The Burgate School and Sixth Form Review 2026: A rural 11 to 18 with a strong sixth form pipeline

At drop-off, one of the first practical realities becomes clear, this is a school that draws from well beyond a single neighbourhood. Dedicated bus routes connect Fordingbridge with Salisbury and surrounding villages, which shapes both the mix of pupils and the wider feel of the community.

The school is led by Mr David Pover. He was appointed headteacher in January 2011, and he has overseen the period in which the school moved into its current academy-trust structure and built a reputation locally for calm conduct and consistent routines.

On the performance side, GCSE outcomes sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile) based on FindMySchool rankings, while the sixth form profile is weaker relative to England. That split matters for families weighing the full 11 to 18 journey, especially if A-level performance is the primary goal.

The most recent Ofsted inspection took place on 26 and 27 November 2024 and concluded that effective action had been taken to maintain standards, with safeguarding confirmed as effective.

The defining characteristic here is the combination of a broad intake and a personal, relational style. Pupils are known well, and the tone is grounded, respectful, and purposeful. The school explicitly frames itself around a clear vision and values, with Kindness, Curiosity, and Ambition used as reference points in how pupils are expected to behave and learn.

A second strand is inclusivity, both in culture and in support systems. The school sets out its equality commitment in practical language that focuses on belonging, safety, and tackling discriminatory behaviour, including online. For many families, this is a strong signal that the pastoral culture is not just policy, it is part of the everyday vocabulary.

Leadership continuity also shapes atmosphere. Mr David Pover’s long tenure provides a stable baseline for staff and pupils, and that can be particularly valuable in a mixed rural catchment where transport, transitions, and sixth form entry patterns require predictable systems.

The school’s motto, Learning for Life, is used as more than a strapline. It links directly to the way personal development and life skills sit alongside exam preparation, particularly through the structured programme that runs from Year 7 onwards.

This is a state school, so the most useful way to read performance is through a combination of outcomes, progress measures, and the trend implied by external evaluation.

GCSE profile (FindMySchool rankings based on official data)

• Ranked 1992nd in England and 1st locally for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), placing results in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

• Attainment 8: 52.8

• Progress 8: +0.17

• Grades at the very top end: 9.6% at grades 9 to 8, and 22.5% at grades 9 to 7.

The implication for families is a balanced picture. Progress is above average, suggesting pupils tend to do a little better than similar pupils nationally, but the overall GCSE profile is not positioned as elite performance. For many students, this is a positive trade-off, steady progress in a school that also invests heavily in wider development.

A-level profile (FindMySchool rankings based on official data)

• Ranked 1678th in England and 1st locally for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking), which places it below England average overall.

• A* at 4.61% and A* to B at 40.07%, compared with an England average A* to B of 47.2%.

That gap is important if you are choosing the school primarily for sixth form results. It does not mean sixth form students do not achieve well, but it does mean outcomes are less competitive in national terms than GCSE performance suggests.

A useful lens here is the school’s stated structure and how it is designed to support a smooth path from Key Stage 3 into GCSE and beyond. The school describes a three-year programme of study that aims to build organisation, enjoyment of learning, and cultural capital through enrichment, with GCSE choices framed around progression into post-16 routes.

One of the more distinctive features, compared with many secondaries, is the explicit use of structured personal development curriculum alongside academic study. The Learning 4 Life programme is positioned as a core thread from Year 7 to Year 13, covering themes such as wellbeing, relationships, staying safe, and skills for adulthood. The practical implication is that time is deliberately set aside for content that supports decision-making, online safety, and readiness for the next stage, rather than treating those topics as occasional assemblies.

For pupils who need additional support, the school sets out its intent to remove barriers to learning and provide high-quality SEND support so students can access courses aligned to their goals. That matters for families looking for mainstream schooling with a clear, articulated approach to inclusion, rather than a school that relies on informal adjustments.

At sixth form level, the school highlights relatively small class sizes and a feedback-rich approach. The implication is that students who benefit from regular guidance and clear expectations may find the sixth form environment supportive, particularly if they are joining from another school and want a structured settling-in process.

Where Students Go Next

The sixth form narrative emphasises a mixed destination picture, not a single-track university pipeline. That is reflected in the published leaver destinations data for the 2023 to 2024 cohort.

In the 2023 to 2024 leavers cohort:

• 38% progressed to university

• 39% entered employment

• 7% progressed to further education

• 5% started apprenticeships

This is a broadly pragmatic profile. It suggests the sixth form serves students with a range of goals, including immediate work and vocational routes, rather than focusing narrowly on university outcomes.

For highly academic applicants, there is evidence of Oxbridge ambition, but in smaller numbers. In the measurement period, 7 students applied across Oxford and Cambridge, 1 received an offer, and 1 secured a place, with that acceptance being at Cambridge. The implication is that Oxbridge is possible for the right student, but it is not the dominant destination route, so students targeting highly selective courses should expect to take ownership of their wider preparation.

