Park Community School Review 2026: real-world learning in Leigh Park, with a clear focus on raising outcomes

GCSE results

Park’s most recent GCSE metrics show an Attainment 8 score of 26.9 and a Progress 8 score of -1.27. On EBacc measures, 2.3% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above in the EBacc, and the EBacc average point score is 2.18.

Ranked 3815th in England and 3rd in Havant for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), Park sits below England average, placing it in the lower 40% of schools in England. That combination tells you two things at once: locally, it is operating within the pack rather than as an outlier; nationally, outcomes and progress have clear ground to make up.

For parents comparing options, this is a moment to be practical. FindMySchool’s local comparison tools help you place Park’s Attainment 8 and Progress 8 alongside nearby schools, so you can judge whether its wider offer is paired with the academic profile your child needs.

What the numbers mean for families

A Progress 8 score at this level points to students, on average, leaving with lower outcomes than similar pupils nationally. That does not mean individual students cannot do very well; it does mean the overall picture is one of uneven academic traction. For families, the best questions are specific: how quickly gaps are identified in Year 7, what catch-up looks like for weaker readers, how recall is strengthened across subjects, and how GCSE preparation is structured over Years 10 and 11.

Park’s curriculum story is unusually concrete. Sequencing and revisiting ideas are explicitly prioritised, and there is a stated emphasis on daily reading, with targeted help for weaker readers. In plain terms, the school is trying to make learning stick, not just cover content.

The most useful detail for families is the push towards subject expertise and shared planning. The picture painted is of teachers using consistent, high-quality resources, building new learning on what students already know. When that works, students benefit from clarity and momentum: fewer surprises in lessons, less “guess what the teacher wants”, and more time spent practising the thinking that earns marks.

The point to watch is consistency. Teaching is described as improving, but not always equally sharp across the curriculum: sometimes information is not explained clearly enough and checking understanding is not deep enough, leaving students less able to remember and explain what they have learned. If your child thrives on structure, that makes retrieval practice and clear explanations especially important, so it is worth asking how the school builds recall routines into everyday lessons, not just revision season.

With education running to Year 11, Park’s job is to send students forward with options, not just grades. The school’s approach leans heavily on employability and “try it for real” experiences, whether that is enterprise through Park Design and Print, construction learning through the Apex Construction Centre, or work linked to catering, horticulture and the smallholding. For many teenagers, that kind of credibility changes how they see school: not as a holding pen, but as a place that opens doors to particular routes.

The website also points to active relationships beyond Year 11, including links with further education and higher education through sport, with Havant and South Downs College referenced as a common next step for students pursuing sport-related courses and Chichester University named in the department’s wider network. Even if your child is not “sporty”, the bigger implication is that staff are used to talking about destinations in practical terms, which can be reassuring when post-16 choices feel overwhelming.

Routes and criteria

Admissions follow Hampshire County Council arrangements, with priority shaped by the usual mainstream state-school criteria: looked-after children and previously looked-after children first, then exceptional medical or social need, then staff places in limited circumstances, then catchment and sibling links, with distance used when criteria are oversubscribed. The admissions policy also names linked schools for priority in some circumstances, including Barncroft Primary School, Riders Junior School and Warren Park Primary School.

Demand is real but not extreme: 244 applications were made for 205 offers, which works out at about 1.19 applications per place. Oversubscribed still means uncertainty, though it is a different proposition from the “three families for every place” schools where the odds are stark.

Timeline and practicalities

For Year 7 entry for September 2026, the published deadline is 31 October 2025 and offers are sent on 02 March 2026. The school also states that applications for September entry open in September of the previous year and close at the end of October, with offers typically made in March.

Park also explains a managed move route for some mid-year transfers, including a 10-week trial model. For families who need a fresh start rather than a clean, once-a-year admissions cycle, that kind of structured pathway can be meaningful, but it is also a sign that Park serves a broad range of need and context.

