The Island Free SchoolCowes Enterprise College
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side.
Summary of the comparison
The Island Free School and Cowes Enterprise College are secondary schools.
The Island Free School scores 65 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Cowes Enterprise College scores 56 out of 100 (grade C, average). The Island Free School is ahead on our composite score.
The Island Free School was judged Good and Cowes Enterprise College was judged Good.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 51.0 for The Island Free School and 42.7 for Cowes Enterprise College.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at The Island Free School (48.5 in 2021-22, 51.0 in 2024-25) and has fallen at Cowes Enterprise College (49.5 in 2021-22, 42.7 in 2024-25).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | VentnorThe Island Free School | CowesCowes Enterprise College | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C65/100Stronger figure | C56/100 | |
| Local ranking | 1st of 7 in Isle of Wight Stronger figure | 2nd of 7 in Isle of Wight | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: Good | |
| School type | Free schools | Academy sponsor led | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-16 | 11-19 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Mixed | |
| Pupils on roll | 619 | 1,192 | |
| Capacity | 625 | 1,585 | |
| Location | Ventnor, PO38 1BG | Cowes, PO31 8HB | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 51.0 Stronger figure | 42.7 | 46.0 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 56.2% Stronger figure | 38.5% | 45.4% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 72.7% Stronger figure | 69.8% | 64.8% |
| Entering EBacc | 93.4% Stronger figure | 86.5% | 40.5% |
| EBacc average point score | 4.78 Stronger figure | 3.96 | 4.09 |
| Cohort | 121 | 192 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | Not reported | 60 | |
| A-level average points | Not reported | 33.6 | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | Not reported | C+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | Not reported | 32.8 | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | Not reported | 11.7% | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 619 | 1,192 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 20.4% | 22.6% | |
| English as an additional language | 1.9% | 5.8% | |
| SEN support | 12.4% | 17.5% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 4.8% | 3.4% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 6.9% Stronger figure | 10.9% | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 18.2% Stronger figure | 32.4% | 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.
The Island Free School
Cowes Enterprise College
Full profiles: The Island Free School · Cowes Enterprise College