Alderwood School Review 2026: An all-through community school with standout primary outcomes and a clear improvement agenda in Key Stage 4

Alderwood School is unusual in the local market because it offers an all-through journey from Reception to Year 11 across three sites in Aldershot. That structure shapes almost everything parents notice, from transition planning to the consistency of behaviour expectations. The school’s strongest headline is at the primary end, where outcomes are high and pupils achieve particularly well, including at the higher standard. In the secondary phase, the picture is more mixed, with recent performance measures signalling that standards and consistency still need to rise. The latest inspection reflects that split, highlighting strengths around community culture and inclusion, while identifying improvement priorities in teaching precision and leadership impact.

The tone across Alderwood is deliberately values-led. The school sets out six core values, grouped as personal values (Kindness, Honesty, Respect) and learning values (Commitment, Resilience, Independence). Those values are tied to rewards and house points, which makes them more than decorative language, particularly for younger pupils who respond well to clear, repeated cues.

The all-through model matters socially. Pupils can stay within the same organisation as they move from infant to junior and then into the senior site, which often reduces the “big jump” anxiety families associate with Year 7. Equally, Alderwood also welcomes Year 7 joiners from other primaries in Aldershot, so it is not a closed shop.

Leadership is structured around the three-site reality. The Executive Headteacher is Andy Titheridge, with separate heads of school for phases including the senior site (listed on the school’s staff directory). That division of responsibility is sensible in a 4 to 16 setting, but it also means communication has to be exceptionally crisp, so that pupils experience the same standards and routines across ages and campuses.

There are also clear signs that inclusion is a core part of the school’s identity. Pupils across ages are given roles such as school council representatives, prefects, new arrival ambassadors, and reading buddies, which helps social integration and gives quieter children structured ways to belong.

Alderwood’s primary outcomes are the obvious strength. In 2024, 82% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. At the higher standard, 27.33% reached greater depth across reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%. Reading, maths and GPS scaled scores are also well above the typical 100 benchmark, at 107 in reading, 107 in maths, and 108 in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

In FindMySchool’s rankings based on official data, the school is ranked 2,875th in England for primary outcomes and 3rd in the Aldershot local area, which places it comfortably above England average, within the top quarter of schools in England.

At GCSE, the data provided indicates more challenge. The school’s Attainment 8 score is 39.5 and Progress 8 is -0.59, which points to students, on average, making less progress than peers with similar prior attainment nationally. The EBacc measure shown is also low (9.1% achieving grades 5 or above in the EBacc). Taken together, the numbers underline why the secondary phase is the key development area.

The important nuance is that Alderwood is not one story, it is two phases with different performance profiles. For parents, that matters: a child entering in Reception benefits from a strong primary platform, while a family joining at Year 7 should pay particular attention to how teaching consistency and academic expectations are tightening over time.

Curriculum thinking is framed as a 4 to 16 journey. The school describes curriculum development as a post-amalgamation priority, with the current all-through structure established in April 2017 and a stated aim of avoiding gaps between phases. That kind of deliberate sequencing is exactly what can make an all-through model work, because it allows the secondary curriculum to build more precisely on what pupils have covered in Years 5 and 6, rather than assuming a wide spread of primary experiences.

In reading and early literacy, there is clear operational detail rather than vague intent. The school timetables daily phonics lessons for pupils in Year 2 and above who are not at age-related expectations for reading or who did not pass the phonics screening check, signalling a “catch-up fast” approach rather than letting gaps drift.

At Key Stage 4, the options model is structured and relatively tight. All pupils study English language, English literature, mathematics, and science (double or triple), alongside three optional subjects. Options are framed through two pathways, one aligned to the English Baccalaureate route (a language plus history or geography) and another aligned to a Progress 8 route. For families, the implication is clarity and guidance, rather than a free-for-all, but also fewer option slots than some larger secondaries, which can be a trade-off for students with highly specialised interests.

The inspection evidence aligns with the internal narrative of two phases. Teaching precision, particularly checking what pupils have understood and responding quickly to misconceptions, is described as stronger in the primary phase than in the senior phase. That is a practical, classroom-level issue, not a slogan, and it is exactly the sort of thing families should ask about on visits: how do teachers identify gaps early, and what happens next if a student is not secure?

Because Alderwood does not have a sixth form, Year 11 destinations matter more than they do in an 11 to 18 school. The school’s own results communications describe leavers moving on to a mix of A-levels, T-levels, vocational courses and apprenticeships. There is no published percentage breakdown in the data provided here, so the safest conclusion is that routes are varied, and families should expect a guidance process that supports multiple post-16 pathways rather than a single “sixth form pipeline”.

For younger pupils, the all-through set-up often creates a simpler internal progression. Many children will remain within the Alderwood system from infant to junior to senior sites, which can suit families seeking continuity. That said, it is still worth asking what the transition support looks like for pupils who join at Year 7 from other primaries, because intake mix and induction quality are big predictors of how quickly a year group settles.

