Situated in a pleasant residential corner of Winchester, The Westgate School is an 11-16 co-educational comprehensive school with 905 on roll. It lies within easy walking distance of the historic centre of Winchester, the shopping centre and the railway station and enjoys a superbly re-landscaped campus.
The school has an extremely positive reputation in the area and a significant proportion of pupils opt in from outside the school's catchment area. The reasons given most frequently for this by parents are the level of public examination results, which are immensely above Hampshire and national figures with ten or even more GCSE entries available to the most academic, the very high quality of school music and the caring atmosphere sensed by many who visit. A broad curriculum includes three modern languages (French, German and Spanish), Latin and extensive use across the curriculum of the 130 computers on site.
A flourishing PSA operates, as does a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Strong links exist with primary feeder schools as well as local 16+ establishments (boarding facilities also exist at the sixth form college nearby). Each year the school receives news of many former pupils who go on to take university and other degree courses (1996 'A' level pass rate - 90%).
Rotherly House, which also offers 6th-form boarding, is a highly attractive boarding facility for 46 girls. Set in 2 acres of undulating gardens, it offers wide-ranging educational and leisure facilities including computers, musical and games facilities and a house library. Ofsted inspectors found 'good quality of care ... a close family atmosphere and ... good value for money'.
They also commented:
'The Westgate School provides an education of very good quality for its pupils ... placing the school in the top 10% of maintained secondary schools ... teaching quality is good and expectations high. ... relationships are good and pupils are well supported by their teachers ... the school is managed efficiently and gives good value for money ... the school has clear values, expressed in its aims and supported by its community. The school is an orderly environment marked by the consideration staff and pupils show one another ... the level of challenge is high'.
