Testbourne Community School Review 2026: Calm, purposeful 11 to 16 provision with strong community roots

The school’s published GCSE performance indicators show a broadly solid picture with signs of strength in progress. The Attainment 8 score is 51.6 and the Progress 8 score is 0.09, which indicates slightly above-average progress from students’ starting points.

On the English Baccalaureate measures, the average EBacc APS is 4.7. The percentage achieving grade 5 or above across the EBacc subjects is 22.3. These figures suggest a cohort where outcomes in the full academic suite are mixed, and where the school’s work on curriculum sequencing and precision in checking understanding matters for raising the ceiling for more students.

Rankings provide additional context. Ranked 1,211th in England and 1st in Whitchurch for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). For parents, the key point is that performance is broadly typical at national level, while being a leading option in its immediate local area.

The curriculum is described as broad and ambitious, with knowledge mapped deliberately so that learning builds systematically over time. Staff are characterised as having strong subject knowledge and presenting new information clearly and logically, with regular assessment and an emphasis on recalling prior learning to deepen understanding.

Reading is an explicit priority, including vocabulary development across subjects and targeted support for students who struggle with literacy. The model includes reading buddies, which is a practical, scalable mechanism for increasing reading practice and confidence. The implication for families is that literacy is not treated as the English department’s job alone, and that weaker readers are likely to be identified and supported rather than quietly left behind.

Support for students with special educational needs and disabilities is described as structured. One-page profiles are used to clarify strategies for staff, and the school also uses learning coaches who provide motivation and targeted support for identified students. Where parents should probe is communication, because continued improvement in how families are kept informed about support is flagged as an ongoing focus.

As an 11 to 16 school, the key transition is post-16. The school puts significant weight on careers guidance, including assemblies and careers days, and it describes tailored support for students with SEND in making informed next-step choices. The practical implication is that students should leave Year 11 with clearer pathways, whether that is sixth form, college or technical routes.

The admissions information also signals a wider catchment than the immediate town, which typically correlates with students progressing to a mix of post-16 providers depending on where they live and what they want to study. Families considering Year 11 should ask specifically how the school supports applications, references and guidance for the routes most relevant to their child.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Entry to Year 7 is through Hampshire’s co-ordinated admissions process, and the key dates for September 2026 entry are set out clearly by Hampshire County Council. Applications opened on 08 September 2025 and the deadline for on-time applications was 31 October 2025, with notifications issued on 02 March 2026 and the waiting list established on 13 March 2026.

Families often ask what “fit” looks like here in practice. The school states that many students join from local feeder primaries, including Barton Stacey, Longparish, Overton, St Mary Bourne and Whitchurch, while also admitting from a wider area. The implication is that friendships and transition links are likely to be strongest for children coming from those feeders, while out-of-area applicants should focus on practicalities such as transport and after-school collection.

Open events are a useful window into day-to-day routines and expectations. For the September 2026 cohort, the school ran an Open Evening on 25 September 2025 and scheduled Open Morning tours across late September and October. For future cohorts, families should expect open events to typically sit in that same early autumn window, with booking often required for morning tours.

Pastoral strength here is closely linked to predictability and calm. The description of behaviour is grounded in routines, with most students focusing diligently and disruption described as rare. Safeguarding is stated to be effective, and the personal development programme includes explicit online safety and personal information protection.

The school also highlights student leadership as part of character education, including democratically elected roles. This matters because it suggests pupils have formal routes to contribute, rather than influence being limited to the loudest voices. For parents weighing fit, it can suit students who like structure and responsibility, and it can also help quieter students find defined ways to participate.

Where the school is candid is consistency. The improvement priorities include making sure curriculum adaptation and checking understanding are consistently strong across subjects, and ensuring behaviour systems are applied consistently by staff so that engagement is sustained for all learners. That is a sensible line of enquiry for visits and conversations, especially for families whose child is easily distracted by low-level disruption.

Enrichment is positioned as a core part of student development, with the school describing twenty or more activities in a typical week. Named examples include Art and Photography Clubs, Culture Club, STEM Club and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award group. For students who benefit from belonging to a smaller group within a larger school, these regular clubs are often where friendships and confidence consolidate.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award provision is unusually detailed. The school runs Bronze and Silver, with Bronze typically spanning Year 10 into early Year 11, and Silver in Year 11, with expeditions planned after GCSEs. It also describes volunteer leader involvement, including parents, supporting cohorts of roughly 30 to 50 students for Bronze each year. The implication is that students who want sustained, structured challenge outside the classroom can access it without needing a sixth form on site.

Facilities reinforce the breadth. The school describes specialist spaces for art, dance and drama, air-conditioned computer suites, and dedicated provision across technology, music and science, alongside a library and extensive sports facilities. For sport, the site includes an all-weather, floodlit FA-approved 3G pitch configured for multiple formats and a multi-purpose sports hall sized at 32m by 16.5m, with large-event capacity that also supports shows and exhibitions. The 3G pitch has also been recognised with a Hampshire FA 3G ATP Pitch of the Year award for 2025.

The school is open for 32.5 hours per week. The timetabled day runs 08:40 to 15:10, with a warning bell at 08:35 and school buses departing at 15:25. For families, the key practical point is that after-school clubs do not align with late buses, so collection plans matter when students commit to enrichment.

Transport is supported through Hampshire-arranged bus routes from several local villages, including services from Barton Stacey via Longparish and Hurstbourne Priors, and from St Mary Bourne and Overton. Eligibility for free transport is tied to catchment and distance rules, so families should check the latest criteria against their home address.

• Consistency across subjects. Curriculum ambition is clear, but implementation is still being fine-tuned in a small number of areas; families may want to ask how leaders check consistency and how quickly practice is improving.

• Behaviour systems depend on uniform application. The day-to-day environment is described as calm and purposeful, yet consistency in how behaviour routines are applied is an improvement priority; this matters for students who are more easily distracted.

• After-school logistics. There is a strong menu of clubs and activities, but school buses leave at 15:25 and the school notes that late buses are not available after clubs; working parents should plan collection and travel carefully.

This is a structured 11 to 16 school with a clear moral language, a calm tone and a genuine commitment to enrichment and personal development. Results sit in line with the middle of England schools overall, with slightly positive progress indicators and a curriculum designed to build knowledge systematically.

Best suited to families who want an orderly, purposeful secondary experience, and for students who respond well to routine, clear expectations and opportunities such as Duke of Edinburgh, arts and sport. Securing the right fit is less about fees and more about practicalities, transport and whether your child will thrive with a disciplined day and consistent standards.