Priestlands School, Lymington
Priestlands School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Lymington. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the 14th-highest of the 69 schools in Hampshire with published results, and 810th of 3,298 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- GCSE results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
- Progress (2024)
- Average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 5 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Hampshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Priestlands School in detail
Priestlands School in its own words
On phones, the school says: "Mobile Phone Pouches | Priestlands School Priestlands School Learn more..."
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2026, pupils at Priestlands School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51.3, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.6 in Hampshire and 47 across England.
57% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Hampshire and 47% in England.
That is up from 48.8 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.01: pupils made about 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 36.4, against 55.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 19 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 25 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.
Getting a place at Priestlands School
For September 2026 entry, 247 families put Priestlands School as their first choice and 319 named it as one of their preferences, for 245 places offered. That is slightly more first choices than places. 8 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Where pupils go next
Of the 253 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 55% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 2% into work.
Who goes there
6.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Lymington Town Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Priestlands School (n-bound), 120 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Priestlands School issued 230 suspensions, 18.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to Priestlands School are Pennington Church of England Primary School (0.2 miles), Lymington Junior School (0.6 miles), Lymington Church of England Infant School (0.6 miles) and Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic Primary School - the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools (0.9 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
Pennington Church of England Primary SchoolLymington Junior SchoolLymington Church of England Infant SchoolOur Lady and St Joseph Catholic Primary School - the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 years agoThis judgement is from May 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2012 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
About
Priestlands School is a Mixed-sex education secondary school located in Pennington, Hampshire in southern England. The school serves an area that includes the villages of Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, East Boldre, Hordle, Norleywood, Pilley, South Baddesley, Sway and the towns of Lymington and Milford-on-Sea.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
20.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
Academic year 2025/26GCSE Results
2025/26 academic year
Progress 8 has remained stable at around -0.01 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has improved from 49.9 to 51.3 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has improved from 52% to 57% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 51.3 | 56.7% |
| Disadvantaged(52) | - | 36.4 | 23.1% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(186) | - | 55.4 | 66.1% |
| Boys(126) | - | 51.8 | 55.6% |
| Girls(112) | - | 50.7 | 58% |
Show more breakdowns (2)
| Known or believed to be other than English(22) | - | 54.9 | 63.6% |
| Non mobile(234) | - | 51.4 | 56.8% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 5 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 253 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
0
Permanent exclusions
0.00%
Exclusion rate
230
Suspensions
18.61%
Suspension rate
78 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 1,236 pupils
2024/25 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby secondary school
Latest from Priestlands School
Welcome letter from the Headteacher
4 Sep 2026
End of year letter from the Headteacher
22 Jul 2026
Letter from the Headteacher
3 Jul 2026
AI-generated image guidance
1 Jul 2026
School closed on Thursday 25th June
24 Jun 2026
Water Safety Advice for Parents
1 Jun 2026
From Priestlands School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Priestlands School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Priestlands School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Priestlands School is in Hampshire; for families living there:
Apply to Hampshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 28
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 28 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 22 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise.
7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Priestlands School
Will you get a place at Priestlands School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Priestlands School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Priestlands School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Priestlands School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hampshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Priestlands School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hampshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
1,227 pupils
1,215 places
12 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Lymington
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Lymington
Across Hampshire council
Places available
15,392
Applications
13,874
Got 1st preference
90.1%
Got preferred school
97.6%
All secondary applications across Hampshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
185
SEN Support
53
EHC Plans
19.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
1,205
Total Pupils
626
Boys
579
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
86
Teachers
14.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,014
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,700
Per pupil
£8705k
Total funding
£253k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
8.4%
Overall absence
21.2%
Persistent absence
1,248
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Questions parents ask about Priestlands School
What are GCSE results like at Priestlands School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Priestlands School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 51.3. 57% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Priestlands School's Ofsted rating?
Priestlands School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Priestlands School?
No fixed boundary. When Priestlands School is oversubscribed, Hampshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Priestlands School?
Priestlands School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Priestlands School?
Classes at Priestlands School average 23.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Priestlands School?
Priestlands School has around 1205 pupils on roll. 21% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Priestlands School?
8.4% of sessions were missed at Priestlands School in 2024/25. 21.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Priestlands School?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Priestlands School on your application. Applications for Year 7 places starting in September 2027 close on Saturday 31 October 2026, and offers are made on Monday 1 March 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Priestlands School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 28 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 22 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 4 in a vehicle or otherwise. 7 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Priestlands School?
Priestlands School is at North Street, Pennington, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 8FZ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)