Elson Infant School
Elson Infant School is a community school in Gosport for pupils aged 4 to 7. It has 206 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Elson Infant School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024. Suspensions are common here, with 4.9 in every 100 pupils suspended at least once in 2024/25 (nationally, 1.1).
Ofsted inspection: May 2024.
| Type | Primary / Community school |
| Age Range | 4-7 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Elson Lane Gosport Hampshire PO12 4EU |
| Reference Number | 116163 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 206 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 58.25%
Girls: 41.75% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 16.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 4.9% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 25.8 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 26 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 43 | 29 | 72 |
| 2 | 37 | 35 | 72 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 91.3% |
| White, Other | 2.9% |
| Unclassified | 1.9% |
| Indian | 1.5% |
| White & Asian | 1% |
| Irish | 0.5% |
| Mixed, Other | 0.5% |
Elson Infant School continues to demonstrate strong performance as a good school, maintaining its reputation for inclusivity and high expectations from staff and pupils alike. The warm and welcoming environment fosters enthusiastic learning, with pupils actively engaged in their education and motivated by a wide range of extracurricular activities that enhance their cultural awareness. The curriculum is well-structured and ambition-driven, effectively supporting pupils' learning across various subjects, particularly in reading and mathematics.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 19 Mar 2024 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 19 Mar 2024 | School inspection |
| 19 Jun 2018 | Full inspection: |
| 08 May 2014 | Full inspection: |
| 05 Mar 2014 | Monitoring visit |
| 05 Dec 2013 | Monitoring visit |
| 26 Apr 2013 | Monitoring visit |
| 21 Nov 2012 | Monitoring visit |
| 16 May 2012 | Full inspection: |
| 16 Sep 2008 | Full inspection: |
| 25 Apr 2005 | Full inspection |
Strengths
- Highly inclusive school environment.
- Pupils are enthusiastic about learning.
- Effective phonics teaching from early years.
- Strong focus on reading with well-selected texts.
- High-quality learning resources and activities.
- Staff have high expectations for behaviour.
- Strong support for pupils with SEND.
Areas for Improvement
- Some subjects lack precise identification and sequencing of knowledge.
Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 26 | 1 |
| Third Preference | 20 | 0 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Elson Infant School had 225 pupils for 270 places. 45 places (16.7%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Gosport Central Primary” planning area
Hampshire counted 319 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 259 in 2029–30, down 19%.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 | 270 |
| Pupils | 249 | 259 | 261 | 267 | 264 | 264 | 257 | 265 | 262 | 251 | 232 | 242 | 244 | 232 | 225 |
| Unfilled | 7.8% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 4.8% | 1.9% | 3.0% | 7.0% | 14.1% | 10.4% | 9.6% | 14.1% | 16.7% |
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 Elson Infant School attended 93.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.0% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 3.6% | 3.2% | 4.1% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 4.1% | 2.1% | 6.4% | 4.2% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.6% | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 0.9% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.6% | 0.0% | 1.9% | 1.2% |
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, 4.9% of pupils at Elson Infant School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 0.0 | 8.4 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 8.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 7.5 | 0.8 | 6.1 | 17.3 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Elson Infant School had 19.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 19.8 | 12.5 | 13.1 | 13.4 | 11.8 | 10.9 | 12.2 | 12.5 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 10.7 | 9.6 | 10.0 | 9.2 | 9.9 | 10.4 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 9.8% | 16.1% | 23.7% | 13.1% | 7.9% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 16.5% | 4.7% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 16.8% | 9.6% | 0.0% | 8.5% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | 56.3% | 66.7% | 75.0% | 66.7% | 68.8% | 69.2% | 61.5% | 66.7% | 42.9% | – | 41.7% | 85.7% | 53.3% | 78.6% | 85.7% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | 3.1 | 7.8 | 16.1 | 7.0 | 6.3 | 4.8 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.0 | – | 1.1 | 14.4 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 12.9 | – |
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, 27.7% of pupils at Elson 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
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 22 | 6 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 21 | 4 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 12 | 0 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 1 | 0 |
| Physical disability | 1 | 0 |
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 Elson Infant School received £7,707 and spent £7,666 for each of its 206 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £34,000 (£165 per pupil).
