John Hanson Community School Review 2026: Strong pastoral culture with a clear push on literacy

A calm, orderly school day and a clear focus on belonging shape the experience here. John Hanson is a mixed, non-selective 11 to 16 community secondary with around 1,000 pupils on roll, and it sits in south west Andover.

The school’s external quality marker is stable. The latest Ofsted inspection (13 and 14 March 2024) confirmed the school continues to be Good, and safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Academically, the headline picture is that outcomes are below England average on this particular measure, with a FindMySchool GCSE ranking of 2,784th in England and 3rd locally within Andover. That places it in the bottom 40% of schools in England by this ranking band, rather than in the national top tiers. Attainment 8 is 40.8 and Progress 8 is -0.28, which suggests students make less progress than similar students nationally from the same starting points.

For families weighing up practicalities, the timetable is explicit, lessons begin after an 08:35 start, and the day finishes at 15:05, with after-school activities running 15:15 to 16:15.

The school’s own framing is consistent across communications, a culture of care, aspiration, and belonging, paired with a straightforward message for students about becoming the best version of themselves. That tone matters because it often signals how leaders expect staff to speak to students, and what they prioritise when there is a trade-off between behaviour, wellbeing, and academic pace.

Day-to-day culture is reinforced through systems rather than slogans alone. The school describes consistent behaviour management, and it has made clear choices about routines, including a stance on mobile phones, which it links to stronger social connection among students. Those are the sorts of practical decisions that tend to shape corridors, breaktimes, and lesson transitions more than any single initiative.

Leadership is current and visible. The headteacher is Mrs Erin Sudds, and the wider senior team is set out publicly, which is useful for parents who want clarity on who leads teaching and learning, inclusion, and pastoral support.

John Hanson’s GCSE performance profile, as captured in the FindMySchool dataset, points to a school where outcomes are mixed and where improvement efforts are likely focused on consistency across subjects and groups.

The school’s FindMySchool GCSE ranking is a clear benchmark for parents comparing local options: ranked 2,784th in England and 3rd in Andover for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data). This places it below England average overall, within the bottom 40% of schools in England by this ranking band.

On key indicators, Attainment 8 is 40.8. Progress 8 is -0.28, which indicates students, on average, make below-average progress compared with peers nationally who had similar prior attainment. EBacc entry and achievement are also part of the picture. The percentage of pupils achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc is 10.4, and average EBacc APS is 3.58.

What does that mean in practice. For many families, the most important implication is that the school needs to get the fundamentals right, strong teaching routines, tight checking for gaps, and targeted support for students who fall behind, particularly in English and reading. The good news is that the school’s published priorities and the latest inspection narrative are aligned with those fundamentals, especially around reading and structured feedback.

Parents comparing outcomes across Andover can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to view this ranking alongside neighbouring schools using the same methodology.

Teaching appears designed around clarity and incremental mastery. The curriculum is described as broad and ambitious, with emphasis on essential knowledge at each stage and on students being able to apply what they have learned independently. That matters because the move from remembering to applying is often where students either consolidate quickly or begin to drift.

Reading is positioned as a whole-school priority rather than confined to English lessons. A “very strong reading strategy” is part of the school narrative, alongside targeted help for students who need to catch up in reading through precise identification of gaps. For parents, the implication is straightforward: students who arrive behind in literacy are more likely to receive structured support than in schools where reading is left to individual departments.

The inspection narrative also points to a key development area, consistency in how teachers check for gaps and adapt teaching and feedback. This is not unusual in schools of this size, but it is important, because it is often the difference between a school that is broadly good for most students and a school that is good for every group, every class, every week.

As an 11 to 16 school, John Hanson’s main “next step” point is post-16 transition into sixth forms, colleges, apprenticeships, and training. The school’s careers and personal development material places noticeable emphasis on preparation for next steps, including structured careers education and practical guidance around transitions.

A particularly useful detail for families of students with additional needs is that the school references planned transition meetings for post-16 education for students with SEND and those who access FLEX provision. The implication is that post-16 planning is not left to the final half term, and that students who need extra structure around transition are likely to be identified and supported.

Because destination percentages are not published here in the available official datasets for this school, it is best to treat individual pathways as dependent on student profile, subject mix, and local provision. Families should ask at open events about the most common post-16 routes and how the school supports applications, interviews, and course choice.

Admissions are coordinated through Hampshire County Council for Year 7 entry. For September 2026 entry, the key dates are published clearly: applications open 08 September 2025, the deadline is 31 October 2025, and national offer day is 02 March 2026.

