion data; periods vary, and missing values are not zero.

Published SEND Data

Autism
Dyslexia
Mental Health
Speech & Language
Hearing
Vision
Physical
Learning Difficulty
Other

DfE data; confirm current support with the school's SENCO.

Ofsted Parent View

87% would recommend this school

151 responses · Sep 2024 – Sep 2025

Parent survey responses
Question	Agree or strongly agree
Happy at school	85%
Feels safe	87%
Well behaved pupils	80%
Bullying dealt with	22%

Additional parent survey responses
Question	Agree or strongly agree
Aware of curriculum	79%
Concerns dealt with	57%
SEND support	46%
High expectations	84%
Child does well	82%
Progress updates	88%
Subject range	93%
Clubs & activities	92%
Personal development	74%

FAQ about Upper Shirley High School

Upper Shirley High School recorded 248 first-choice applications and 215 offers made on national offer day for 2026/27. That is 1.1 first-choice applications per offer made. This is a historic demand signal, not an individual admission probability or a catchment boundary. Admission criteria, address, preferences and the applicant cohort also matter. First-choice applications exceeded offers made in this dataset.

Results: Published results describe a past pupil cohort. Compare the same measure and reporting year; attainment and progress measure different things. Understanding secondary results.

Inspection: Read the inspection date and full report alongside the headline judgement. Schools inspected under different frameworks cannot be compared using a headline grade alone. Understanding Ofsted inspections.

Admissions: Applications and places describe past demand, not your child’s chance of an offer. Check the entry year and current admission criteria, including any priority groups. School admissions timeline.

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