Schools by area › Hampshire › Cove School
Cove School
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Foundation school
St John's Road, Cove, Farnborough GU14 9RN · coveschool.uk · 01252 542397
On the mapSearch near GU14 9RN
Overview
- Ofsted
- No overall grade
- 2019 framework · inspected Jan 2025
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 42.7
- average Attainment 8 score. Hampshire 45.5, England 46
- Last distance offered
- No limit
- Year 7, September 2026 entry · Hampshire Council
- Demand for places
- 0.8
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 1,007
- 96% of 1,050 places
- Local authority
- Hampshire
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 27.6%
- First language not English
- 20.1%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, everyone who applied was offered a place. Source: Hampshire Council’s document.
For Year 7 in September 2026, 142 families put the school first and 179 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Year 7 | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 179 | 142 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 203 | 204 | 1▲ | 89% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 198 | 207 | 1▲ | 87% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 205 | 178 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 207 | 172 | 0.8 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 42.7, and 35.5% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Hampshire it was 45.5, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ▼42.7 | 46.0 | ||
| ▼35.5% | 45.4% | ||
| ▼54.3% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼36.0% | 40.5% | ||
| ▼3.77 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 0.5 | 0 |
| Sixth form college | 37.8 | +9.5 |
| Further education | 44 | −8.2 |
| Apprenticeship | 1 | −0.1 |
| Employment | 3.6 | −1.3 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 7.3 | −1.4 |
| Activity not captured | 5.7 | +1.9 |
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected Cove School on 21 January 2025 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.
- Overall
- No overall grade
- Inspected
- 21 Jan 2025
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Requires improvement |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Good |
| Leadership and management | Requires improvement |
Previously: Good, graded inspection, Jan 2020
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Jan 2020Good
Quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
- Dec 2018Monitoring visitEffective action
Sept 2017Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Leadership and management Good Safeguarding Effective Nov 2015Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Leadership and management Good Safeguarding Effective
What parents said
72% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (109 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 72%
- Replies
- 109
- 11% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 85% who raised concerns
based on the 43% who had a child bullied
based on 31 parents (28%) with SEND