For families planning ahead, it is helpful to separate two things. First, the county-wide timeline above, which applies regardless of which Hampshire secondary you are applying for. Second, the school’s own admissions documentation, which is published for 2026 to 2027 entry and sets out criteria and definitions.

Open event timing appears to follow a typical early autumn pattern. The school published an Open Evening on 25 September 2025, which is consistent with the broader Hampshire application window that begins in early September. Parents looking at later entry cycles should expect open events to run around September each year and should check the school calendar when booking opens.

Families weighing catchment considerations should use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check distance and travel time from home, then sanity-check the route at school run times. Even where admissions are not strictly distance-led, daily travel is a major determinant of wellbeing and punctuality.

Pastoral work is presented as a core strength, with multiple strands that speak to different needs rather than a one-size approach. The school explicitly references support groups for bereavement, exam anxiety, and LGBT+ students. That breadth matters because secondary school wellbeing is rarely a single issue, it is often a combination of social dynamics, stress, identity, and family context.

The school’s safeguarding structure is set out publicly, including named designated safeguarding roles, which is reassuring for parents who want clarity on escalation routes and responsibility. It also signals a “whole-school” safeguarding culture rather than safeguarding being held by one person alone.

Beyond formal safeguarding, personal development content is detailed and explicit. The school describes a programme that covers health and wellbeing, relationships, online safety, and complex relationship contexts, reinforced through pastoral teams and focused groups (including FLEX and Engage).

Extracurricular life appears to be treated as a mainstream entitlement rather than a bolt-on. The school reports around 1,400 club sign-ins per month and a consistently busy fixtures calendar through PE. For parents, that suggests two things: participation is normalised, and there are likely options for students who are not aiming for elite sport but still want a regular activity rhythm after school.

Arts provision is a visible pillar. The music department highlights regular showcases each half term and a large-scale school production cycle, with Little Shop of Horrors scheduled for February 2026. Drama and music are framed not just as qualifications but as communities, with productions positioned as social as well as creative opportunities.

Trips and cultural experiences are similarly concrete. The school calendar includes a ski trip to Andorra (February 2026), a Year 8 Paris trip (March 2026), and a Year 10 and 11 New York trip (March to April 2026). Even if a particular trip does not suit every family, the wider implication is that teachers are running enrichment at scale, and students are seeing learning broaden beyond the classroom.

For quieter students, the Learning Resource Centre supports structured study habits. It is open from 08:30 to 16:00, and the school also advertises a Homework Club in the LRC from 15:05 to 16:05. Those details often matter most in Years 10 and 11, when homework volume and revision routines become a real source of stress if support structures are vague.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still budget for the typical extras of secondary life, including uniform, trips, and optional activities.

The published school day starts at 08:35 and finishes at 15:05, with after-school activities scheduled 15:15 to 16:15. Total compulsory time is stated as 32 hours and 30 minutes for a typical week.

Travel planning is supported by school-produced guidance. The school states that students travel from across Andover and surrounding villages, and it provides downloads covering walking and cycling routes, bus stops, and bus services. It also notes secure bike storage on site.

• Outcomes are a development priority. The FindMySchool ranking band places John Hanson below England average for GCSE outcomes on this measure, and Progress 8 is -0.28. For some students this will not be decisive, but families of high-attaining students may want to ask how stretch and challenge are delivered consistently across subjects.

• EBacc outcomes look low in the available data. With 10.4% achieving grades 5 or above across the EBacc and an EBacc APS of 3.58, it is worth discussing how the school balances academic breadth with option choices, particularly for students who may want a strongly academic pathway.

• Behaviour support is targeted, but a small cohort can still be challenging. The most recent inspection narrative refers to a small group of students whose behaviour remains difficult, alongside new inclusion strategies that were still bedding in at the time. For some families, it is sensible to ask how behaviour is handled in specific year groups and how inclusion support operates day to day.

• Admissions timing is strict. For September 2026 Year 7 entry, the deadline is 31 October 2025, with offers on 02 March 2026. Late applications are treated differently by the local authority, so planning ahead matters.

John Hanson Community School is a grounded, care-led comprehensive with a clear emphasis on belonging, reading, and personal development, plus a broad extracurricular calendar that extends well beyond sport. Academically, the FindMySchool indicators point to outcomes that sit below England average on this measure, so the fit will depend on whether a family prioritises pastoral strength and breadth of experience, or is seeking a results profile closer to the top of the local market.

Best suited to students who benefit from clear routines, visible pastoral support, and regular enrichment opportunities, and to families who want an inclusive 11 to 16 school with a structured day and strong wellbeing scaffolding.