The Wavell School, Farnborough

Ofsted's report card from its 27 January 2026 inspection grades The Wavell School on 6 areas: 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils progress well through the curriculum in all subjects."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Attendance has improved significantly over the last year."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is broad and ambitious."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders use a range of methods to identify pupils' needs."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders know the school's strengths and areas to develop."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "The school has a comprehensive personal development programme."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should ensure that adaptations to teaching consistently enhance the opportunities and experiences of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. • Leaders should further continue to strengthen teaching approaches across the school, including effective checks for understanding, to ensure all pupils are able to achieve well. • Leaders should implement strategies to ensure that all pupils demonstrate a dedication to their learning that enables them to achieve well".

In 2026, pupils at The Wavell School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.7, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 45.6 in Hampshire and 47 across England.

40% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 43% in Hampshire and 47% in England.

That is up from 44 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.2: 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 32, against 47.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 15.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 28 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 242 families put The Wavell School as their first choice and 525 named it as one of their preferences, for 204 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 54 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The Wavell School are Alderwood School (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 41.1); Cove School (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.6); Ash Manor School (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 51.8); and All Hallows Catholic School (2.7 miles, Attainment 8 55.6).

The Wavell School's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

225 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about The Wavell School (as of April 2026): 91% would recommend the school, 87% say their child is happy there and 59% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (91%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (59%).

Of the 203 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 91% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 39% to a further education college, 1% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

16.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 29.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (67%), Asian (14%) and Mixed (6%).

In 2026, 146 pupils (14%) received SEN support and 64 (6.1%) 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 autism.

The Wavell School has a resourced provision for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and social, emotional and mental health needs: 15 places, 13 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is North Camp Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Wavell School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.

In 2024/25, The Wavell School issued 171 suspensions, 16.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The Wavell School are Marlborough Infant School (0.4 miles), St Mark's Church of England Primary School (0.5 miles), South Farnborough Infant School (0.7 miles) and The Cambridge Primary School (1 mile). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.