The Island Free School, Ventnor
The Island Free School is a secondary school for pupils aged 11 to 16 in Ventnor, part of Island Community School. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2026 GCSE results were the highest of the 7 schools in Isle of Wight with published results, and 1,678th of 3,298 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.8 first-choice applications for every place. It was 99% full in 2025.
- GCSE results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- 1.8 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
- Progress (2024)
- Above average
Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days
Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Isle of Wight (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
The Island Free School in detail
Results
In 2026, pupils at The Island Free School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.8, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 40.1 in Isle of Wight and 47 across England.
47% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 35% in Isle of Wight and 47% in England.
That is down from 51 in 2025.
Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.24: pupils made above 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 35.9, against 48.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 12.5 points.
Pupils sat GCSEs in 23 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Spanish and Geography.
Getting a place at The Island Free School
For September 2026 entry, 204 families put The Island Free School as their first choice and 308 named it as one of their preferences, for 111 places offered. That is 1.8 first choices for every place. 93 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at The Island Free School
The trust
The Island Free School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
Where pupils go next
Of the 122 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 84% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 42% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.
Who goes there
1.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (90%) and Mixed (7%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Shanklin Rail Station, about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Island Free School (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Island Free School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 38 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, burglary and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Isle of Wight (125).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, The Island Free School issued 27 suspensions, 4.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 3 permanent exclusions.
Primary schools nearby
The primary schools closest to The Island Free School are St Francis Catholic and Church of England Primary Academy (under 0.1 miles) and Wroxall Primary School (1.1 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.
St Francis Catholic and Church of England Primary AcademyWroxall Primary School
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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from June 2017, 9 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 June 2017 inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
21.9%
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 0.24 (2023 to 2024). Attainment 8 has declined from 51.4 to 45.8 (2023 to 2026). GCSE English & Maths 5+ has declined from 60% to 47% (2023 to 2026).
Performance by Group
| Group | Progress 8 | Attainment 8 | Eng+Maths 5+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | - | 45.8 | 47.1% |
| Disadvantaged(25) | - | 35.9 | 16% |
| Not known to be disadvantaged(94) | - | 48.4 | 55.3% |
| Boys(62) | - | 45.2 | 45.2% |
| Girls(57) | - | 46.3 | 49.1% |
Show more breakdowns (1)
| Non mobile(116) | - | 45.7 | 46.6% |
2025/26 academic year - DfE performance tables data
GCSE Subjects Offered
+ 3 more subjects
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
After GCSEs - Leaver Destinations
After GCSEs (Year 11) - 122 students
2023/24 data
Exclusions & Suspensions
3
Permanent exclusions
0.48%
Exclusion rate
27
Suspensions
4.36%
Suspension rate
17 pupils received one or more suspensions out of 619 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Keep up with The Island Free School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to The Island Free School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. The Island Free School is in Isle of Wight; for families living there:
Apply to Isle of Wight for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
3 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 Isle of Wight is 10 (the median across 51 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 The Island Free School
Will you get a place at The Island Free School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against The Island Free School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for The Island Free School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to The Island Free School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Isle of Wight, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at The Island Free School for 2015 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Isle of Wight 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
99%
Near capacity
618 pupils
625 places
7 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ventnor
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ventnor
Across Isle of Wight council
Places available
1,388
Applications
1,221
Got 1st preference
83.4%
Got preferred school
94.3%
All secondary applications across Isle of Wight council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: 1.8 first choices per place
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
86
SEN Support
37
EHC Plans
20.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
613
Total Pupils
305
Boys
308
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
42
Teachers
14.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£39,960
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£7,049
Per pupil
£4607k
Total funding
£117k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.9%
Overall absence
18.2%
Persistent absence
632
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
The Island Free School
Questions parents ask about The Island Free School
What are GCSE results like at The Island Free School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at The Island Free School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 45.8. 47% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is The Island Free School's Ofsted rating?
The Island Free School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for The Island Free School?
No fixed boundary. When The Island Free School is oversubscribed, Isle of Wight allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at The Island Free School?
The Island Free School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at The Island Free School?
Classes at The Island Free School average 21 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to The Island Free School?
The Island Free School has around 613 pupils on roll. 22% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at The Island Free School?
6.9% of sessions were missed at The Island Free School in 2024/25. 18.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to The Island Free School?
Apply through Isle of Wight's coordinated admissions process, naming The Island Free 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 The Island Free School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 3 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 3 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 Isle of Wight is 10 (the median across 51 schools, same distance and years).
Where is The Island Free School?
The Island Free School is at Newport Road, Ventnor, Isle of Wight, PO38 1BG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)