Cantell SchoolUpper Shirley High School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Southampton.
Summary of the comparison
Cantell School and Upper Shirley High School are secondary schools in Southampton.
Cantell School scores 67 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Upper Shirley High School scores 58 out of 100 (grade C, average). Cantell School is ahead on our composite score.
Cantell School was judged Outstanding and Upper Shirley High School was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 46.9 for Cantell School and 47.0 for Upper Shirley High School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has held broadly level at Cantell School (47.3 in 2021-22, 46.9 in 2024-25) and has fallen at Upper Shirley High School (52.5 in 2021-22, 47.0 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | SouthamptonCantell School | SouthamptonUpper Shirley High School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C67/100Stronger figure | C58/100 | |
| Local ranking | 3rd of 12 in Southampton Stronger figure | 5th of 12 in Southampton | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Foundation school | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-16 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,288 | 1,081 | |
| Capacity | 1,250 | 990 | |
| Location | Southampton, SO16 3GJ | Southampton, SO15 7QU | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 46.9 | 47.0 Stronger figure | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 49.2% | 49.3% Stronger figure | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 64.5% | 68.2% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 36.3% Stronger figure | 29.5% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.16 Stronger figure | 4.09 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 248 | 217 | |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,288 | 1,081 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 43.5% | 29.8% | |
| English as an additional language | 41.7% | 33.8% | |
| SEN support | 18.0% | 10.4% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.0% | 2.9% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 7.6% Stronger figure | 8.3% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 18.7% Stronger figure | 20.5% | 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.
Cantell School
Upper Shirley High School
Full profiles: Cantell School · Upper Shirley High School