Oaklands Catholic School Review 2026: Catholic secondary with a broad sixth form offer

A Catholic 11 to 18 academy serving Waterlooville and the wider Hampshire area, Oaklands combines a sizeable mainstream intake with a strong emphasis on faith, personal development, and an extensive co-curricular timetable. The latest Ofsted inspection (5 and 6 July 2022) confirmed the school continues to be Good, with safeguarding judged effective.

Leadership has recently entered a transition phase, with Mrs Amy Bonnington appointed as Interim Head of School from 1 September 2025. For families, that context matters: the systems and culture described in the most recent inspection are well established, while 2025 to 2026 is also a year in which the school will be setting its next priorities under interim leadership.

Catholic identity is visible and structured rather than symbolic. The school’s framework of Catholic values and virtues is integrated into daily routines and curriculum planning, and students are expected to engage thoughtfully with moral and spiritual questions, regardless of personal faith background.

A distinctive feature is the on-site chapel, described as a dedicated worship space with listed status, used for Mass, organised prayer, and quiet reflection across the day. This matters practically as well as culturally: in many schools, faith activity is timetabled and occasional; here it functions as an accessible, everyday space that also supports belonging for students who want calm at social times.

The school’s history helps explain the present-day layout and facilities. The roots go back to 1902, when the Sisters of Christ established a convent school in Southsea, with the move to the Oaklands site in 1947 and later expansion into a mixed comprehensive. Several named blocks reflect that development over time, including the Romero block, referenced on the history page as a hall and auditorium valued by local musicians.

At GCSE level, Oaklands’ outcomes sit in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). Ranked 1542nd in England and 1st in Waterlooville for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), the school combines solid attainment with a positive progress measure. Average Attainment 8 is 50.9, and Progress 8 is +0.19, indicating students make above-average progress from their starting points. (FindMySchool data.)

A-level outcomes show a similar overall profile. Ranked 1373rd in England and 1st in Waterlooville for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking, based on official data), the sixth form sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). (FindMySchool data.) In grade distribution terms, 43.71% of entries achieved A* to B, compared with an England benchmark of 47.2%. (FindMySchool data.)

The implication for families is straightforward. This is not a narrowly selective results environment, but it is a school where many students can expect steady academic progress, provided they respond well to structured routines and consistent expectations across subjects.

Curriculum breadth is a defining theme. Students have access to a wide range of academic and practical options through the school, with personal, social, and religious themes explicitly running from Year 7 through Year 13. That continuity is important for a Catholic school serving a mixed intake, since it sets a common language for relationships, ethics, and citizenship, not just examination preparation.

There is also a clearly articulated approach to curriculum sequencing and assessment. Subject leaders plan for knowledge to build over time, and teachers use questioning to check understanding and address misconceptions. For students with special educational needs and disabilities, this step-by-step scaffolding, combined with coordinated work between teachers and support staff, is a practical enabler of access to the full curriculum rather than a separate track.

A realistic “watch-out” in teaching is reading and vocabulary. The school promotes daily reading and displays new vocabulary in lessons, but the improvement priority identified in the most recent inspection focused on ensuring students consistently receive enough background knowledge and vocabulary to access texts in depth, particularly when beginning a new topic.

For the 2023 to 2024 leavers cohort, 57% progressed to university. Employment was 20%, apprenticeships were 3%, and further education was 1%. (FindMySchool data.) This suggests a sixth form that supports multiple routes, including direct progression into work, rather than viewing university as the only “success” outcome.

Oxbridge remains a smaller strand of the overall destination picture. In the most recent measurement period, there were eight applications to Oxford and Cambridge combined, with one offer and one student taking up a place. (FindMySchool data.) The practical implication is that the school can support highly academic applicants, but the dominant focus is on strong mainstream progression across a wide ability range, including vocational and employment pathways where appropriate.

Year 7 entry (September 2026)

Oaklands is an academy, but Year 7 applications for Hampshire residents run through the local authority’s coordinated admissions process. For September 2026 entry, applications open on 8 September 2025 and close on 31 October 2025, with offers notified on 2 March 2026 and the waiting list established on 13 March 2026.

Because it is a Catholic school, oversubscription is not handled purely by distance. The published admissions policy for 2026 to 2027 sets out a detailed priority order, including Catholic children in care, Catholic applicants (with sibling priority), other children in care, and further faith and community categories, with distance used as a tie-break in multiple categories. The published admission number for 2026 to 2027 is 232.