Safeguarding is treated as a central discipline rather than a sidebar, with a named safeguarding structure and clear routes for raising concerns. The wider message is a culture where students are expected to speak up, and staff are trained to respond quickly and appropriately.

Pastoral support is also framed as practical: a welfare support and guidance team is highlighted, and the school describes targeted support for students whose behaviour puts them at risk of exclusion, including a dedicated Inspired Learning provision with specialist staff. For parents, this is the heart of the offer. It is not simply “be kind”; it is “stay in school, stay safe, keep learning”, even when circumstances are complicated.

The school’s personal development programme also leans into real topics, including relationships, consent, online safety and life choices. That will suit families who want school to be direct and explicit about the pressures teenagers meet, while still grounding expectations in respect and routine.

STEM

Park’s enrichment has an engineering edge that is hard to miss. Greenpower is a standout: the school names three cars, Keep Up, Team Spirit 2 and Chase, and frames participation as something earned through exemplary behaviour and interest in engineering. In the Technology department, opportunities include STEM Ambassadors, Greenpower STEM Racing club, APEX construction taster sessions and routes into competitions such as Rotary Young Chef, alongside a Cooking Club for younger years.

For many students, this matters because it gives status to practical competence. You can be good with your hands, good with systems, good at turning ideas into products, and have that recognised as “school success”, not just as a hobby.

Sport and performance

Sport also looks like a genuine pillar, supported by facilities and leadership roles. The sports ambassador programme is positioned as a route into coaching and support roles, and the wider extra-curricular picture includes clubs and representative opportunities across multiple sports. Add the on-site 3G FIFA accredited synthetic turf pitch and a sports hall sized for four badminton courts, and it is clear the school expects sport to be lived, not squeezed into a corner.

Performance spaces add another dimension. A theatre that seats 245 and a lecture theatre for 180 are not just hireable rooms; they are a signal that presentations, productions and public-facing events can sit naturally alongside the timetable. For students who gain confidence through doing, that matters.

Transport & parking

Park is in Leigh Park, within Havant, with Havant railway station the most obvious local rail hub for families commuting or travelling across the area. Bus links across Havant and Leigh Park are a normal part of local life, and the practical reality is that the start and end of the school day can be busy on surrounding roads, so walking or using public transport can simplify logistics for many families.

The school day

The published Shape of the Day shows an 8.25am line-up and an 8.45am tutor start, with the final timetabled point at 2.55pm before Period 6 and after-school enrichment on set days. A simple expectation sits underneath it: students should attend at least one Period 6 or enrichment activity each week.

Academic outcomes: The latest GCSE measures show an Attainment 8 score of 26.9 and a Progress 8 score of -1.27. That is a clear signal that, overall, outcomes have room to rise. Families should be frank about whether their child will thrive with the support on offer, or whether they need a school with stronger headline results.

Recall and depth: The school’s curriculum intent is coherent and well ordered, but students are also described as not always remembering or explaining learning deeply enough. If your child needs tight scaffolding and frequent checking for understanding, ask how retrieval is built into lessons and homework across subjects, not only in Year 11.

EBacc route: EBacc outcomes are low in the current data. If your child is set on an EBacc-heavy GCSE profile, check how options are structured, how languages are supported, and what the school expects from students aiming for that pathway.

Planning for post-16: There is no sixth form, so every student makes a post-16 move. For some, that clean break is positive; for others, it adds pressure in Year 11. It is worth discussing early how guidance, college applications and transition support are handled.

Park Community School is a community-facing secondary with a distinctive practical spine: enterprise projects, off-site learning and credible routes into sport, engineering and vocational strengths. Pastoral systems and safeguarding culture are presented as clear priorities, and the broader offer gives many students a reason to engage.

Best suited to families in Havant looking for an 11 to 16 school where learning is linked tightly to work, skills and real experiences, particularly for students who respond well to doing as well as studying. The main decision point is academic outcomes; families should weigh Park’s wider strengths against whether its current progress picture matches their child’s needs.