Freegrounds Junior School

Freegrounds Junior School is recognized as a good school that prioritizes the well-being and learning of its pupils. The caring and inclusive environment allows students to thrive academically and personally, as evidenced by their enthusiasm for learning, respectful behavior, and the pride they take in school activities. The curriculum is designed to be broad and engaging, with a strong emphasis on reading and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, some recent changes in curriculum planning are still in the process of being fully integrated, and their effectiveness is yet to be evaluated thoroughly.

Strengths

• Pupils love to learn and enjoy coming to school.
• The school promotes high aspirations for all pupils.
• Strong support system for pupils with SEND.
• Reading is prioritized and pupils are catching up with their fluency.
• Pupils feel safe and valued within the school community.
• Personal development and well-being are central to the school's ethos.

Areas for Improvement

• Recent curriculum changes have not yet shown full impact on pupils' learning.

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 Freegrounds Junior School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.4% 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, 2.4% of pupils at Freegrounds Junior 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 Freegrounds Junior School had 21.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.8% 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, 18.9% of pupils at Freegrounds Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.0% 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 Freegrounds Junior School received £6,968 and spent £6,615 for each of its 301 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £409,000 (£1,358 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 Southampton · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Freegrounds Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Freegrounds Junior School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Freegrounds Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Freegrounds Junior School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Freegrounds Junior School have?

Freegrounds Junior School has 301 pupils on roll.

What age range does Freegrounds Junior School cover?

Freegrounds Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Freegrounds Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Freegrounds Junior School?

Freegrounds Junior School is at Hobb Lane, Hedge End, Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 0GG.