Bitterne Park SchoolCantell School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Southampton.
Summary of the comparison
Bitterne Park School and Cantell School are secondary schools in Southampton.
Bitterne Park School scores 53 out of 100 (grade D, below average) and Cantell School scores 67 out of 100 (grade C, average). Cantell School is ahead on our composite score.
Bitterne Park School was judged Good and Cantell School was judged Outstanding.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 40.6 for Bitterne Park School and 43.1 for Cantell School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has fallen at Bitterne Park School (50.2 in 2021-22, 40.6 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Cantell School (47.3 in 2021-22, 43.1 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | SouthamptonBitterne Park School | SouthamptonCantell School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | D53/100 | C67/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 6th of 12 in Southampton | 3rd of 12 in Southampton Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | |
| School type | Foundation school | Foundation school | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 2,036 | 1,313 | |
| Capacity | 2,000 | 1,250 | |
| Location | Southampton, SO18 1BU | Southampton, SO16 3GJ | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 40.6 | 43.1 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 32.9% | 37.8% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 54.0% | 57.5% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 365 | 254 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 37 | Not reported | |
| A-level average points | 25.3 | Not reported | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C- | Not reported | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 22.1 | Not reported | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 5.3% | Not reported | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 2,015 | 1,288 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 30.5% | 43.5% | |
| English as an additional language | 18.1% | 41.7% | |
| SEN support | 17.3% | 18.0% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 6.4% | 4.0% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 10.6% | 7.6% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 26.8% | 18.7% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Bitterne Park School
Cantell School
Full profiles: Bitterne Park School · Cantell School