Schools by area › Southampton › Cantell School
Cantell School
Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–16 · Foundation school
Violet Road, Bassett, Southampton SO16 3GJ · cantell.co.uk · 023 8032 3111
On the mapSearch near SO16 3GJ
Overview
- Ofsted
- Outstanding
- 2019 framework · inspected Mar 2024
- GCSEs, 2024/25
- 46.9
- average Attainment 8 score. Southampton 41.9, England 46
- Demand for places
- 1.3
- first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
- Pupils
- 1,313
- 63 over 1,250 places · 105%
- Local authority
- Southampton
- Sixth form
- No
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Free school meals
- 44.1%
- First language not English
- 41%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Year 7 in September 2026, 318 families put the school first and 239 places were offered; 71% 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 | 239 | 318 | 1.3▲ | 71% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 241 | 325 | 1.3▲ | 70% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 245 | 284 | 1.2▲ | 80% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 246 | 258 | 1▲ | 83% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 243 | 256 | 1.1▲ | 83% |
Results
In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 46.9, and 49.2% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Southampton it was 41.9, and across England 46.
GCSE results
Attainment 8
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| ●46.9 | 46.0 | ||
| ▲49.2% | 45.4% | ||
| ●64.5% | 64.8% | ||
| ▼36.3% | 40.5% | ||
| ●4.16 | 4.09 |
Where Year 11 leavers went
| Left in 2023/24 | Since 2021/22 | |
|---|---|---|
| School sixth form | 0.4 | −1.9 |
| Sixth form college | 65.4 | −1 |
| Further education | 20 | +0.9 |
| Other education | 0.4 | — |
| Apprenticeship | 0.4 | −1 |
| Employment | 0.8 | −1 |
| Not in a lasting destination | 9.6 | +3.2 |
| Activity not captured | 2.9 | +0.2 |
Ofsted
Cantell School was judged Outstanding at its last graded inspection, on 26 March 2024, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.
- Overall
- Outstanding
- Inspected
- 26 Mar 2024
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Outstanding |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Outstanding |
| Personal development | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Outstanding |
Previously: Improving, ungraded inspection, Feb 2023
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Feb 2023Ungraded inspectionImproving
Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
Sept 2017Monitoring visit
Safeguarding Effective Nov 2013Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good Feb 2012Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Good
What parents said
90% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (169 replies, to 6 January 2025).
- Recommend
- 90%
- Replies
- 169
- 13% · 6 Jan 2025
based on the 78% who raised concerns
based on the 40% who had a child bullied
based on 49 parents (29%) with SEND