On the Townhill Park House estate in Townhill Park, the approach is via Atlantic Park View, not Cutbush Lane, because Cutbush Lane is closed at both ends. It is a distinctive little detail that tells you something useful straight away: daily logistics are thought about, and getting the practicalities right matters here.
The Gregg School is an independent secondary school for boys and girls aged 11 to 16 in Southampton, Hampshire. It is a day school, with a published capacity of 375, and a setting that blends a historic Grade II listed main building with newer teaching space, including the Hart Building (constructed in 2016) with five science laboratories and a Performing Arts Atrium. The most recent ISI inspection found the required standards are met, with structured teaching and effective safeguarding.
House life is the clearest window into the school’s character. Students are placed into Roman, Spartan or Trojan, and the competition calendar runs across sport, creative events and academic challenges. It is more than colour-coded teams for Sports Day. The school links house points to its Respect Points system, so the language of behaviour, participation and effort is not left floating, it is tracked and rewarded in a way students can understand.
That structure supports what families often seek in a smaller independent school: a sense that adults know the students and that routines hold when the week gets busy. Tutor time happens every morning, and the school keeps students with the same tutor group and tutor throughout their time at The Gregg. It is a simple design choice with a big impact, especially for students who do best when there is one familiar adult keeping an eye on the full picture, not just subject by subject.
The grounds are part of the school’s identity, but the tone is practical rather than romantic. The site includes woodland outdoor classrooms used for Forest School-style learning, and even small, quirky details like the Sundial Lawn with a pizza oven and bee hives. For many children, that kind of environment makes school feel less boxed-in, which can help attention and mood, particularly in the long stretch of winter term.
Start with the headline placement. For GCSE outcomes, The Gregg School ranks 2,998th in England and 17th in Southampton (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This places the school below England average overall on the FindMySchool measure, so it is worth reading the detail rather than relying on a single impression.
On the core benchmarks, the school’s Attainment 8 score is 45. The EBacc picture is weaker: the average EBacc APS is 3.35, compared with an England average of 4.08, and 0% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above across the EBacc measure. That combination points to a school where the core academic profile, as captured by official performance measures, is not the main selling point.
Alongside that, the school publishes GCSE summaries that will matter to many families. In 2025, it reports a 94% GCSE pass rate at grade 4 or above, and 95% achieving five or more grade 4s. In 2024, it reports 43% of grades at 9 to 7. Those are different lenses, and they answer different questions. The FindMySchool and DfE-style measures are designed for like-for-like comparison across England; the school’s published pass-rate picture is often what parents instinctively look for first. If you are weighing options across Southampton, it is useful to put both sets of numbers side by side using FindMySchool’s comparison tools rather than relying on one metric alone.
England ranks and key metrics (where available)
GCSE 9–7
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% of students achieving grades 9-7
A small but telling detail sits in the curriculum story: GCSE courses begin in Year 9 with a “tasting and trying” approach to subjects students may not have studied before. That signals a school trying to keep doors open for longer, which can suit students who are still working out whether they are more likely to shine in creative subjects, humanities, or the more technical options.
Modern foreign languages are set out with similar intent. Students choose one language on entry, study a second language through to the end of Year 8, and then select which to focus on in Year 9 and potentially take to GCSE; strong linguists can take both by arrangement. It is the sort of structure that balances breadth with realism, giving students time to find the language that clicks.
Support is described as practical and integrated rather than separated off. The school uses baseline testing (MidYIS and Yellis) when students join, and it describes using progress data, assessments and projects through the year to set targets and keep an eye on trajectories. For families, the useful question is not whether a school has data, most do, but whether it translates into timely intervention. Here, the emphasis is on small classes, detailed feedback and a student support team that works both in and out of lessons.
At 16, every student moves on, because there is no sixth form. That shapes the rhythm of Year 10 and Year 11. Careers and next-steps work is not an optional add-on, it has to be part of the planning, especially for students who will need a clear post-16 route to stay motivated through GCSE.
The school describes the vast majority of students progressing to sixth form study, with a smaller number choosing apprenticeships or other vocational routes. It also names Barton Peveril College (Eastleigh) and Peter Symonds College (Winchester) as popular destinations for leavers. Support includes help with college applications through personal statement work and interview techniques, alongside access to a careers adviser, which is the kind of scaffolding families often want when students are making big decisions at 15 and 16.
The main entry point is Year 7, with in-year entry available in Years 7 to 10 when there is space. Applications for Year 7 can be made from Year 5 onwards, and the school uses an Entrance Assessment day to understand a child’s strengths and place them into appropriate teaching groups. The assessment includes multiple-choice papers in maths, reading, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning taken on school laptops using the ISEB assessment, plus a handwritten creative writing task. The school also takes account of a child’s report and reference from their current or previous school.
For families, the tone here is important. It is an independent school with an assessment process, but the stated purpose is placement and fit, not creating a narrow “exam-only” intake. If your child is anxious about tests, it is worth asking how the day is run and what support is built in for nerves and pacing.
For September entry, the timetable is clearly mapped around autumn open events and a January assessment window for Year 6. Offers are typically communicated in the weeks after the assessment, and the school encourages prompt acceptance because places are filled as contracts are returned.
Fees and financial support sit alongside the admissions story, because they shape who can realistically consider the school. For 2025 to 26, fees are £6,528 per term for Years 7 and 8 and £6,620 per term for Years 9 to 11 (inclusive of VAT). The school offers means-tested bursaries, with awards stated as up to 50% off fees, and it offers scholarships in academic, art, music and sport.
