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Cowes Enterprise College, An Ormiston Academy[1]

Secondary · ages 11–19

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Headline results

Attainment 8
A8 42 42.5 2025/26[2]
A-level average grade
AL C+ C+ 2024/25[3]

Results

GCSE (key stage 4)

Attainment 8
42.5 2025/26[2]
Grade 5+ in English & maths
44.4% 2025/26[2]
Grade 7+ in English & maths
10.1% 2025/26[2]
Progress 8
-0.07 2023/24[4]
Progress 8, 2025/26
Not calculated[5]
Progress 8, 2024/25
Not calculated[5]
Earlier years
Year Attainment 8 Grade 5+ in English & maths Grade 7+ in English & maths Progress 8
2024/25 42.7[6] 38.5%[6]
2023/24 46.8[4] 52.2%[4] -0.07[4]
2022/23 44.7[7] 51%[7] -0.15[7]
2021/22 49.5[8] 58%[8] -0.09[8]

A level (16–18)

A-level average grade
C+ 2024/25[3]
AAB or better, at least two in facilitating subjects
11.7% 2024/25[3]
All results, 2020/21
Not published (exams cancelled, COVID-19)[9]
All results, 2019/20
Not published (exams cancelled, COVID-19)[9]
Earlier years
Year A-level average grade AAB or better, at least two in facilitating subjects
2023/24 C+[10] 18%[10]
2022/23 B-[11] 7.3%[11]
2021/22 B[12] 28.9%[12]
2018/19 C[13] 27%[13]

Destinations after GCSEs

Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment
95% 2022/23[14]
School sixth form
36% 2022/23[14]
Sixth-form college
1% 2022/23[14]
Further education college
53% 2022/23[14]
Apprenticeship
3% 2022/23[14]
Employment
2% 2022/23[14]
Earlier leavers
Left in Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment School sixth form Sixth-form college Further education college Apprenticeship Employment
2021/22 95%[15] 41%[15] 1%[15] 48%[15] 2%[15] 3%[15]
2020/21 96%[16] 39%[16] 2%[16] 49%[16] 2%[16] 3%[16]
2019/20 97%[17] 40%[17] 1%[17] 54%[17] 1%[17] 1%[17]
2018/19 98%[18] 48%[18] 3%[18] 38%[18] 6%[18] 3%[18]

Destinations after 16–18 study

Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment
85% 2022/23[19]
Education
44% 2022/23[19]
Apprenticeship
5% 2022/23[19]
Employment
37% 2022/23[19]
Earlier leavers
Left in Sustained education, apprenticeship or employment Education Apprenticeship Employment
2021/22 80%[20] 51%[20] 3%[20] 27%[20]
2020/21 86%[21] 67%[21] 4%[21] 14%[21]
2019/20 90%[22] 62%[22] 3%[22] 25%[22]
2018/19 90%[23] 54%[23] 13%[23] 24%[23]

Higher education after 16–18 study

Progressed to higher education
59% 2021/22[24]
Top third of most selective universities
25% 2021/22[24]
Russell Group universities
19% 2019/20[25]
Oxford or Cambridge
1% 2019/20[25]
Earlier leavers
Left in Progressed to higher education Top third of most selective universities Russell Group universities Oxford or Cambridge
2020/21 71%[26] 26%[26]
2019/20 80%[25] 22%[25] 19%[25] 1%[25]
2018/19 56%[27] 22%[27] 17%[27] 5%[27]
2017/18 69%[28] 13%[28] 11%[28] 1%[28]

Shares of the pupils who left in the year shown. Russell Group and Oxford or Cambridge figures were published for leavers up to 2019/20 only.