Families comparing post-16 options locally can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages to compare sixth form outcomes and destinations side-by-side, especially where travel time makes a sixth form college a realistic alternative.

Admissions operate through two distinct pathways, Year 7 entry via local authority coordination, and Year 12 entry via a sixth form application process.

Year 7 admissions (September 2026 entry)

Applications for secondary transfer in Hampshire open on 8 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025, with national offer day on 2 March 2026 and waiting lists established from 13 March 2026.

Demand is real. In the most recent admissions data provided, there were 319 applications for 162 offers, which equates to 1.97 applications per place, and the school is recorded as oversubscribed. The practical implication is that families should approach the application strategically, including naming multiple preferences and understanding the oversubscription criteria that apply.

Because distance-offered data is not available here, parents should avoid assuming proximity will be sufficient. If location is a key factor, use FindMySchool’s Map Search to confirm travel practicality and compare nearby alternatives before relying on a single option.

Sixth form admissions (Year 12 entry)

Sixth form applications are open for 2026 entry, and the school publishes a specific Freshers Day date for September 2026 entry, Thursday 25 June 2026 (08:30 to 14:00).

There is also a defined financial support threshold. If household income is less than £40,000, students may be eligible for assistance with study costs including transport, which is a meaningful detail for families weighing travel costs in a rural area.

For entry requirements, the school states a standard threshold of six GCSE passes at grades 9 to 4 (including English and Maths), with grade 6 required for certain subjects.

Pastoral care here is structured, not left to chance. The Learning 4 Life programme provides a consistent route for wellbeing, relationships, and staying safe topics, with tutor-time delivery across the year groups.

Safeguarding information is presented prominently, including clear role definitions within the safeguarding team. For parents, the practical benefit is clarity about escalation routes and responsibility lines, which is often missing on school websites.

At a cultural level, the school positions kindness and inclusion as non-negotiables. This matters for pupils who need a calm, predictable environment, including those who may be anxious about transition into secondary school.

Extracurricular life is one of the school’s stronger differentiators, particularly because it is used to widen experiences for pupils who may be travelling in from smaller villages and might otherwise have a narrower day-to-day horizon.

The school describes a varied enrichment menu that includes STEM Club, cooking, debating, gardening, and musical bands. The implication is that pupils can build identity and friendships around shared interests, which can be particularly important for those arriving by bus and not living within walking distance of close friends.

There is also a clear sixth form enrichment thread. The school confirms it offers the Duke of Edinburgh Award at sixth form level, which tends to appeal to students who want a recognised framework that combines volunteering, skills, and physical activity.

Facilities and specialist spaces matter as well. Drama is supported by a purpose-built drama studio that is used as a professional-style performance space where possible, and performing arts routes are available post-16 through vocational options.

Trips and visits add further texture. The published schedule for 2025 to 2026 includes subject-specific theatre trips, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra concerts at The Lighthouse, and a Politics and History Parliament visit among other options. For many families, this is the difference between a curriculum that stays within the classroom and one that regularly connects learning to the wider world.

Sport also has a distinctive sixth form feature, the Burgate 7’s U18 Sport Tournament, involving sixth forms from Dorset, Hampshire, and Wiltshire, and linked to the development of a new 3G pitch.

The official school day runs from 08:30 to 15:00, which the school states equates to 32.5 hours in a typical week.

Transport is central to daily logistics. The school publishes a detailed bus network that connects with Salisbury and surrounding villages, alongside routes serving the Fordingbridge area. Eligibility for free school transport depends on county rules and catchment, and post-16 transport has different arrangements to main school.

For sixth form families, note that the school also publishes a Year 12 enrolment fee of £60, with a stated breakdown and deadlines for enrolment completion. This is not tuition, but it is a real cost to plan for.

• Competition for places. The school is oversubscribed, with 319 applications for 162 offers in the latest data provided. That level of demand can make Year 7 entry unpredictable from year to year, especially without published distance-offered context.

• Sixth form results are weaker in England terms. A-level outcomes sit below England average on the A* to B measure, and the FindMySchool A-level ranking places the sixth form lower than the school’s GCSE position. This is worth weighing if A-level performance is your main priority.

• Transport is a daily constraint. A wide bus network can be a major advantage, but it also means longer days for some pupils, plus more reliance on service stability and route availability, especially for after-school clubs.

• Post-16 costs exist even in a state setting. The sixth form enrolment fee (£60) and practical costs associated with study and transport can add up, although a bursary support threshold is published for lower-income households.

This is a grounded, inclusive 11 to 18 school with a practical approach to personal development and a genuinely wide catchment shaped by transport links. GCSE performance is broadly in line with the middle of England schools, with progress measures suggesting pupils tend to do a little better than similar pupils nationally. The sixth form offer is credible and well-organised, but outcomes are weaker relative to England averages, so highly academic sixth form applicants should compare alternatives carefully.

Who it suits: families in and around Fordingbridge who want a mainstream comprehensive with clear values, structured wellbeing education, and a realistic mix of post-16 pathways, including employment and apprenticeships as well as university.