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Gillingham School

Mixed · ages 11–18 · with sixth formDorset, South West · Gillingham SP8 4QPTrust: United Learning TrustSchool website
Pupils on roll
of 1,850 places
Free school meals
Year 11 cohort 2025
264
Ofsted
Not yet inspected under this URN

Results below include those reported under the school’s previous registration: Gillingham School (URN 113882, until 1 April 2026).

What the data says

Of the 279 pupils who finished Year 11 at Gillingham School in 2023, 51% stayed on in Gillingham School’s own sixth form (Dorset average 43%), 29% went to a further education college and 7% started an apprenticeship.

Design and Technology is unusually popular at GCSE: 37% of the year group took it, against 11% of pupils across England.

Among the 171 students who left the sixth form in 2023, 39% went to university (Dorset 27%, England 37%), and 16% of level 3 students progressed to one of the most selective universities, against 19% nationally.

GCSE results in 2025 were below the national picture: Attainment 8 of 42.7 against 46.1 across England and 43.2 in Dorset, with 42% of pupils getting grade 5 or above in both English and maths (England 45%).

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 Dorset and England.

Gillingham School
Dorset
England
School sixth formSixth form collegeFurther education collegeOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureGillingham SchoolDorsetEngland
Pupils in the cohort2793,781607,348
Any sustained destination93%94%92%
Stayed in education82%85%86%
— school sixth form51%43%34%
— sixth form college13%
— further education college29%39%37%
— other education2%3%2%
Apprenticeship7%5%3%
Employment4%4%3%
No sustained destination6%5%6%
Destination unknown1%2%3%

Where students went after sixth form

Destinations of students who finished 16–18 study in 2023, measured the following year.

Gillingham School
Dorset
England
University (higher education)Further educationOther educationApprenticeshipEmploymentNo sustained destination
MeasureGillingham SchoolDorsetEngland
Students in the cohort1712,810541,441
Any sustained destination84%80%79%
University (higher education)39%27%37%
— most selective universities (top third), of level 3 students16%19%19%
Further education1%5%5%
Apprenticeship2%7%7%
Employment42%40%28%
No sustained destination13%15%16%

GCSE results 2025

MeasureGillingham SchoolDorsetEngland
Attainment 8 (average points per pupil)42.743.246.1
Grade 5 or above in English and maths42%41%45%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths62%62%65%
Entered the English Baccalaureate subjects64%38%41%
EBacc average point score3.843.794.09
Disadvantaged pupils in the cohort23%24%28%
Attainment 8 — disadvantaged pupils34.331.134.9
Attainment 8 — other pupils45.246.950.4
Pupils with high prior attainment (Key Stage 2)
English as an additional language5%4%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEnglandGrades 7–9EnglandGrades 4–9
English Language26299%89%10%20%71%
Mathematics26199%88%13%22%69%
English Literature25697%86%13%21%70%
Combined Science18169%65%2%9%44%
History14655%41%12%26%60%
Geography11242%41%17%25%56%
Business Studies10640%18%6%20%52%
Design and Technology9737%11%10%23%52%
French8934%18%11%29%56%
Biology8030%23%13%45%83%
Chemistry7629%23%16%47%86%
Physics7629%23%13%46%86%
Spanish6023%19%5%27%28%
Psychology5320%3%13%22%58%
Fine Art4617%9%20%28%80%
Statistics2911%5%28%20%100%
German2811%5%11%33%68%
Photography259%6%12%19%72%
Computer Science218%13%29%30%52%
Food Preparation and Nutrition197%8%11%21%47%
Media Studies197%4%26%20%79%
Drama187%7%6%27%78%
Music166%5%31%33%63%
Religious Studies83%31%13%32%50%
Art and Design42%7%24%
Polish42%1%84%
Russian21%0%87%
Latin10%1%74%
Japanese10%0%53%
Citizenship Studies10%3%19%

Technical awards and other Key Stage 4 qualifications

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Sports Studies7150%
Interactive Video3625%
Music Technology (Electronic)32%

A levels and other level 3 courses

MeasureGillingham SchoolDorsetEngland
Students at the end of 16–18 study290
— of whom A level students1421,518261,341
Average A level gradeCC+B-
Average points per A level entry31.5332.2035.00
Average grade, best 3 A levelsC+C+B-
AAB or better with two facilitating subjects7%11%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.

SubjectEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Psychology4230%23%
History3424%13%
Biology2920%20%
Mathematics2719%31%
Business Studies2618%13%
Media Studies2618%4%
Law2115%4%
English Language2115%4%
English Literature2014%11%
Economics1611%13%
Geography1611%10%
Politics139%6%
Product Design128%2%
Chemistry128%17%
Photography118%3%
Fine Art107%3%
Physics96%12%
Drama86%2%
Computer Science75%5%
Physical Education64%3%
Polish0%
Russian0%
Spanish2%
D and T Textiles Technology0%
Japanese0%
Further Mathematics5%
Music0%
Music Technology0%

Applied, technical and other level 3 courses

SubjectQualificationEntriesShare of cohortEngland
Study SkillsExtended Project (Diploma)2014%
Business StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*107%
Sports StudiesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*96%
Computer Architecture / SystemsBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*86%
Applied SciencesBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*75%
Business StudiesGCE AS level (All)
LawGCE AS level (All)
Business StudiesGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
LawGCE AS level (Not continued to A2)
Mathematical StudiesCore Maths Qualifications at Level 3
Speech and DramaBTEC National Extended Certificate L3 - Band F - P-D*

Other secondary schools in Dorset

Beaminster School

Voluntary controlled school · sixth form · 673 pupils

81% stayed in education · Attainment 8 47.0

Ferndown Upper School

Community school · sixth form · 1,134 pupils

88% stayed in education · Attainment 8 45.7

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.