The Romsey School Review 2026: Inclusive, Aspirational 11 to 16 Academy in Romsey

A large, mixed secondary with a clear, values-led identity, The Romsey School positions itself around “aspire, care and include” and, crucially, those ideas show up consistently in the official picture of day-to-day life. Pupils are described as calm, polite, and engaged, with bullying reported as rare and handled appropriately.

This is an 11 to 16 school, so post 16 routes are a key part of the conversation. Careers guidance is a visible strength, with structured exposure to employers, visits, fairs, and clear signposting around apprenticeships and college pathways.

On performance, the school’s GCSE outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), while ranking strongly within its immediate local area. Families comparing options should look at results alongside pastoral fit and transport practicality, because Romsey draws from a wide group of feeder primaries.

The strongest indicator of “feel” is that the school has a consistent language for behaviour, belonging, and ambition. The values “aspire, care and include” are not treated as a poster exercise, they appear as a shared framework for how pupils relate to one another, and how staff set expectations.

There is also a clear emphasis on inclusivity and tolerance, with pupils encouraged to discuss difference and identity in age-appropriate ways. That shows up in the personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) programme, which covers topics such as transition, friendships, mental health, consent, racism, human rights, and equality across the secondary years.

Leadership structure matters in a school of this size. The head teacher is Mrs Annie Eagle, who took up the headship in September 2020. The school also sits within the Gateway Multi-Academy Trust, and external reviews point to leaders using evidence and self-evaluation to drive improvement priorities, particularly around attendance, behaviour, and consistency of classroom implementation.

A final texture point is that Romsey expects pupils to become “culturally aware” through experiences, not just lessons. That is reflected in trips and visits, plus a strong performing arts rhythm through an annual production.

The clearest headline for parents who want a fast benchmark is the school’s relative position. Ranked 1183rd in England and 2nd in Romsey for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), results sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

Under the bonnet, the picture is mixed but coherent:

• Attainment 8 sits at 48.4, a little above the England average benchmark used (45.9).

• Progress 8 is -0.13, indicating slightly below average progress from pupils’ starting points across eight subjects.

• EBacc average point score sits at 4.51 compared with an England average benchmark of 4.08.

The practical implication is that Romsey is not an “outcomes only” school, it is one where results are respectable and broadly typical for England, with stronger performance in some areas and a clear focus on tightening consistency across subjects.

For families comparing local secondaries, FindMySchool’s Local Hub and Comparison Tool are useful for side-by-side checks, particularly if you want to weigh Attainment 8 against Progress 8 and understand what “similar looking” averages can hide.

Curriculum design is a strength worth understanding properly because it shapes daily experience. At key stage 3, the school runs a three-year programme across Years 7 to 9, designed to stay broad while still allowing early personalisation. In Year 9, students can add an extra language choice (French, German, or Spanish) and select “mini options” that introduce specialisms in technology and performing arts before GCSE choices.

In the classroom, expectations are high and there is a strong emphasis on knowledge retention. Teaching is described as rooted in secure subject knowledge, with lesson planning that prioritises retrieval and recall. The benefit for students is a clearer sense of what to remember and how new content connects to prior learning, which particularly matters in knowledge-heavy subjects.

Support is deliberately tiered rather than one-size-fits-all. Higher prior attainers have access to additional stretch and subject pathways such as Latin, further mathematics and triple science, plus enrichment like university visits. At the other end, pupils with low reading ages are identified early and supported, and the school describes targeted literacy support that can include withdrawing a small number of pupils from modern foreign languages to focus on reading and writing development.

Where the school is still tightening the screws is consistency, not intent. External evaluation points to a need to embed best practice across all subjects, and to help pupils make links between areas of learning more reliably, including stronger coherence across PSHE strands.

Because the school finishes at 16, “destination thinking” starts earlier than in a sixth form school. The dominant route is progression to neighbouring colleges and a mix of academic and technical pathways, and careers education is built to support that range rather than pushing a single definition of success.

A useful detail here is how careers guidance is delivered. Students are exposed to visiting speakers, external visits, business links, careers fairs and webinars, and they receive specific information about apprenticeships. That matters for pupils who are motivated by tangible “why does this subject matter” questions, and it can reduce anxiety in Year 10 and Year 11 by making routes feel concrete rather than abstract.

If your child is likely to pursue a college-based A-level route, it is worth asking how the school supports course choice, work experience, and personal statements or application preparation. The published careers policy indicates a structured approach aligned to established benchmarks, with planned employer encounters and opportunities for workplace experiences.

This is a state-funded school, so admission is coordinated through the local authority for the normal Year 7 intake. For September 2026 entry, Hampshire’s published timetable lists applications opening on 8 September 2025, the on-time deadline as 31 October 2025, and offers released on 2 March 2026.

