Mount Pleasant Infants

Mount Pleasant Infants is performing exceptionally well across all areas. Inspectors found a highly ambitious, inclusive and happy school where pupils are safe, behave exceptionally well and achieve highly, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The curriculum is carefully sequenced, reading is central, and a wide range of trips and experiences enriches learning. Children in the pre-school get an excellent start and are very well prepared for key stage 1. Personal development and inclusion are particularly strong: pupils learn respect and tolerance, celebrate diversity, and are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Leadership has changed since the previous inspection, when the school was found to require improvement. The new team has made swift improvements to curriculum and inclusion while protecting staff workload and wellbeing; staff feel well supported and governors know the school well. Safeguarding is effective. The main remaining concern is attendance: some pupils do not attend as well as they could, although leaders are taking decisive action and working with families to improve this. Overall, the school is exceptionally well placed and pupils leave very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Strengths

• Exceptionally ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum across subjects
• Strong focus on building and revisiting key knowledge
• Pupils develop extensive vocabulary and discuss ideas confidently
• Teachers check learning carefully and give effective practice time
• All pupils, including those with SEND, achieve highly
• Reading is central and pupils develop a strong love of reading
• Excellent early years provision that nurtures curiosity and prepares children well
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and respectful relationships
• Exceptional personal development and preparation for life in modern Britain
• Highly inclusive culture that celebrates diversity
• Strong leadership with swift improvements and high staff wellbeing
• Effective governance and safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils' attendance is not as good as it could be.

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 Mount Pleasant Infants attended 91.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 32.9% 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 Mount Pleasant Infants 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 Mount Pleasant Infants had 24.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 36.2% 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, 10.5% of pupils at Mount Pleasant Infants were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.2% 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 Mount Pleasant Infants received £6,379 and spent £6,399 for each of its 315 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £37,000 (£118 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 · Southampton local authority: places and applications

Mount Pleasant Infants is part of Aspire Community Trust, which runs 8 schools. The nearest others:

• Mount Pleasant Juniors Southampton
• Bevois Town Primary School Southampton
• Swaythling Primary School Southampton
• Bassett Green Primary School Southampton
• Cantell School Southampton
• Vermont School Southampton
• Mansbridge Primary School Southampton

What is Mount Pleasant Infants's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Mount Pleasant Infants is Outstanding, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Mount Pleasant Infants last inspected by Ofsted?

Mount Pleasant Infants was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Mount Pleasant Infants have?

Mount Pleasant Infants has 315 pupils on roll.

What age range does Mount Pleasant Infants cover?

Mount Pleasant Infants for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Mount Pleasant Infants?

Mount Pleasant Infants is at Derby Road, Southampton, Hampshire, SO14 0DY.