School Chooser

Bassaleg School

Secondary · ages 11-19Council1,871 pupilsSixth formNewport
School Chooser Score
85
Well above
similar schools
Likely range 78 to 90, so it could be “above”
Out of 100. Better than 74% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
Best nine GCSE grades score404Wales 366
Attendance92.4%Wales 89.6%
Pupils from low-income families7%Wales 20%
Pupils with additional learning needs3%Wales 11%
Pupils on roll1,871
NeighbourhoodAmong the wealthiest areasWelsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2025

Bassaleg School is a council school in Newport for pupils aged 11 to 19. It has 1,871 pupils. We give it 85 out of 100. That puts it well above schools like it, ahead of 74% of the 50 schools most like it. Teaching is in English.

Forge Lane, Bassaleg, Newport, NP10 8NF01633 892191All details

Inspection

Schools in Wales are inspected by Estyn, not Ofsted. Since September 2022 Estyn's reports describe what a school does well and what it needs to work on, without giving a grade.

Estyn's latest report, and any follow-up visits, are on Estyn's website. The only schools given a formal label are those in special measures or needing significant improvement.

Results

GCSE results, summer 2025

Wales scores GCSEs in points rather than counting passes. Here is how the school compares with all secondaries in Wales.

Best nine GCSE grades score404
Wales 366
Official name: Capped 9 points score (interim)
English or Welsh score45.9
Wales 39.9
Official name: Literacy points score
Maths score43.9
Wales 36.9
Official name: Numeracy points score
Science score42.7
Wales 37.0
Official name: Science points score
Trend
Best nine GCSE grades score
2023 to 2025
2023: 40240220232024: 39239220242025: 4044042025
Since 2023: +2Steady overall
All GCSE measures, year by year
Measure202520242023NewportWales
Best nine GCSE grades scoreCapped 9 points score (interim)404392402363366
English or Welsh scoreLiteracy points score45.945.846.139.639.9
Maths scoreNumeracy points score43.942.145.636.436.9
Science scoreScience points score42.742.244.236.437.0
Welsh Baccalaureate scoreSkills Challenge Certificate points score0.00.00.022.231.6
Best nine GCSE score: low-income pupilsCapped 9, eligible for free school meals253301300298308

Interim measures published by the Welsh Government; no measures were published for 2020 to 2022.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At GCSE, 2025

Best nine GCSE grades scoreLow-income pupils vs all pupils
253.4404.2
Gap 150.8England 57.9
Literacy pointsLow-income pupils vs all pupils
29.745.9
Gap 16.2
Numeracy pointsLow-income pupils vs all pupils
26.643.9
Gap 17.3
Science pointsLow-income pupils vs all pupils
22.842.7
Gap 19.9
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child gets free school meals. The Welsh figures are averaged over three years, and the grey marks show Wales rather than England.

Getting a place

There is no entrance test. The council hands out the places. Brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups go first; after that, the closer you live, the better your chances.

Teaching is in English.

You apply through Newport council, not the school.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll1,871
Pupils from low-income families7%Three-year average; Wales 20%
Pupils getting extra support3%Additional learning needs; Wales 11%
Pupils learning English1%First language is not English or Welsh
Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils16%
LanguageEnglish mediumEnglish medium school / provision
NeighbourhoodAmong the wealthiest areasIf Wales's neighbourhoods were split into ten groups from poorest to wealthiest, this one is in group 9 (Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation 2025)
How the mix of pupils has changed
Year202520242023202220212020
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals6.5%6.9%7.4%7.5%6.9%6.2%
Pupils getting extra supportAdditional learning needs (ALN)3.4%7.4%10.4%7.7%6.7%4.5%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language1.4%2.7%2.9%2.9%3.7%3.8%
Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupilsBAME pupils15.8%13.8%12.5%12.0%11.9%11.8%

Attendance

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.4% of the time. Across secondary schools in Wales it was 89.6%. Wales doesn't publish figures on pupils who miss a lot of school, or on exclusions, for individual schools.