Alderwood is a state school, so there are no tuition fees. Entry is shaped by Hampshire’s coordinated admissions processes for both Reception and Year 7. Competition looks real, based on the application ratios in the data provided.

For Reception entry, the school is oversubscribed, with 158 applications for 90 offers in the latest dataset, a ratio of 1.76 applications per place. First preference demand is also higher than first preference offers, suggesting that many families are listing the school as their top choice. For parents, that typically means it is sensible to name the school if it is genuinely first choice, but also to use realistic second and third preferences in the local area.

For Year 7 entry, the school is also oversubscribed with 172 applications for 119 offers, a ratio of 1.45 applications per place.

The most practical takeaway is timing. Hampshire’s published main-round dates for September 2026 entry are clear: Reception applications open 1 November 2025 and close 15 January 2026, with notifications on 16 April 2026. Year 7 applications open 8 September 2025 and close 31 October 2025, with offers on 2 March 2026.

If you are weighing more than one local school, FindMySchool’s Comparison Tool on the Local Hub page is the quickest way to view primary outcomes, oversubscription signals, and context side by side, without trying to stitch together multiple websites.

Alderwood’s pastoral story is strongest when it is specific. The inspection evidence describes warm staff-pupil relationships, positive behaviour, and rare bullying, with pupils confident that issues are dealt with quickly. That is a meaningful set of indicators for parents, because it suggests both a calm baseline and adult follow-through.

There is also a consistent inclusion thread. Pupils with special educational needs and or disabilities are described as having needs identified quickly on entry, with staff adapting learning so pupils access the same curriculum as peers. For families, the question is less “is support available?” and more “how quickly do adjustments happen, and how well are they sustained as children move between sites?” That is where all-through schools can either excel or stumble.

On the senior site, there is evidence of structured support and monitoring across Key Stage 3, including regular reporting points and guided pathways decisions. That kind of routine matters for students who need steady adult feedback to stay on track.

There are three strands worth pulling out, because they are tangible and verifiable.

1. Leadership and contribution. Roles such as prefects, school council representatives, and new arrival ambassadors give pupils responsibility that is visible to peers. That can be especially helpful in a large, multi-site school, where belonging and identity need active cultivation.

2. Reading culture and resources. The senior site Learning Resource Centre is positioned as a practical study space as well as a reading hub, with opening hours before school and after school on most days, PCs for homework, and access to a sizeable e-library via Sora. For students who need a quiet place to work, that can be a real advantage, particularly if home is busy.

3. Sport and facilities. The on-site leisure centre offer is unusually explicit: an FA registered 3G football pitch, a large sports hall suitable for basketball, netball, badminton and football, plus a dance studio, a drama room with full blackout, an assembly hall with stage, and a gymnasium. The implication is breadth: sport, performance, and fitness all have dedicated spaces, which reduces the “scramble for rooms” problem that limits some schools’ enrichment.

Music provision is also visible via a named partnership: Rock and Pop Foundation instrumental lessons are promoted through the school’s activities pages. For families where music matters, the key next question is uptake and how lessons fit around the school day and rehearsal opportunities, but the provision itself is clearly signposted.

For younger pupils, the infant school day is clearly set out: gates open at 8.15am, school starts at 8.30am, and the day ends at 3.00pm. Lunch timings differ by year group, which is typical for infant settings where routines are built around younger children’s stamina.

Wraparound care is available for infant and junior pupils through breakfast and after-school clubs based at Maple Vue Children’s Centre, with breakfast club from 8.00am to 8.45am and after-school provision from 3.00pm to 6.00pm. The school also describes a supervised walking bus to and from the junior site, which is a practical detail that can make wraparound workable for families with children on different sites.

For travel, the school actively encourages walking and cycling, notes cycle racks for storage, and promotes a park and stride approach for the senior site, pointing families to nearby car parks rather than congesting residential streets at peak times. If you are considering Year 7 entry and want a reality check on day-to-day logistics, FindMySchoolMap Search is useful for testing likely routes and practical distance, especially if you are also shortlisting other Aldershot schools.

• Primary and secondary are not equally strong. The primary phase outcomes are a clear strength, while secondary performance measures indicate that improvements still need to translate into consistently higher achievement for students in Key Stage 4.

• Options at GCSE are structured but limited in number. Three options alongside the core suite provides clarity, but students with niche interests may find the menu tighter than at some larger secondaries.

• A large, multi-site organisation needs strong communication. Separate heads of school by phase can be a strength, but it also raises the bar for consistent routines and consistent teaching expectations across sites and ages.

• Oversubscription signals competition. Both Reception and Year 7 routes show more applicants than offers in the latest dataset, so admissions planning and deadlines matter, even for families already living locally.

Alderwood School suits families who value the continuity of an all-through structure, want a values-led culture, and are attracted by particularly strong primary outcomes. It is also a realistic choice for families who prefer a school that is clear about its improvement priorities in the secondary phase, rather than pretending every aspect is already perfect. Best suited to pupils who benefit from stable routines and a broad, practical enrichment offer, and to students who will use structured support and clear pathways to stay on track through GCSEs.