Best Schools in Winchester

How many schools are there in Winchester?

Winchester has 36 open schools: 21 state primary, 5 state secondary or all-through, 4 independent, 2 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Winchester are rated Outstanding?

6 schools in Winchester were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Peter Symonds College, The Westgate School, Barton Farm Primary Academy, Osborne School, Lanterns Nursery School and Extended Services and 1 more. Counting Good as well, 97% of the 29 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

Peter Symonds CollegeThe Westgate SchoolBarton Farm Primary AcademyOsborne SchoolLanterns Nursery School and Extended Services

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Winchester get the best GCSE results?

Of the 4 schools in Winchester with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at The Westgate School, with an Attainment 8 score of 59.7 and 69% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Kings' School, with an Attainment 8 score of 58.6 and 68% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Henry Beaufort School, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.4 and 60% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

The Westgate SchoolKings' SchoolHenry Beaufort School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Winchester have the best SATs results?

Of the 21 primary schools in Winchester with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Barton Stacey Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 92% in maths); Sparsholt Church of England Primary School (95% in reading, 95% in maths); and Twyford St Mary's Church of England Primary School (91% in reading, 96% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Barton Stacey Church of England Primary SchoolSparsholt Church of England Primary SchoolTwyford St Mary's Church of England Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Winchester?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Winchester selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Winchester have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Winchester have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Hampshire allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Winchester?

Apply to Hampshire through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.