Noadswood School serves Dibden Purlieu and Hythe on the SouthamptonWaterside. In 2006 the school became a specialist Sports College and this led to the development of sports facilities and opportunities for all students. This included the recruitment of further PE teachers. The school has an on-site gymnasium, sports hall, all-weather pitch and playing courts. In 2010, 81% of Noadswood's Year 11 students attained at least five GCSEs at A*-C grade. 67% attained at least five A*-C grades including English and Maths. These results place the school in the top 25% nationally. Noadswood has a non-selective exam entry policy. Ofsted graded Noadswood School as "good with outstanding features".The school's provision of care, guidance and support was rated as being 'excellent'. In 2013, the school was graded as "good with outstanding features". In 2008, the school replaced the traditional Year Head role with Progress Managers and specialist, non-teaching Guidance Managers. This provides a very personal approach to learning with students benefiting from close support with their academic progress and personal development. In June 2009, the school switched to a system of vertical tutoring, and a new curriculum was introduced in September 2009. Noadswood School is one of 15 schools in England, to be selected as a partner school in the Innovation Unit/Paul Hamlyn Foundation Learning Futures programme. The school's Science Department is at the centre of the school's involvement in the Films for Learning initiative. Under the new system of vertical tutoring each child is placed in one of four houses - Anderwood, Knightwood, Deerleap or Wilverley - and assigned to a tutor group of between 20 and 25 students. Each student Year 8 or above is placed in a vertical tutor group that contains several students from each year group. Year 7 pupils are split into two tutor groups per house for the majority of their first year, and are later eased in to the vertical tutoring system. Noadswood School has a Learning Support Department for students with Special Educational Needs. The school is one of four in Hampshire equipped to support the learning of physically disabled children and there are on-site physiotherapy and occupational therapy facilities. In addition to the Learning Support Department, Noadswood has a Pupil Support Centre staffed by the team of Guidance Managers. Several residential trips are organized at the school, including excursions to Bude, Cologne, Paris and to Ypres & the Somme. The school sponsors children in Zimbabwe and a secondary school in the Limpopo. The school has run trips to Sefoloko High School in South Africa every other year since 2009. The pupils that are selected for the trip fundraise the money themselves. The next trip date has yetto be confirmed.
