Hightown Primary School

Hightown Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating in all inspected areas, including the quality of education and leadership. The school has made significant progress since it underwent changes in management, particularly following a period without a headteacher. With a strong emphasis on building relationships and supporting personal development, pupils are engaged and enjoy attending school. The curriculum, although recently revised in several subjects, is positively impacting student learning, though there are areas that still require attention, particularly in ensuring all subjects are consistently well-delivered.

Strengths

• Strong relationships between staff and pupils
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
• A broad and engaging curriculum that includes various extracurricular activities
• Strong early years provision helping children settle quickly
• Positive behaviour among pupils and effective behaviour management strategies
• Ongoing improvements in teaching through high-quality coaching for staff

Areas for Improvement

• Some foundation subjects lack clarity in what is essential for pupils to learn and recall
• Implementation of some newer curricula is inconsistent
• Attendance issues remain, with some pupils missing too much school

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 Hightown Primary School attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.9% 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 Hightown 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 Hightown Primary School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.9% 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, 15.7% of pupils at Hightown Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.1% 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 Hightown Primary School received £7,260 and spent £7,442 for each of its 214 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £76,000 (-£357 per pupil).

Across all 4 schools of Inspire Learning Partnership, income was £7,173 and spending £7,344 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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• Secondary Schools

All schools in Southampton · Southampton local authority: places and applications

Hightown Primary School is part of Inspire Learning Partnership, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Kanes Hill Primary School Southampton
• St Monica Primary School Southampton
• Blackfield Primary and Nursery School Southampton
• Endeavour Primary School Andover

What is Hightown Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hightown Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2023.

When was Hightown Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hightown Primary School was last inspected in December 2023.

How many pupils does Hightown Primary School have?

Hightown Primary School has 229 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hightown Primary School cover?

Hightown Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 21% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hightown Primary School?

Hightown Primary School is at Tunstall Road, Thornhill, Southampton, Hampshire, SO19 6AA.