Tutor time every morning is the anchor. Students register with their tutor daily, and the tutor remains with the same group across the years, supported by the Head of Year. That continuity matters for teenagers, who often share small worries before they share the big ones. It also gives parents a clear first port of call when a concern is brewing.
The school’s Respect programme is presented as a central strand in how it builds social and personal skills, with an emphasis on listening to different viewpoints, empathy and cultural awareness. It is backed up with a house system that rewards participation and positive conduct, and a staff culture that aims to intervene early when friendships start to fray.
Support for students who need extra help is described as practical and joined up, including a well-qualified student support team and detailed student passports that capture academic and pastoral needs. The aim, as presented, is that support is not something students “go to”, but something that follows them through their lessons and tutor time.
Music has clear shape and named ensembles, which is often the difference between “music is available” and “music is part of the school week”. The co-curricular programme includes Orchestra, Jazz Band, Rock Band, Choir, Flute Choir and a String Ensemble, alongside concerts and performances that build confidence through repetition rather than one-off moments.
The facilities also support this pillar. The site includes music practice rooms and a studio, and the performing arts space is not an afterthought, with the Hart Building’s Performing Arts Atrium named as part of the specialist teaching area. For students who like to belong to a group, ensembles can be the quickest route to friendship, especially in Year 7.
Sport is broad and has both “for all” and “high level” routes. Physical Education is taught for Years 7 to 11, with the option to take GCSE PE, and the school describes an Elite Sports programme offering additional coaching and mentoring for students competing at a higher level.
The list of opportunities is not limited to traditional team games. There are on-site pitches and courts, cross-country on the grounds, and the school also uses local facilities such as Bitterne Leisure Centre and Southampton Alpine Centre for dry slope skiing. Co-curricular sport includes options like badminton, netball, rugby, tennis, table tennis and track and field, alongside kayaking and horse riding. The practical point for families is time: if your child gets hooked, the day can extend well beyond the final bell, which links directly to the school’s late bus system.
*Bursaries may be available for eligible families.
Basis: per term
Transport is unusually developed for a school of this size. The school runs its own minibus service and states that over 92% of senior students travel by bus. There is a regular bus service at the end of the day, and a late bus option at 5pm for students staying for clubs or revision sessions, with reduced routes and named stops including Eastleigh Railway Station and Winchester railway station.
The approach to the site matters. The school advises access via a single entrance from Atlantic Park View, and notes that Cutbush Lane cannot be used for access. In day-to-day terms, that means families should plan their route carefully, especially in the first weeks of Year 7.
The school day runs from 8.30am to 3.40pm, with co-curricular activities after school. The timetable includes tutor and registration at 8.40am, and the school operates a two-week timetable with a slightly earlier finish on the Wednesday afternoon of Week 2.
A move at 16: With no sixth form, every student transitions after GCSE. Many thrive with that reset, but it does mean you should think about post-16 routes early, particularly if your child benefits from stability and continuity.
Fees and the true “cost of school”: Fees for 2025 to 26 are £6,528 to £6,620 per term for Years 7 to 11 (inclusive of VAT), and the school sets out additional extras such as exams, transport, lunches, trips and private music lessons. Means-tested bursaries are available (stated as up to 50% off fees) and scholarships exist, but it is still a significant commitment.
Consistency and predictability: Recent external feedback highlighted the need for greater consistency in teaching methods and in how rewards and sanctions are applied. If your child needs very clear, uniform boundaries, this is a sensible area to explore when you visit.
Transport dependence: The minibus network is a strength, but it also means many families build their routine around it. Check routes, timings and late-bus availability early, particularly if your child will do regular after-school activities.
The Gregg School offers a distinctive proposition in Southampton: a small independent 11 to 16 with strong transport infrastructure, a house system that gives students belonging quickly, and facilities that include a Grade II listed setting alongside modern specialist space. It is best suited to families who value pastoral continuity, structured routines and a busy co-curricular week, and who are comfortable planning for a post-16 move to college or sixth form. The key decision is whether the overall academic profile and the fees align with your child’s needs and your longer-term plan. If it is on your shortlist, saving it in FindMySchool can help you keep comparisons tidy as you weigh alternatives.
It can be a strong fit for the right student. The school combines a structured pastoral model (daily tutor time and a house system) with a wide co-curricular programme and well-developed transport. On outcomes, it is worth weighing both the broader England comparison measures and the school’s own published GCSE summaries.
For 2025 to 26, fees are £6,528 per term for Years 7 and 8 and £6,620 per term for Years 9 to 11 (inclusive of VAT). The school also offers means-tested bursaries (stated as up to 50% off fees) and scholarships in areas including academic, art, music and sport.
The main entry point is Year 7. Prospective students sit an entrance assessment made up of computer-based papers and a handwritten creative writing task, and the school also considers a report and reference. In-year entry is possible in Years 7 to 10 when places are available.
The FindMySchool GCSE ranking places The Gregg School 2,998th in England and 17th in Southampton based on official measures. The school also publishes its own GCSE summaries, including pass-rate figures and grade profiles, which give a different view of results for recent cohorts.
Yes. The school runs an extensive minibus network with a standard end-of-day service and a late bus option for students staying for clubs or revision sessions. Routes cover a wide area, so families often build the school day around the bus timetable.
Get in touch with the school directly
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