Families applying on faith grounds should pay close attention to the Supplementary Information Form process. The policy states that both the main application and the Supplementary Information Form are linked to the same deadline of Friday 31 October 2025 (midnight).

Sixth form entry (September 2026)

The sixth form accepts internal and external applicants. The school publishes a clear timeline for September 2026 entry, including an application form release date of 16 October 2025 and an application deadline of 5 December 2025. Entry requirements include a baseline of 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 for Level 3 study, with higher thresholds for particular subjects such as sciences, mathematics, and English.

For families shortlisting, the FindMySchool Map Search can be useful for understanding likely travel time compared with local alternatives, especially if students will be staying for sixth form and managing a more independent timetable.

Pastoral culture is framed through both safeguarding practice and a wider emphasis on inclusion. Safeguarding has a high profile, staff training is taken seriously, and the school works with external agencies where additional support is needed.

Beyond statutory safeguarding, the school also puts energy into student voice and belonging. One example referenced in the most recent inspection is the use of sixth form affinity groups that help younger pupils raise concerns and develop confidence in speaking up. That kind of peer leadership can be particularly valuable in a large 11 to 18 setting, where younger students may otherwise feel anonymous.

Anti-bullying culture appears to be explicit and monitored. Behaviour routines were re-established after the pandemic disruption, behaviour is described as consistently good, and bullying is reported as infrequent with issues resolved effectively when they arise.

The co-curricular programme is unusually detailed and wide-ranging, with activities spanning sport, performance, academic support, wellbeing, faith, and subject enrichment. A published programme for September 2025 includes, among many others: Rock Band, Oaklands Band, SingSquad, Show Rehearsals, Creative Writing Club, Code Club, Environmental Club, Political Debate Club, Science and Nature club, a KS3 Design and Technology club, and a Mindfulness club.

There is also a strong pattern of targeted academic clinics and structured support, including A-level Biology clinics, A-level Chemistry clinics, UCAS support, academic intervention sessions, and an Extended Maths Qualification offer for Year 11 students aiming to study maths at post-16. The implication is a sixth form and upper school culture that expects students to use additional supported study time, which will suit organised students who respond well to clear routines and accountability.

For students who want leadership and service, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is established and run by a team including a named manager and volunteers, with training and safeguarding checks described on the school’s page. Costs are published for participation, including a one-off enrolment fee of £38 and optional equipment deposits for items such as tents and stoves.

The school publishes a clear structure to the day. Students assemble from 8:50am, with lessons running through to a final period ending at 3:25pm for Key Stage 3 and 3:30pm for older year groups; students are asked not to arrive on site before 8:30am.

Transport information is practical and specific, including references to Stagecoach services (such as 654 and 632) and a Portsmouth City Coaches 641 service, plus guidance on subsidised passes via local authorities. For families, this can be a meaningful differentiator, especially where the school is reachable without reliance on a single bus route.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still plan for the usual costs such as uniform, lunch top-ups, trips, and optional activities.

• Leadership transition. Mrs Amy Bonnington’s appointment as Interim Head of School from 1 September 2025 means 2025 to 2026 is a year of transition at the top. Families may want to ask how priorities will be set and how continuity will be maintained for Year 11 and Year 13 cohorts.

• Faith-based oversubscription. Admissions are not purely distance-led. The published policy sets out multiple faith and community categories, and families applying on faith grounds must manage both the local authority application and the Supplementary Information Form deadline.

• Reading and vocabulary consistency. A clear improvement priority is ensuring students consistently receive enough background knowledge and explicit vocabulary teaching when starting new texts and topics. This is worth probing if your child is a reluctant reader or needs additional literacy support.

Oaklands Catholic School is best understood as a large, faith-led 11 to 18 setting that pairs solid, middle-of-the-pack England outcomes with a carefully structured pastoral and co-curricular offer. The Catholic ethos is embedded in daily routines, with tangible features such as the on-site chapel and an explicit programme of social justice activity.

It suits families who want a Catholic comprehensive with a broad curriculum, a well-defined enrichment programme, and a sixth form that supports both university and employment routes. The key decision points are admissions criteria complexity for non-Catholic applicants, and how comfortable your child will be in a large school where self-organisation matters.