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £66,000 | £51,000 | £97,000 | £77,000 | £34,000 | £87,000 | £26,000 | £34,000 |
| per pupil | £260 | £210 | £416 | £319 | £135 | £376 | £114 | £165 |
| In-year balance | £14,000 | -£15,000 | £47,000 | -£21,000 | -£43,000 | £53,000 | -£61,000 | £8,000 |
| per pupil | £54 | -£63 | £200 | -£86 | -£173 | £231 | -£272 | £41 |
Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).
| Name | Distance |
|
Elson Junior School
Exmouth Road, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 4EX |
0.07 miles |
|
Brockhurst Primary School
Avery Lane, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 4SL |
0.48 miles |
|
St John's, Gosport Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Grove Road, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 4JH |
0.58 miles |
|
St Mary's Catholic Primary School
Ann's Hill Road, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 3NB |
0.88 miles |
|
King's Academy Rowner
Tichborne Way, Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 0BN |
0.93 miles |
|
Rowner Infant School
Copse Lane, Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 0DH |
0.95 miles |
|
Newtown Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Queen's Road, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 1JD |
1.13 miles |
|
Leesland Church of England Controlled Infant School
Whitworth Road, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 3NL |
1.2 miles |
|
Grange Junior School
Grange Lane, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 9RX |
1.2 miles |
|
Grange Infant School
Franklin Road, Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 9TS |
1.2 miles |
|
Leesland Church of England Controlled Junior School
Gordon Road, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 3QF |
1.24 miles |
|
Alver Valley Junior School
21 Falcon Meadows Way, Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 8AA |
1.25 miles |
|
Alver Valley Infant and Nursery School
21 Falcon Meadows Way, Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 8AA |
1.25 miles |
|
Bedenham Primary School
Bridgemary Avenue, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 0XT |
1.34 miles |
|
Haselworth Primary School
Stone Lane, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 1SQ |
1.53 miles |
|
Gomer Infant School
Pyrford Close, Alverstoke, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 2RP |
1.57 miles |
|
King's Academy Gomer
Pyrford Close, Alverstoke, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 2RP |
1.57 miles |
|
Holbrook Primary School
Wych Lane, Bridgemary, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 0JN |
1.58 miles |
|
Alverstoke Church of England Aided Junior School
The Avenue, Alverstoke, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 2JS |
1.64 miles |
|
Peel Common Primary School
The Drive, Rowner, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 0QD |
1.75 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
King's Academy Brune Park
Military Road, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 3BU |
0.52 miles |
|
St Vincent College
Mill Lane, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 4QA |
0.97 miles |
|
Bridgemary School
Wych Lane, Bridgemary, Gosport, Hampshire, PO13 0JN |
1.47 miles |
|
King's Academy Bay House
Gomer Lane, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 2QP |
1.96 miles |
|
Portchester Community School
White Hart Lane, Portchester, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 9BD |
2.24 miles |
|
The Portsmouth Grammar School
High Street, Portsmouth, PO1 2LN |
2.48 miles |
|
The Harbour School
Tipner Lane, Tipner, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 8RA |
2.53 miles |
|
Crofton School
Marks Road, Stubbington, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 2AT |
2.64 miles |
|
Baycroft School
Gosport Road, Stubbington, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 2AE |
2.65 miles |
|
Cams Hill School
Shearwater Avenue, Fareham, Hampshire, PO16 8AH |
2.66 miles |
|
Ark Charter Academy
Hyde Park Road, Southsea, Hampshire, PO5 4HL |
2.79 miles |
|
St Edmund's Catholic School
Arundel Street, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 1RX |
2.82 miles |
|
Portsmouth High School GDST
|
2.87 miles |
|
Castle View Academy
Allaway Avenue, Paulsgrove, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 4QP |
2.95 miles |
|
Meoncross School
65 Burnt House Lane, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 2EF |
3 miles |
|
All's Well
18 High Street, Fareham, PO16 7AF |
3.06 miles |
|
Madani Academy
Merefield House, Nutfield Place, Buckland, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 4JZ |
3.07 miles |
|
The Portsmouth Academy
St Mary's Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO1 5PF |
3.17 miles |
|
Fareham Academy
St Anne's Grove, Fareham, Hampshire, PO14 1JJ |
3.2 miles |
|
Priory School
Fawcett Road, Southsea, Hampshire, PO4 0DL |
3.28 miles |
All schools in Gosport · Hampshire local authority: places and applications
What is Elson Infant School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Elson Infant School is Good, from an inspection in May 2024.
When was Elson Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?
Elson Infant School was last inspected in May 2024.
How many pupils does Elson Infant School have?
Elson Infant School has 206 pupils on roll.
What age range does Elson Infant School cover?
Elson Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.
Where is Elson Infant School?
Elson Infant School is at Elson Lane, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 4EU.