Cantell School
Foundation school · 1,313 pupils
83% stayed in education · Attainment 8 46.9
Foundation school
Bitterne Park School
- Pupils on roll
- 2,036of 2,000 places
- Free school meals
- 31.3%
- Year 11 cohort 2025
- 357
- Ofsted
- Good, 8 May 2024Read the Ofsted report
What the data says
Of the 360 pupils who finished Year 11 at Bitterne Park School in 2023, 12% stayed on in Bitterne Park School’s own sixth form (Southampton average 5%), 21% went to a further education college and 4% started an apprenticeship.
Sixth form colleges are the main next step: 53% of leavers went to one, roughly three times the England rate of 13%.
Among the 71 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 25% went to university (Southampton 21%, England 37%), and 5% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.
A level grades average C-, well below the England average of B-; 5% of students achieved AAB or better including two facilitating subjects (England 18%).
Where pupils went after Year 11
Destinations of the 2023 Year 11 leavers, measured the following year: the share in a sustained place for at least two terms. Compared with all state-funded schools in Southampton and England.
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Bitterne Park School | Southampton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils in the cohort | 360 | 2,315 | 607,348 |
| Any sustained destination | 93% | 90% | 92% |
| Stayed in education | 87% | 84% | 86% |
| — school sixth form | 12% | 5% | 34% |
| — sixth form college | 53% | 53% | 13% |
| — further education college | 21% | 24% | 37% |
| — other education | 2% | 2% | 2% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 3% | 3% |
| Employment | 2% | 3% | 3% |
| No sustained destination | 4% | 7% | 6% |
| Destination unknown | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Where students went after sixth form
Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
| Measure | Bitterne Park School | Southampton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students in the cohort | 71 | 1,701 | 541,441 |
| Any sustained destination | 72% | 72% | 79% |
| University (higher education) | 25% | 21% | 37% |
| — most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students | 5% | 7% | 19% |
| Further education | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| Apprenticeship | 4% | 7% | 7% |
| Employment | 27% | 33% | 28% |
| No sustained destination | 23% | 21% | 16% |
GCSE results 2025
| Measure | Bitterne Park School | Southampton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attainment 8 (average points per pupil) | 43.1 | 41.9 | 46.1 |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 36% | 39% | 45% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 61% | 57% | 65% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects | 40% | 36% | 41% |
| EBacc average point score | 3.80 | 3.71 | 4.09 |
| Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort | 28% | 39% | 28% |
| Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils | 32.3 | 31.1 | 34.9 |
| Attainment 8 — other pupils | 47.2 | 48.8 | 50.4 |
| Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2) | — | — | — |
| English as an additional language | 18% | 30% | 19% |
Progress 8 is not available for 2025 and 2026: these cohorts had no Key Stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021, so there is no baseline. Attainment 8 shows results without taking pupils’ starting points into account.
Subjects taken at GCSE
Entries in 2025 as a share of the Year 11 cohort, and the share of entries graded 7–9 and 4–9, compared with all entries in England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England | Grades 7–9 | England | Grades 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 355 | 99% | 88% | 16% | 22% | 67% |
| English Language | 354 | 99% | 89% | 14% | 20% | 67% |
| English Literature | 336 | 94% | 86% | 13% | 21% | 64% |
| Combined Science | 276 | 77% | 65% | 9% | 9% | 56% |
| Geography | 172 | 48% | 41% | 22% | 25% | 66% |
| History | 112 | 31% | 41% | 30% | 26% | 62% |
| Spanish | 69 | 19% | 19% | 14% | 27% | 55% |
| French | 68 | 19% | 18% | 18% | 29% | 69% |
| Biology | 62 | 17% | 23% | 60% | 45% | 95% |
| Chemistry | 60 | 17% | 23% | 45% | 47% | 93% |
| Physics | 60 | 17% | 23% | 55% | 46% | 90% |
| Fine Art | 59 | 17% | 9% | 27% | 28% | 90% |
| Design and Technology | 45 | 13% | 11% | 7% | 23% | 64% |
| Computer Science | 45 | 13% | 13% | 27% | 30% | 64% |
| Sociology | 38 | 11% | 4% | 16% | 21% | 68% |
| Religious Studies | 34 | 10% | 31% | 12% | 32% | 59% |
| Film Studies | 33 | 9% | 1% | 21% | 20% | 67% |
