Mengham Infant School

Mengham Infant School is a small, welcoming infant school where pupils feel safe, cared for and part of a positive community. Inspectors found the strongest provision in the early years and inclusion. Children settle quickly, benefit from warm relationships and precise phonics teaching, and make rapid gains in early writing. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils are identified early and supported effectively, and pastoral care is a notable strength. Pupils behave well, bullying is extremely rare, and most attend regularly. Most other areas of the school are secure and meet expected standards. Pupils generally achieve in line with national averages, learn to read well and are usually prepared for the next stage of their education. However, provision is not yet consistently strong in every area. The main concerns are that spelling, punctuation and grammar are not consistently embedded across the curriculum, attendance is not yet consistently high and persistent absence was above the national average in 2024/25, and participation in extra-curricular activities is not consistently high for all pupil groups. Leadership is clear and improvement-focused, staff are well supported, and governance provides appropriate support and challenge. Even so, some improvement work is not yet fully embedded, and governors are not yet consistently able to articulate their strategic role to stakeholders or establish community engagement as effectively as intended. Safeguarding standards are met. Overall, this is a caring school with strong early years and inclusion practice and a clear platform for further improvement.

Strengths

• Strong early years provision with accurate assessment and precise responses to children's needs
• Warm, trusting relationships help children settle quickly and feel safe
• Effective parent engagement, including 'Lunch and Learn', supports children's learning
• Phonics and early reading are taught with precision, with effective additional practice
• Children make rapid gains in writing from their starting points
• High-quality interactions are a consistent strength in the early years
• Highly effective early identification and support for pupils with SEND
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND access the curriculum successfully
• Strong pastoral care and bespoke wellbeing programmes
• Pupils behave well and classrooms are calm and purposeful
• Bullying is extremely rare and addressed quickly when it occurs
• Pupils feel safe, know how to stay safe online, and share worries with trusted adults
• Pupils take pride in leadership roles and contribute positively to school life
• A broad extra-curricular and enrichment offer broadens pupils' experiences
• Staff benefit from comprehensive professional development aligned to school priorities
• Governance supports and challenges leaders effectively, including on safeguarding
• Attendance strategies are having a positive impact for many pupils
• Pupils are generally well prepared for the next stage of their education

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar is not consistently embedded across the curriculum
• Some pupils do not secure spelling and punctuation knowledge before moving on, limiting accuracy in writing
• Persistent absence was above the national average in 2024/25
• Attendance is not yet consistently high, particularly for pupils facing barriers
• Participation in extra-curricular activities is not consistently high across all pupil groups
• Some disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND do not benefit fully from enrichment opportunities
• Impact of some school improvement work is not yet fully embedded
• Governors are not yet consistently able to articulate their strategic role clearly to stakeholders
• Community engagement is not yet as effective or well established
• Some aspects of the personal development curriculum are less securely embedded than others
• Pupils' understanding of fundamental British values is not yet consistently secure across all aspects
• In a very small number of occasions, staff move on before pupils' spelling and punctuation are fully secure

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 Mengham Infant School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.5% 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 Mengham 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 Mengham Infant School had 19.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 6.2% 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, 9.1% of pupils at Mengham Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 Mengham Infant School received £8,540 and spent £8,341 for each of its 154 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £149,000 (£969 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 Havant · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Mengham Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Mengham Infant School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Mengham Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Mengham Infant School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Mengham Infant School have?

Mengham Infant School has 154 pupils on roll.

What age range does Mengham Infant School cover?

Mengham Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Mengham Infant School?

Mengham Infant School is at St Mary's Road, Hayling Island, Hampshire, PO11 9DD.