Berrywood Primary School

Berrywood Primary School is a large, inclusive primary school that inspectors found to be performing securely overall, with personal development and wellbeing standing out as a clear strength. This was a full section 5 inspection with no relevant changes since the previous inspection. Pupils benefit from a deep-rooted PSHE curriculum, strong pastoral care and an impressive creative and extra-curricular offer, including drama, stage design and Berrywood TV. Additional confidence-building sessions support pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, and pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. The school meets expected standards across achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, attendance and behaviour, and leadership and governance. Reading and phonics are well taught, the curriculum is ambitious and generally delivered consistently, and pupils with SEND are well supported. Leaders and governors have accurate oversight, staff are well trained and there is a clear focus on developing future leaders. Early years transition and work with parents help children settle quickly, and behaviour routines create a calm, positive environment with warm relationships. Inspectors did identify areas for further work. The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has widened recently, particularly in English grammar, punctuation and spelling, and pupils’ handwriting and spelling are not always in line with leaders’ expectations. Attendance among pupils eligible for free school meals has recently fallen, additional SEND support does not always make the most of every opportunity to help pupils succeed, and early years staff interactions are not consistently high. The main next step is to continue embedding handwriting, spelling and grammar strategies across the curriculum to raise achievement, including for disadvantaged pupils.

Strengths

• Deep-rooted PSHE curriculum builds pupils’ understanding of healthy relationships and online safety.
• Pupils discuss personal development themes maturely and think critically about sources and news.
• Strong pastoral support develops pupils’ self-esteem, confidence and resilience.
• Impressive creative and extra-curricular offer includes drama, stage design, lighting and Berrywood TV.
• Additional confidence-building sessions support pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils.
• Well-embedded routines create a calm, positive environment where pupils learn successfully.
• Behaviour policy is consistently and effectively applied by well-trained staff.
• Warm relationships and mutual respect are evident, and bullying is not tolerated.
• Attendance is typically above national figures.
• Well-considered curriculum reflects high ambition and is generally delivered as intended.
• Revised phonics approach and timely support help pupils catch up in reading.
• Pupils with SEND are well supported and teachers adapt learning effectively.
• Leaders have robust oversight of inclusion and use pupil premium funding effectively.
• Governors and leaders have accurate oversight and shape improvement priorities.
• Staff development and leadership opportunities are strong, and staff feel valued.
• Early years transition and parental engagement help children settle quickly.
• Reading is central in early years, with high-quality phonics teaching.

Areas for Improvement

• Disadvantaged pupils’ attainment gap has widened recently, particularly in English grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• Pupils’ handwriting and spelling are sometimes not in line with leaders’ expectations.
• Attendance of pupils eligible for free school meals has recently fallen.
• Additional support for pupils with SEND does not always make the most of every opportunity to help them succeed.
• Quality of staff interactions with children in early years is not consistently high.
• Leaders need to continue embedding handwriting, spelling and grammar strategies across the curriculum to raise achievement, including for disadvantaged pupils.

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 Berrywood Primary School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Berrywood Primary 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 Berrywood Primary School had 24.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.8% 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, 15.2% of pupils at Berrywood Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.6% 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 Berrywood Primary School received £6,298 and spent £6,309 for each of its 631 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £283,000 (£449 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).

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What is Berrywood Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Berrywood Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was Berrywood Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Berrywood Primary School was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does Berrywood Primary School have?

Berrywood Primary School has 631 pupils on roll.

What age range does Berrywood Primary School cover?

Berrywood Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Berrywood Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Berrywood Primary School?

Berrywood Primary School is at Maunsell Way, Hedge End, Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 2TL.