Ludlow Junior School

Ludlow Junior School is a calm, orderly and inclusive junior school where pupils are polite, work hard and benefit from a strong sense of community. Inspectors found the school good across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, with safeguarding arrangements judged effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it remains the only school in its trust. The school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND, and pupils generally achieve well in key stage 2 tests. Reading and writing are central to the curriculum, and staff provide strong support for pupils who struggle with reading. Pupils’ personal development is a particular strength, supported by a well-structured programme and a highly effective pastoral support offer. Pupils also take on roles and responsibilities and are well prepared for secondary school and life in modern Britain. The main area for improvement is the precision of teaching. On occasion, some staff do not explain new knowledge or design learning activities effectively enough, which means some pupils do not learn the key knowledge the school intends as well as they could. Leaders, staff and trustees are well aligned, and staff feel valued and supported in their work.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community and a calm, orderly environment
• Pupils are polite, well mannered and behave well in lessons and social times
• High expectations for achievement, including for pupils with SEND
• Broad and logical curriculum with reading and writing at its heart
• Effective phonics and reading support for pupils who struggle
• Strong identification and support for SEND and pastoral needs
• High attendance and effective work to improve less regular attendance
• Well-structured personal development programme, including online safety and respect
• Pupils take on roles and responsibilities that build ownership of learning and behaviour
• Staff feel valued and supported in career development, well-being and workload
• Trustees know the school well and provide good support and challenge
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff do not explain new knowledge or design learning activities precisely enough, so some pupils do not learn the intended key knowledge as well as they could
• The school needs to ensure all staff have the skills and expertise to teach the precise knowledge the curriculum expects

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 Ludlow Junior School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.1% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Ludlow Junior 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 Ludlow Junior School had 21.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.8% 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, 19.9% of pupils at Ludlow Junior School 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 2024–25 Ludlow Junior School received £6,038 and spent £5,986 for each of its 578 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £634,000 (£1,097 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

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What is Ludlow Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Ludlow Junior School is Good, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Ludlow Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Ludlow Junior School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Ludlow Junior School have?

Ludlow Junior School has 579 pupils on roll.

What age range does Ludlow Junior School cover?

Ludlow Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Ludlow Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 66% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Ludlow Junior School?

Ludlow Junior School is at Peveril Road, Itchen, Southampton, Hampshire, SO19 2DW.