| Physical Education | 32 | 9% | 11% | 22% | 24% | 88% |
| Textiles | 29 | 8% | 2% | 41% | 27% | 97% |
| Media Studies | 25 | 7% | 4% | 8% | 20% | 52% |
| Photography | 24 | 7% | 6% | 29% | 19% | 75% |
| Statistics | 20 | 6% | 5% | 75% | 20% | 100% |
| Dance | 18 | 5% | 1% | 33% | 27% | 78% |
| Polish | 16 | 4% | 1% | 63% | 84% | 94% |
| Drama | 16 | 4% | 7% | 31% | 27% | 88% |
| Music | 9 | 3% | 5% | 22% | 33% | 100% |
| Persian | 3 | 1% | 0% | — | 77% | — |
| Italian | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 53% | — |
| Punjabi | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 48% | — |
| Modern Greek | 2 | 1% | 0% | — | 33% | — |
| Chinese | 2 | 1% | 1% | — | 75% | — |
| Russian | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 87% | — |
| Gujarati | 1 | 0% | 0% | — | 57% | — |
| German | 1 | 0% | 5% | — | 33% | — |
Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Business Management | 90 | 100% | — |
| Health Studies | 47 | 100% | — |
| Beauty Care / Services | 40 | 100% | — |
| Sports Studies | 33 | 89% | — |
| Tourism | 32 | 86% | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | 22 | 59% | — |
| Hospitality / Catering Studies | 22 | 59% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 13 | 35% | — |
| Speech and Drama | 10 | 27% | — |
A levels and other level 3 courses
| Measure | Bitterne Park School | Southampton | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students at the end of 16–18 study | 168 | — | — |
| — of whom A level students | 37 | 485 | 261,341 |
| Average A level grade | C- | C- | B- |
| Average points per A level entry | 25.26 | 27.31 | 35.00 |
| Average grade, best 3 A levels | D+ | C- | B- |
| AAB or better with two facilitating subjects | 5% | 5% | 18% |
| Average grade, applied general courses | — | — | — |
| Average grade, T levels | — | — | — |
A level subjects
Entries as a share of A level students, compared with the share across England.
| Subject | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 9 | 24% | 31% |
| Chemistry | — | — | 17% |
| Dance | — | — | 0% |
| Economics | — | — | 13% |
| Film Studies | — | — | 2% |
| French | — | — | 1% |
| Geography | — | — | 10% |
| History | — | — | 13% |
| Further Mathematics | — | — | 5% |
| Physics | — | — | 12% |
| Psychology | — | — | 23% |
| Sociology | — | — | 13% |
| Spanish | — | — | 2% |
| Fine Art | — | — | 3% |
| Graphic Communication | — | — | 2% |
| Photography | — | — | 3% |
| Biology | — | — | 20% |
| Business Studies | — | — | 13% |
Applied, technical and other level 3 courses
| Subject | Qualification | Entries | Share of cohort | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | VRQ Level 3 | 10 | 27% | — |
| Multimedia | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | 9 | 24% | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | 6 | 16% | — |
| French | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Spanish | GCE AS level (All) | — | — | — |
| Spanish | GCE AS level (Not continued to A2) | — | — | — |
| Business Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Sports Studies | OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Computer Appreciation / Introduction | OCR Cambridge Technical Certificate at Level 3 | — | — | — |
| Health Studies | BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (Band D) | — | — | — |
| Childcare Skills | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Sound Recording | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Speech and Drama | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Tourism | BTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D* | — | — | — |
| Study Skills | Extended Project (Diploma) | — | — | — |
Other secondary schools in Southampton
Oasis Academy Lord's Hill
Academy sponsor led · 667 pupils
69% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.0
Oasis Academy Mayfield
Academy sponsor led · 884 pupils
80% stayed in education · Attainment 8 37.0
Oasis Academy Sholing
Academy sponsor led · 1,030 pupils
81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.3
Redbridge Community School
Foundation school · 1,106 pupils
67% stayed in education · Attainment 8 32.2
Regents Park Community College
Academy converter · 812 pupils
88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 43.0
Sources: Department for Education school and college performance tables 2024/2025 (Key Stage 4 and 16–18 results, subject entries, destination measures for 2023 leavers); Get Information About Schools register as at 19 September 2026; Ofsted management information as at 31 August 2026. Small numbers are suppressed by DfE and shown as “—”. How to read these figures.