SchoolScoresIndependent school guide

Thornden School

Academy · Secondary, ages 11 to 16 · Mixed

Part of HISP MULTI ACADEMY TRUST LTD

Winchester Road, Chandler's Ford, Eastleigh, SO53 2DW

023 8026 9722 · School website · Map and directions

Ofsted report card1 exceptional, 5 strongSafeguarding met · 9 June 2026
Grade 5 or above in English and maths73%England 45% · 2024/25
Pupils1,440Room for 1,400
First-choice applications per place1.0314 for 302 places, September 2026

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted report card from the inspection that started on 9 June 2026 , published 16 July 2026.

In short: 1 exceptional, 5 strong, and safeguarding met.

Since November 2025 Ofsted grades each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. How report cards work.

AreaGrade
SafeguardingWhether pupils are kept safe. Met or not met. Met
InclusionHow well the school supports disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.
Curriculum and teachingWhat pupils are taught and how well they are taught it. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.
AchievementHow well pupils learn and the results they get. Exceptional The highest of five grades. Ofsted judged this among the best nationally.
Attendance and behaviourWhether pupils come to school and how they behave. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.
Personal development and wellbeingPupils' wider development, character and wellbeing. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.
Leadership and governanceHow well leaders and governors run the school. Strong standard Second of five grades. Better than the standard Ofsted expects.

Read the full Ofsted reports for this school

Source: Ofsted state-funded schools inspection data.

We'll ask you to confirm. One email per change, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Privacy.

Results

GCSEs (key stage 4, age 16), 2024/25

290 pupils in this year group.

73% — 28 points above the Hampshire average, and 27 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolHampshireEngland
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 73% 45% 45%
Attainment 8 scoreAverage of each pupil's grades across 8 GCSE-level subjects, with English and maths counted twice. Around 50 means grade 5s on average. 59.9 45.5 46.1
EBacc average point scoreAverage points across the English Baccalaureate subjects: English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography. 5.5 4.0 4.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths, over time
40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% England 2022/23: 45%England 2023/24: 46%England 2024/25: 45% This school 2022/23: 73%This school 2023/24: 76%This school 2024/25: 73% This school England 45% 2022/23 73% 2023/24 76% 2024/25 73%

Progress 8 isn't shown. DfE didn't publish it for 2024/25 because this year group's key stage 2 tests in 2020 were cancelled, and older progress scores aren't comparable.

Source: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25. England figures are for state-funded schools.

After Year 11

Where pupils went next. DfE measures this for pupils who finished in an earlier year, so these figures describe a previous year group.

291 pupils in this year group.

98% — 6 points above the Hampshire average, and 6 points above the England average.

MeasureThis schoolHampshireEngland
Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or workPupils recorded in sustained education, apprenticeship or employment in the year after finishing Year 11. 98% 92% 92%
School sixth form Not published 6% 34%
Sixth form college 84% 40% 13%
Further education college 11% 38% 37%
Apprenticeship 2% 3% 3%
Work 1% 4% 3%

"Not published": Not published (DfE code SP).

Stayed in education, an apprenticeship or work, over time

2023/242024/25
98%98%

Source: DfE key stage 4 destination measures, 2024/25 performance tables. England figures are for state-funded schools.

Admissions

Apply through the council where you live, even if the school is in a different council area. This school is in Hampshire. The national closing date for secondary applications is 31 October, and offers are sent on 1 March.

How hard is it to get in?

For the September 2026 intake there were about one first-choice application for every place.

Places offered302
Families who put it first314
Of those, offered a place295 (94%)
Families who listed it at all620

First-choice applications per place: 2024: 1.1 · 2025: 1.0 · 2026: 1.0

This isn't your chance of getting a place. That depends on the school's admissions rules (for example siblings, distance or faith) and where you live. Source: DfE applications and offers, September 2026 intake.

Admissions dates and schools in Hampshire

Pupils, staff and SEND

PupilsThis schoolHampshireEngland
Eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years
 6.1% 21.6%* 28.9%
With an education, health and care plan
 2.7% 4.4%* 3.1%
Receiving special educational needs support
 6.4% 13.8%* 13.4%
English as an additional language
 13.3% 8.5%* 19.2%
Overall absence (sessions missed)
 5.3% 8.4%* 8.4%
Persistently absent (missed 10% or more)
 11.3% 21.8%* 23.4%
Suspensions per 100 pupils
 5.3 20.2 21.2
Pupils suspended at least once
 3.4% 7.4% 7.3%
Pupils permanently excluded0 pupils 0.00% 0.09% 0.23%
Pupils per teacher
 17.9 16.4 16.7
Pupils per adult (teachers and support staff)
 13.6 11.3 11.8
Teachers who left during the year
 4.3% 13.2%* 14.2%*

Comparisons are with secondary schools. Scales run from lower (left) to higher (right) figures. For absence and suspensions lower is better, so their scales run green to red; blue scales describe the school's pupils and staff and aren't good or bad. * Calculated by SchoolScores from the council's or England's schools, weighted by pupils (or teachers, for turnover); other figures are published by DfE. Sources: DfE school census 2024/25; DfE pupil absence 2024/25; DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions 2024/25; DfE school workforce census 2025/26; DfE teacher turnover 2024/25.

Nearby secondary schools

Straight-line distance. Distance isn't the same as a catchment area.

Questions parents ask

What is Thornden School's Ofsted rating?

Thornden School was inspected under Ofsted's report card format in 9 June 2026. Report cards grade each area on a five-point scale instead of giving one overall grade. Its grades were 1 exceptional, 5 strong, and safeguarding was met.

How did Thornden School do in its GCSEs?

In 2024/25, 73% of pupils grade 5 or above in English and maths, 27 points above the England average of 45%.

Is Thornden School oversubscribed?

For the September 2026 intake, 314 families put Thornden School as their first choice for 302 places: about one first-choice application for every place. 295 of those families were offered a place. Whether you get a place depends on the school's admissions rules and where you live.

Sources

Spotted a mistake? Report it and we'll check it against the source.

Page updated 26 September 2026.