Eling Infant School and Nursery

Eling Infant School and Nursery is a highly inclusive school where pupils thrive and achieve exceptionally well. Staff know pupils very well, build a strong sense of belonging, and guide them to work independently and sustain focus. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary, they feel safe and happy, and they take on meaningful responsibilities such as sports and library leaders. The school provides an excellent quality of education, with reading at the heart of the curriculum and strong support for language, writing and mathematics. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported precisely to access the curriculum successfully. Subject leaders are highly knowledgeable, staff check understanding routinely, and gaps in pupils’ knowledge close quickly. Attendance is good, including for disadvantaged pupils, and the personal development programme is exceptional, with a wide range of clubs and experiences that help pupils develop ambitions. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its previous inspection was good. The school is now outstanding across all key judgements and early years provision, safeguarding arrangements are effective, and no significant weaknesses were identified.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive school where all pupils thrive and achieve exceptionally well
• Very high expectations are consistently met by pupils
• Staff know pupils very well and create a deep sense of belonging
• Pupils work independently and focus on learning for sustained periods
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary from the early years onwards
• Skilled staff help pupils manage their own feelings and behaviour
• Pupils feel safe and very happy at school
• Pupils embrace roles of responsibility such as sports and library leaders
• Every child can represent the school in a sporting event before leaving Year 2
• Reading is at the heart of the curriculum and pupils become fluent, enthusiastic readers
• Highly effective daily support helps pupils at risk of falling behind in reading
• Staff use reading knowledge well to improve the quality of pupils’ writing
• Precise feedback helps pupils improve their spoken and written communication
• Subject leaders are highly knowledgeable and curriculum content is well structured
• Pupils with SEND are identified swiftly and supported precisely to access the curriculum
• Staff routinely check understanding and address misunderstandings so gaps close quickly
• Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and high levels of motivation
• The personal development programme is exceptional and helps pupils flourish
• Pupils make meaningful contributions to the school and wider community
• An impressive range of clubs and experiences, including ‘try it Tuesdays’, inspires pupils
• Attendance is good, including for disadvantaged pupils
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Eling Infant School and Nursery attended 95.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.5% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Eling Infant School and Nursery were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Eling Infant School and Nursery had 21.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.9% of pupils at Eling Infant School and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Eling Infant School and Nursery received £8,316 and spent £8,230 for each of its 137 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £420,000 (£3,063 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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• Secondary Schools

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What is Eling Infant School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Eling Infant School and Nursery is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Eling Infant School and Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Eling Infant School and Nursery was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Eling Infant School and Nursery have?

Eling Infant School and Nursery has 160 pupils on roll.

What age range does Eling Infant School and Nursery cover?

Eling Infant School and Nursery for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Eling Infant School and Nursery?

Eling Infant School and Nursery is at School Road, Totton, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 9HX.