Attendance92.4%
Wales 89.6%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Trend
Attendance
2019 to 2025
2019: 95.2%95.2%20192023: 91.4%91.4%20232024: 91.5%91.5%20242025: 92.4%92.4%2025
Since 2019: -2.8%Steady overall

Staff and budget

From the Welsh Government's My Local School, 2025/26.

Budget per pupil£5,8442025/26, Wales £5,956
Trend
Budget per pupil (£)
2020 to 2026
2020: 4,2334,23320202021: 3,8583,85820212022: 3,8573,85720222023: 3,7703,77020232024: 4,3474,34720242025: 5,5135,51320252026: 5,8445,8442026
Since 2020: +1,611Steady overall

The budget is the money the council gave the school to spend per pupil in 2025/26, £112 less than the Welsh average for secondary schools. Small and rural schools tend to get more per pupil.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m10012 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate56 per 1,000 people38% lower than the England average
Typical house price£235,000Newport
Nearest bus stop90 mBassaleg School, 11 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Joseph's R.C.High SchoolRoman Catholic1.2 miles1,457Estyn, no grade86Compare
Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is CoedCouncil1.8 miles537Estyn, no grade72Compare
The John Frost SchoolCouncil1.9 miles1,405Estyn, no grade43Compare
Risca Community Comprehensive SchoolCouncil2.3 miles618Estyn, no grade61Compare
Newport High SchoolCouncil2.4 miles1,097Estyn, no grade10Compare
St Julian's SchoolCouncil3.5 miles1,426Estyn, no grade23Compare
Lliswerry High SchoolCouncil4.0 miles1,079Estyn, no grade1Compare
Caerleon Comprehensive SchoolCouncil4.5 miles1,471Estyn, no grade73Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Bassaleg School with the 50 schools in Wales whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats74%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 85 is 21 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 7 · middle 64 · highest 100100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Bassaleg School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Corpus Christi Catholic High SchoolRoman Catholic5.7 miles1,132Estyn, no grade95Compare
Cardiff High SchoolCouncil6.8 miles1,794Estyn, no grade99Compare
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg GlantafCouncil9.3 miles1,498Estyn, no grade93Compare
The Bishop Of Llandaff C.I.W. High SchoolChurch in Wales9.7 miles1,263Estyn, no grade100Compare
Radyr Comprehensive SchoolCouncil9.8 miles1,426Estyn, no grade92Compare
Stanwell SchoolFoundation11.5 miles1,923Estyn, no grade96Compare
Y Pant Comprehensive SchoolCouncil14.9 miles1,461Estyn, no grade94Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 85 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 85% of secondary schools in Wales. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 78 to 90. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years40%well above
+0.48
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 374 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils25%in line
+0.01
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 374 pupils
Attendance and behaviour20%above
+0.20
2024/25; 1,871 pupils
Direction of travel over five years15%in line
-0.02
results and attendance rising year on year

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Bassaleg School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Bassaleg School scores 85 out of 100. That is well above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 74% of the 50 schools most like it in Wales. The score could fairly be anywhere from 78 to 90, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

How many pupils does Bassaleg School have?

1,871 pupils aged 11 to 19.

Does Bassaleg School have a sixth form?

Yes.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Forge Lane, Bassaleg, Newport, NP10 8NF
Telephone
01633 892191
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Secondary school, ages 11-19, with sixth form
Religious character
None
Local authority
Newport
Ward
Graig
Constituency
Newport West and Islwyn
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
401869 · School number 6804030 · UKPRN 10008728
Language
English medium school / provision

Recent changes

  • PhaseCode changed from “Secondary” to “Other”
  • TypeCode changed from “Community school” to “Welsh establishment”
  • Pupil numbers changed from “1871” to “–”
  • Free school meals % changed from “6.5” to “–”
  • ReligiousCharacter changed from “None” to “–”

Where these figures come from