Horndean Infant School

Horndean Infant School has made a positive transition since its last inspection, maintaining a good overall effectiveness rating across several domains, including an outstanding early years provision. The school has placed a strong emphasis on providing a broad curriculum and fostering personal development, demonstrating thoughtful strategies to ensure that pupils are well-supported in their learning and personal growth. The recent inspection, occurring after a delay of 11 years, reflects the school's current practices and the impacts of the pandemic on pupil learning, especially in reading.

Strengths

• Strong personal and academic development support for pupils.
• Outstanding early years provision with a rich range of opportunities.
• Pupils feel safe and supported, enjoying positive relationships with teachers.
• Effective behaviour management, leading to a calm and orderly environment.
• High parental satisfaction, with parents praising the school's supportive atmosphere.
• Ambitious curriculum with strong involvement from knowledgeable subject leaders.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent support for struggling readers in Years 1 and 2.
• Resources for reading support are not precisely matched to pupil needs.
• Limited extra-curricular opportunities for pupils with SEND.
• Mixed engagement in extra-curricular activities among some pupil groups.

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 Horndean Infant School attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.2% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Horndean Infant School 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 Horndean Infant School had 23.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.9% 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, 14.7% of pupils at Horndean Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.9% 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 Horndean Infant School received £6,842 and spent £7,039 for each of its 266 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £250,000 (£939 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Waterlooville · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Horndean Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Horndean Infant School is Good, from an inspection in September 2022.

When was Horndean Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Horndean Infant School was last inspected in September 2022.

How many pupils does Horndean Infant School have?

Horndean Infant School has 266 pupils on roll.

What age range does Horndean Infant School cover?

Horndean Infant School for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Horndean Infant School?

Horndean Infant School is at Merchistoun Road, Horndean, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 9LS.