Southwood Infant School

Southwood Infant School is performing well overall, with a 'Good' rating in various aspects of education, behavior, and management, alongside an 'Outstanding' rating for personal development. The nurturing environment has made pupils extremely happy and engaged in their learning. High expectations from leadership encourage a curriculum that fosters a lifelong love of learning and prepares pupils effectively for their transition to junior school. The recent leadership change has sharpened the school's aspirations, particularly for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). While the school excels in numerous areas, particularly reading and personal development, there are some concerns regarding the precision of the teaching in certain foundation subjects. Leaders are addressing this by refining the curriculum and developing new subject leaders for improved pedagogical support. The school’s commitment to safeguarding is also notable, contributing to a safe and positive atmosphere for learning.

Strengths

• Pupils are very happy and enjoy attending the school.
• The school has a strong commitment to personal development.
• Reading is taught consistently well, with an effective phonics curriculum.
• Leaders have high expectations and provide a nurturing environment.
• Pupils contribute positively to the school and wider community.
• Staff are well-trained to support pupils with SEND.
• Governors effectively support and challenge school leaders.

Areas for Improvement

• Some curriculum leaders are new and not yet subject experts.
• Certain foundation subjects are not taught as precisely as desired.

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 Southwood Infant School attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.7% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Southwood 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 Southwood Infant School had 18.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 33.3% 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, 8.4% of pupils at Southwood Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.2% 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 Southwood Infant School received £7,197 and spent £7,840 for each of its 119 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £113,000 (-£952 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 Farnborough · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Southwood Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Southwood Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2023.

When was Southwood Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Southwood Infant School was last inspected in June 2023.

How many pupils does Southwood Infant School have?

Southwood Infant School has 119 pupils on roll.

What age range does Southwood Infant School cover?

Southwood Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Southwood Infant School?

Southwood Infant School is at Southwood Lane, Southwood, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 0NE.