Newent Community School and Sixth Form Centre, Newent

Ofsted's report card from its 22 September 2026 inspection grades Newent Community School and Sixth Form Centre on 7 areas: 3 expected standard and 4 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "The school has high expectations for behaviour."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders have a clear understanding of the school's context and know where improvements are needed."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The conduct of pupils reflects the school's HEART values of honesty, excellence, accountability, respect and teamwork."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils' achievement in examinations is below the national average, including at post-16."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "The quality of teaching is too variable."

Inclusion - Needs attention. "Leaders identify pupils' barriers to learning, such as for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)."

Post-16 provision - Needs attention. "Students in the sixth form do not achieve as well as other students nationally in external examinations over time."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that any barriers to academic success are consistently and effectively addressed in lessons, including at post-16"; "Leaders should ensure that the implementation of the curriculum is consistent, including at post-16, and gaps in foundational knowledge are closed quickly so that pupils achieve well"; "Leaders should raise pupils' achievement so that pupils are better prepared for their next steps"; "Leaders should continue to tackle barriers to attendance so that pupils attend very well"; "Leaders and trustees should continue to strengthen their analysis of school performance in order to evaluate the effectiveness of their work more thoroughly".

In its own words: "The Newent Grammar School was founded in 1925 and was cited at the crossroads in the building that is now the Community Centre. On 1st April 1965 Newent School was founded and moved into Gloucestershire’s first purpose built comprehensive school on our current site."

Coming up: an open evening on Wednesday 4 November 2026 at 5pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Newent Community School and Sixth Form Centre averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 51.2 in Gloucestershire and 47 across England.

36% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 54% in Gloucestershire and 47% in England.

That is in line with 2025, when the score was 41.5.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.65: pupils made well below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 28, against 45.5 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 17.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 104 families put Newent Community School and Sixth Form Centre as their first choice and 234 named it as one of their preferences, for 143 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

Of the 200 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 80% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 51% to a further education college, 7% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.

Of the 42 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 50% went on to university or other higher education, 5% to apprenticeships and 38% into work. 8% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

8.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (79%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 205 pupils (21%) received SEN support and 24 (2.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Newent Community School and Sixth Form Centre.

3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is School Grounds (in), 50 metres away.

In 2024/25, Newent Community School and Sixth Form Centre issued 232 suspensions, 21.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Newent Community School and Sixth Form Centre are Glebe Infants' School (0.4 miles) and Picklenash Junior School (0.5 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.