Ofsted

Latest inspection
7 Mar 2023[29]
Type
Section 8 inspection of good and outstanding schools[29]
Report published
16 May 2023[29]
Safeguarding is effective
Yes[29]
Outcomes for ungraded and monitoring inspections
School remains Good[29]
Earlier inspections
InspectionTypeOverall
26 Sep 2017[30] Academy First Section 5[30] Good[30]

Competition to get in

Applications and offers, Year 7

Applications per place
1.3 Entry Sept 2026[31]
Applications (any preference)
265 Entry Sept 2026[31]
First preferences
175 Entry Sept 2026[31]
Places offered
202 Entry Sept 2026[31]
First preferences per place
0.9 Entry Sept 2026[31]
Earlier years
Entry Applications First preferences Places offered Per place First preferences per place
Entry Sept 2025 278[31] 197[31] 205[31] 1.4[31] 1.0[31]
Entry Sept 2024 283[31] 202[31] 199[31] 1.4[31] 1.0[31]
Entry Sept 2023 334[31] 236[31] 233[31] 1.4[31] 1.0[31]
Entry Sept 2022 304[31] 203[31] 202[31] 1.5[31] 1.0[31]

Admissions

Application deadline
31 Oct 2026 Entry Sept 2027[32]

Character & practicalities

Type
Academy sponsor led[1]
Ages
11–19[1]
Boys / girls
Mixed[1]
Sixth form
Yes[1]
Boarding
No boarders[1]
Capacity
1585[1]
Trust
ORMISTON ACADEMIES TRUST[1]
Local authority
Isle of Wight[1]
Website
http://www.cowesec.org[1]
District
Isle of Wight[33]
Postcode
PO31 8HB[1]
URN
140845[1]

School details as recorded in Get Information About Schools on 14 Oct 2026.

Pupils

Number on roll
1192 2024/25[34]
English as an additional language
5.8% 2024/25[34]
SEN support
17.5% 2024/25[34]
EHC plan
3.4% 2024/25[34]
Free school meals in the last 6 years
22.6% 2024/25[34]

Pupils' ethnicity 2025/26

White
90.3%[35]
Mixed
3.5%[35]
Asian
2.9%[35]
Black
1.6%[35]
Any other ethnic group
0.7%[35]
Unclassified
1.1%[35]

The school census's major ethnic groups as shares of the school's pupils, summed by us from the published counts. For information only: never used to rank, filter or colour schools.

Sources

  1. Department for Education: Get Information About Schools: all establishments. Period 2026-10-14, published 2026-10-14. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  2. Department for Education: Performance tables schools data (explore education statistics). Period 2025/26, provisional, published 2026-10-15. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  3. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  4. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2023/24, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  5. Department for Education: Key stage 4 performance 2024/25: data guidance. Period 2024/25. Archived copy; original. Licence: OGL-3.0.
    Quote
    It is not possible to calculate Progress 8 for academic years 2024/25 and 2025/26 due to gaps in the baseline caused by COVID-19 disruption.
  6. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  7. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  8. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 final. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  9. Department for Education: A level and other 16 to 18 results 2020/21. Period 2020/21. Archived copy; original. Licence: OGL-3.0.
    Quote
    Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021, and alternative processes were set up to award grades.
  10. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2023/24, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  11. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  12. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  13. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS5 (16-18) final. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  14. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  15. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  16. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2020/21, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  17. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2019/20, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  18. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: KS4 destinations. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  19. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2022/23, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  20. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  21. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2020/21, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  22. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2019/20, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  23. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 destinations. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  24. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2021/22, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  25. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2019/20, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  26. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2020/21, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  27. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2018/19, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  28. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: 16-18 progression to higher education. Period 2017/18, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  29. Ofsted: State-funded schools inspections and outcomes. Period 2022/23. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  30. Ofsted: State-funded schools inspections and outcomes. Period 2017/18. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  31. Department for Education: Primary and secondary school applications and offers: school level. Period Entry Sept 2026, final, published 2026-06-29. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  32. cowesec.org: cowesec.org — Admissions policy 2027-2028 (PDF). Period 2026-10-16. Licence: copyright-quoted.
    Quote
    To apply you need to complete the local authority's (LA) common application form (CAF)1 and submit this directly to the LA by the deadline, 31st October 2026. (p. 8)
  33. Office for National Statistics: Parish to Ward to Local Authority District (May 2026) Lookup in EW. Period 2026-05-01. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  34. Department for Education: Compare School Performance download: School census. Period 2024/25, final. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.
  35. Department for Education: Schools, pupils and their characteristics: school level underlying data. Period 2025/26, published 2026-06-04. Publication page. Data file. Licence: OGL-3.0.