Southsea Infant School

Southsea Infant School is a small, welcoming infant school with a strong nurturing ethos and a specially resourced SEN unit, Starfish, for pupils with communication and language needs. Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils are happy, safe, and behave well. Attendance is good, bullying is effectively prevented, and pupils benefit from a wide range of personal development opportunities and leadership roles. Early years provision is a particular strength, giving children a positive start and ensuring they are ready for Year 1. Inclusion is also strong, with pupils with SEND well supported and fully included in school life. However, the school's overall effectiveness is uneven. Achievement and curriculum/teaching require attention. Too many pupils do not pass the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1, leaving gaps in reading fluency and comprehension. Teaching quality varies, and tasks do not consistently build on what pupils know or allow them to apply and extend their learning. Teachers sometimes lack oversight of the impact of tasks, and reading is not always supported effectively across the curriculum. Leaders' improvement work has been hampered by staffing instability, though they understand the areas needing development and are taking appropriate action. Leaders and governors work well together, staff feel valued, and parents appreciate the school's community events and pastoral support. The next steps focus on strengthening reading support across the curriculum, ensuring teachers select tasks that meet curriculum aims, and further refining identification of pupils' learning needs and the support they receive.

Strengths

• Strong nurturing and inclusive ethos with positive relationships between staff and pupils.
• Pupils feel safe, behave well, and attendance is good.
• Bullying prevention is highly effective and pupils show kindness and care.
• Early years provision provides a positive start and children achieve well.
• Inclusion is strong, including effective support in the Starfish SEND provision.
• Personal development programme is well-designed, covering healthy relationships, diversity, and safety.
• Pupils take pride in leadership roles and contribute to the school community.
• Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of strengths and areas for improvement.
• Staff feel valued and supported, with consideration for workload and wellbeing.
• Parents appreciate the nurturing community and regular engagement opportunities.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils do not achieve consistently well across subjects.
• Too many pupils do not pass the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.
• Some pupils have gaps in reading fluency and comprehension and are not prepared for their next stage.
• Teaching quality varies, and tasks do not always allow pupils to apply and extend learning.
• Teachers lack sufficient oversight of tasks completed and their impact on learning.
• Reading is not always supported effectively in some lessons.
• Leaders' improvement work has been negatively affected by staffing instability and turnover.
• Leaders should ensure pupils receive support with reading across the curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure teachers select tasks that allow pupils to achieve curriculum aims.
• Leaders should further strengthen identification of pupils' learning needs and the resulting support.

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 Southsea Infant School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.0% 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, 1.8% of pupils at Southsea 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 Southsea Infant School had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.7% 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, 7.8% of pupils at Southsea Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 10.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has a SEN unit with 8 pupils.

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 Southsea Infant School received £7,980 and spent £8,061 for each of its 167 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £91,000 (£544 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 Southsea · Portsmouth local authority: places and applications

What is Southsea Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Southsea Infant School is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Southsea Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Southsea Infant School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Southsea Infant School have?

Southsea Infant School has 167 pupils on roll.

What age range does Southsea Infant School cover?

Southsea Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Southsea Infant School?

Southsea Infant School is at Collingwood Road, Southsea Infant School, Southsea, Hampshire, PO5 2SR.