School profile

Cove School

Secondary · Foundation school · Farnborough, GU14 9RN

Requires improvement

Map showing Cove School

Schools
Numbers on map: pupil ages
Outstanding
Good
Requires improvement
Inadequate
Not rated

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#2,708 of 3,312

Worse than 81% of schools in England

Ranked by Attainment 8 score, state-funded mainstream schools.

Cove School Ofsted rating

Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 21 Jan 2025

Area360 rating
Requires improvement
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Requires improvement
Safeguarding
Effective

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeFoundation school
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,007
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr David Bibby
Local authorityHampshire
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 116446.

GCSE results

2025/26

GCSE and equivalent results at the end of year 11. Attainment 8 averages results across 8 subjects.

MeasureThis schoolHampshireEngland
Attainment 8 scoreResults across 8 subjects, English and maths count twice. 50 is about a grade 5 average.39.6, worse than England, worse than Hampshire45.846.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.50.3%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire65%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.31.5%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire44.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.3.9%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire12%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths47.5%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire60.4%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4181--

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 performance, Academic year 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Pupils

2025/26

Pupils at the January school census.

MeasureThis school
Total pupils1,007
Girls520
Boys487
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.27.6%
First language not English20.1%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,050
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.4.1%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.372
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.68
Average class size23.6

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Pupils ethnicity

2025/26

Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.

Pupils ethnicity

White British
65.7%
Other Asian
10.1%
Other White
5.8%
African
3.4%
Pakistani
2.9%
Other mixed
2.6%
Indian
1.5%
Other ethnic group
1.5%
White and Black African
1.3%
White and Black Caribbean
1.2%

Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.

Teachers and staff

2025/26

Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.

MeasureThis school
Pupils per teacher15.8
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.10.7
Teachers (FTE)63.68
Teaching assistants (FTE)19.95
Support staff (FTE)43.03
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2560.5
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2548.8
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/255.9
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/255.8

Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.

Admissions

2026/27

Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.

MeasureThis school
Offers made (Year 7)Places offered on national offer day.179
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.272
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.142
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.142
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)4

Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.

Attendance

2025/26

Share of possible sessions missed.

MeasureThis schoolHampshireEngland
Overall absence8.9%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.23.8%, worse than England, worse than Hampshire20.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.8%, similar to England, similar to Hampshire4%3.6%

Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.

Suspensions and exclusions

2024/25

Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.

MeasureThis school
Suspension rate35.1%
Pupils with one or more suspensions9%
Permanent exclusion rate0.5%
Permanent exclusions5

Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.

Destinations after GCSEs

2023/24

Where pupils went after year 11, sustained for at least two terms.

MeasureThis school
Sustained destinationIn education, an apprenticeship or work for at least two terms.87%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.82.4%
Further education44%
Sixth form college37.8%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.7.3%
Employment3.6%
Apprenticeship1%
School sixth form0.5%

Source: DfE, Key stage 4 destination measures, Academic year 2024/25, published 15 Oct 2026.

Nearby schools

Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.

Schools near Cove School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.1 miPrimaryCove Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.1 miPrimaryCove Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryManor Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.3 miPrimaryManor Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.5 miPrimaryParsonage Farm Nursery and Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.6 miPrimaryGuillemont Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimaryPinewood Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimarySouthwood Infant SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.7 miPrimarySt Bernadette's Catholic Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Good
0.8 miPrimaryGrange Community Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about Cove School

What is Cove School's Ofsted rating?

Cove School is rated Requires improvement, last inspected on 21 Jan 2025. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does Cove School rank in England?

Cove School ranks 2,708 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (worse than 81% of schools).

What are Cove School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 31.5% of pupils at Cove School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 39.6 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into Cove School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, Cove School made 179 offers from 272 applications (1.5 per offer), and 142 of 142 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend Cove School?

Cove School has 1,007 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of Cove School?

Cove School had 1,050 school places in 2024/25.

Does Cove School have a sixth form?

No, Cove School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at Cove School?

At Cove School, the average class had 23.6 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 15.8 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at Cove School?

In 2025/26, pupils at Cove School missed 8.9% of sessions (England 8%), and 23.8% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 21.6%).

Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.