Woodlands Community College
100%
Capacity
901
Pupils
1.9x
Demand
About Woodlands Community College
Woodlands Community College is a mixed, non-denominational secondary school in Southampton for pupils aged 11 to 16, led by headteacher James Henderson. It sits within a local authority that contains 15 secondary schools, three of which are rated Outstanding by Ofsted. The nearest of those is Saint George Catholic Voluntary Aided College Southampton, 4.3 kilometres away. When ranked by Progress 8 scores, Woodlands places 9th out of 11 schools in the Southampton local authority, putting it in the bottom half of the LA. Its top-performing local peers include Saint George Catholic Voluntary Aided College, St Anne's Catholic School, and Cantell School, all of which post significantly higher Progress 8 scores. The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, receiving 351 applications for 181 places, with 177 offers going to first-preference families. That oversubscription ratio of 1.94 suggests strong local demand, despite the school's middling academic ranking within the area.
Academically, Woodlands' most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 rated the school Good overall, with Good marks for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This represents a clear improvement from its previous inspection in 2019, when it was judged to Require Improvement. However, the school's exam results tell a more challenging story. Its Progress 8 score of -0.89 is well below the national average and significantly lower than the Southampton LA average of -0.26. The school's Attainment 8 score sits at 33.7, and only 38.5 per cent of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is 19.8 per cent, with just 9.3 per cent achieving the EBacc at grade 5 or above. The school's Progress 8 banding is classified as 'Well below average', and it ranks 435th out of 461 schools in the South East region and 2,973rd nationally.
The school offers a broad range of facilities including a swimming pool, theatre, music rooms, science labs, and art studios, alongside sports such as football, netball, rugby, rowing, and martial arts. Clubs include Model UN, Young Enterprise, and coding. Woodlands provides support for a wide array of special educational needs, including dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties, and physical disabilities. With 55.4 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average socio-economic challenges. There is no sixth form or nursery provision. Given its oversubscription and improving Ofsted rating, Woodlands may suit families who value a supportive, inclusive environment and are comfortable with results that trail local averages, particularly those who live within the catchment area and prioritise proximity and community feel over top-tier academic outcomes.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 16 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Minstead Avenue, Southampton, Southampton, SO18 5FW |
| Headteacher | James Henderson |
| Local Authority | Southampton |
| Number of Pupils | 901 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 55.4% |
| School Capacity | 901 / 900 (100% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
13 Sept 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Source: Ofsted, 16 Oct 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.89)
2973rd of 3,141
Nationally
435th of 461
In South East
9th of 11
In Southampton
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make significantly less 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.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2340%
of GCSE leavers move to sixth form college (cohort: 102 pupils).
- Sixth form college40%
- FE college36%
- Employment11%
- Not sustained7%
- Apprenticeship3%
91% 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.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
13Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
13Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed181
351
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
196 families put this school as their 1st choice (56% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% 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
2024/25Among the highest-disadvantage schools.
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British72.7%
- White (other)8.9%
- Mixed7.3%
- Asian5.1%
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
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given 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.
6
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
5
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 Woodlands Community College
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
Minstead Avenue, Southampton
Southampton, SO18 5FW
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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