Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School

Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School is a happy, inclusive school that has improved markedly since its previous inspection, when it was judged to require improvement. Following the June 2025 inspection, all key judgements—quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision—are good. Pupils feel safe, relationships with staff are warm, and the school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND. Safeguarding is effective. The curriculum is well sequenced across subjects, reading is prioritised from the start of Reception, and pupils with SEND are supported well. Children get off to a strong start in the early years, behaviour has improved through the new ‘Ready, Respectful and Safe’ system, and attendance has improved over time. Leaders at all levels have taken decisive action, staff feel supported, and governance is clear about the school’s priorities. The main area for improvement is assessment. Although systems are in place to check pupils’ understanding, they are not consistently used effectively, so some staff do not identify misunderstandings or address gaps and misconceptions promptly. As a result, some pupils do not secure the knowledge they need as well as they could. The school is part of Hamwic Education Trust, and this was a graded inspection under the current Ofsted framework, so no overall effectiveness grade was given.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, welcoming and feel safe in an inclusive school.
• Staff know pupils as individuals and build warm relationships.
• The curriculum is well sequenced in all subjects and builds on prior knowledge.
• Reading is prioritised from the start of Reception and phonics teaching is strong.
• Pupils with SEND are identified and supported well, and achieve well across the curriculum.
• Children get off to a flying start in the early years.
• The ‘Ready, Respectful and Safe’ behaviour system has improved behaviour and reduced low-level disruption.
• Attendance has improved through effective processes and work with families.
• Personal development is comprehensive, including safety, equality and community opportunities.
• Leaders have taken decisive action, staff feel supported, and governance is effective.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment is not consistently used to identify and address pupils’ gaps and misconceptions.
• Some staff do not use assessment approaches effectively, so misunderstandings are sometimes missed.
• Some pupils do not secure the knowledge they need as well as they could because gaps are not consistently addressed.

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 Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.7% 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, 3.1% of pupils at Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). One pupil was 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 Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School had 20.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.5% 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, 14.5% of pupils at Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.7% 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 Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School received £6,976 and spent £6,719 for each of its 649 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £655,000 (£1,010 per pupil).

Across all 36 schools of Hamwic Education Trust, income was £7,058 and spending £7,015 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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All schools in Southampton · Southampton local authority: places and applications

Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School is part of Hamwic Education Trust, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Shirley Infant School Southampton
• Shirley Junior School Southampton
• Upper Shirley High School Southampton
• Hollybrook Junior School Southampton
• Hollybrook Infant School Southampton
• Beechwood Junior School Southampton
• Glenfield Infant School Southampton
• Ludlow Infant Academy Southampton
• Woolston Infant School Southampton
• Townhill Infant School Southampton

What is Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School have?

Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School has 619 pupils on roll.

What age range does Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School cover?

Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School?

Wordsworth Primary and Nursery School is at Victor Street, Shirley, Southampton, Hampshire, SO15 5LH.