School profile

The Costello School

Secondary · Academy converter · Basingstoke, RG21 4AL

Good

Map showing The Costello School

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

National ranking

GCSE 2025/26

#933 of 3,312

Better than 71% of schools in England

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

The Costello School Ofsted rating

Ofsted report cardInspected 10 Feb 2026

Area360 rating
Good
Inclusion
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching
Expected standard
Achievement
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing
Expected standard
Leadership and governance
Expected standard
Safeguarding
Met

School facts

PhaseSecondary
TypeAcademy converter
Ages11 to 16
Pupils1,160
GenderMixed
Admissions policyNon-selective
Head teacherMr Andy Conway
TrustBOHUNT EDUCATION TRUST
Local authorityHampshire
Opened01 Jul 2012
WebsiteVisit

Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 138287.

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.50.4, better than England, better than Hampshire45.846.2
Grade 4 or above in English and mathsGrade 4 is a standard pass.69.6%, better than England, better than Hampshire65%64.8%
Grade 5 or above in English and mathsGrade 5 is a strong pass.53.3%, better than England, better than Hampshire44.8%46.3%
Grade 7 or above in English and mathsGrade 7 is roughly an old A grade.17.6%, better than England, better than Hampshire12%14.2%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4, including English and maths65.2%, better than England, better than Hampshire60.4%60.2%
Pupils at the end of key stage 4227--

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 pupils1,160
Girls548
Boys612
Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals.18.1%
First language not English15.3%
School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery.1,206
Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken.3.8%
SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school.181
EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs.39
Average class size23.2

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
62.7%
Other White
10.8%
African
5%
Indian
4.2%
Other Asian
3.9%
Other mixed
3.2%
White and Asian
2.4%
White and Black Caribbean
2.3%
Chinese
1.5%
Other ethnic group
1.1%

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 teacher16.8
Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants.12.1
Teachers (FTE)69.05
Teaching assistants (FTE)10.94
Support staff (FTE)46.32
Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/2564.8
Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/2558.1
Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/252
Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/254.7

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.211
Applications (Year 7)Includes every preference parents listed.497
First preference applications (Year 7)Families who put this school as their first choice.187
First preference offers (Year 7)First-choice applicants who were offered a place.160
Applications from another local authority (Year 7)0

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 absence7.4%, better than England, better than Hampshire8.2%8%
Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions.18.4%, better than England, better than Hampshire20.9%21.6%
Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions.3.4%, similar to England, better than 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 rate23.6%
Pupils with one or more suspensions9%
Permanent exclusion rate0.2%
Permanent exclusions3

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.93.1%
Staying in educationSixth form, college or further education.86.7%
Sixth form college56.9%
Further education28.9%
Not sustainedDid not stay in education, an apprenticeship or work for two terms.6.4%
Apprenticeship5.5%
School sixth form0.9%
Employment0.9%

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 The Costello School
DistancePhaseNameTypeRatingLinks
0.4 miPrimaryRucstall Primary SchoolCommunity school
Outstanding
0.4 miPrimaryFairfields Primary SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.5 mi16 plusQueen Mary's CollegeAcademy 16-19 converter
Unrated
0.8 miPrimarySt John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolVoluntary aided school
Outstanding
0.9 miPrimarySouth View Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good
0.9 miSecondaryThe Vyne Community SchoolCommunity school
Requires improvement
1.0 miPrimarySouth View Infant and Nursery SchoolCommunity school
Good
1.0 miSecondaryCranbourneCommunity school
Good
1.0 miPrimaryKings Furlong Infant School and NurseryAcademy sponsor led
Requires improvement
1.0 miPrimaryKings Furlong Junior SchoolCommunity school
Good

Frequently asked questions about The Costello School

What is The Costello School's Ofsted rating?

The Costello School is rated Good, last inspected on 10 Feb 2026. Recent Ofsted inspections have no single overall grade, so Area360 summarises the inspection grades.

How does The Costello School rank in England?

The Costello School ranks 933 of 3,312 schools in England for GCSE 2025/26 (better than 71% of schools).

What are The Costello School's GCSE results?

In 2025/26, 53.3% of pupils at The Costello School got grade 5 or above in English and maths (England 46.3%). The Attainment 8 score was 50.4 (England 46.2).

How hard is it to get into The Costello School?

For Year 7 entry in 2026/27, The Costello School made 211 offers from 497 applications (2.4 per offer), and 160 of 187 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.

How many pupils attend The Costello School?

The Costello School has 1,160 pupils aged 11 to 16.

What is the capacity of The Costello School?

The Costello School had 1,206 school places in 2024/25.

Does The Costello School have a sixth form?

No, The Costello School teaches pupils up to age 16.

How big are classes at The Costello School?

At The Costello School, the average class had 23.2 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 16.8 pupils per teacher.

What is attendance like at The Costello School?

In 2025/26, pupils at The Costello School missed 7.4% of sessions (England 8%), and 18.4% 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.