Open events tend to sit earlier in the cycle. The school advertised an open evening on 25 September 2025 with head teacher presentations scheduled within the event window. While that specific date has passed, it gives a reliable signal that open evenings typically run in September, and families should check the school’s current calendar for the next cycle.

Two practical admissions realities to keep in mind:

• Romsey takes pupils from a large number of different primary schools. The school itself notes that tutor group organisation is managed to avoid a single feeder dominating, which can be reassuring for children arriving without an established friendship group.

• Year 7 setting is mixed ability in most subjects initially, with setting in English and maths based on early Year 7 assessment alongside primary school information. That can matter for families who worry about “being placed too early” before teachers know the child well.

Families who want to sanity-check practical eligibility should use FindMySchoolMap Search alongside the published admissions criteria in the local authority materials, particularly if distance and transport feasibility are key decision factors.

The school’s pastoral model blends everyday support (tutors and year teams) with targeted structures for pupils who need more help. The school describes access to support through tutor systems and additional student support routes, and this aligns with the external picture that pupils feel safe and have trusted adults available.

The latest Ofsted inspection (20 to 21 June 2023) confirmed that the school continues to be Good. It also described a culture of praise and encouragement, high expectations for behaviour, and calm, respectful conduct across the school day.

Safeguarding is treated as a whole-school responsibility. Inspectors confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff training and clear reporting expectations.

For a large 11 to 16 school, enrichment needs to do two jobs at once, it should help students find “their thing”, and it should also build belonging for pupils who might not naturally join in. Romsey’s approach begins early, with a Year 7 Freshers Fair intended to introduce clubs and societies beyond the timetable.

Clubs are not only the obvious sports and arts staples, there are distinctive options that signal breadth:

• Faithology Club, a space for exploring faith and belief discussions.

• LEGO Club and a key stage 3 technology club, supporting practical making and STEM interest.

• Readers Club based in the library, built around book discussion and award shadowing.

• Music ensembles including Jazz Band, Reed Ensemble, and choir groups.

Music, in particular, has unusually specific curriculum texture in the published Year 7 programme. Choral singing includes performance opportunities at Romsey Abbey, and students also play an authentic angklung gamelan. That combination of local performance tradition and global musical culture is an effective way to broaden cultural literacy without making it feel like an “extra”.

Trips and visits are also used as cultural extension. The most recent published inspection report lists a wide set of destinations and contexts, from Fairthorne Manor and the Jurassic Coast to international visits such as Paris, Barcelona, Iceland and Kenya. For families, the question is less “does the school run trips” and more “does my child opt in”; the programme is there, but it works best for pupils encouraged at home to take up the opportunities.

Lessons typically finish at 3.00pm, and the school notes that most students head home at that point, while others stay for clubs or to use the library after school on certain days. The library is also described as open after school until 4.00pm, which can be useful for homework routines, especially for pupils who find it easier to work on site than at home.

Break and lunch structures are clearly set out for Year 7, including a morning break (11:05 to 11:20) and a lunch break (13:20 to 14:00). Start-of-day timing varies by context, and families should confirm current timings through the school’s published calendar information.

Transport is unusually well-defined for a state secondary. The school publishes paid bus routes (including school bus services) priced at £1,365 per year, plus a late bus that departs at 4.00pm and is charged at £2.50 per journey. Cycling is encouraged, with a bike park and expectations around safe cycling and locking bikes.

• Progress measures are slightly below average. Progress 8 sits at -0.13, which indicates students, on average, make a little less progress than similar pupils nationally across eight subjects. This will not reflect every child, but it is worth asking how the school targets support for pupils who need more academic lift, particularly in core subjects.

• Consistency across subjects is still a live improvement area. External evaluation highlights that curriculum implementation is not yet fully embedded in a small number of subjects, and cross-curricular links are not always drawn out clearly for pupils. Families with children who rely heavily on explicit connections between topics may want to probe how teachers support this.

• The post 16 step is a real transition. With no sixth form, every pupil moves on at 16. That suits many students well, but it does mean college choice, travel, and course planning become significant in Year 10 and Year 11.

• Paid transport options may be relevant to budgeting. The published school bus services are priced at £1,365 per year, and a late bus is charged per journey. For some families, these options make attendance far more practical, but they are not cost-neutral.

The Romsey School offers a credible, well-structured 11 to 16 education with a clear emphasis on inclusion, calm behaviour, and purposeful careers guidance. Results are broadly typical for England, with strong local positioning, and the school’s best day-to-day strength is the combination of high expectations and a supportive culture. Best suited to families who want a grounded, values-driven secondary with strong enrichment and clear post 16 preparation, and who are comfortable planning early for the move to college at 16.