Sun Hill Junior School

Sun Hill Junior School is a small junior school within the Vita Multi Academy Trust, with a specially resourced SEMH provision. This full Section 5 inspection found strong standards in inclusion and personal development and wellbeing, while achievement, attendance and behaviour, curriculum and teaching, and leadership and governance are at the expected standard. Safeguarding standards are met. The school's notable strengths are its inclusive culture, effective support for pupils with SEND and SEMH needs, a clear pupil premium strategy, and a well-embedded personal development programme. Pupils behave well, feel safe, take on meaningful leadership roles, and are well prepared for the next stage of education. Reading is well established, mathematical fluency is improving, and attendance is broadly in line with national averages and improving, although a small number of pupils remain below expected levels. Areas for continued focus include embedding consistent fluency and accuracy in foundational skills, particularly mathematics; strengthening spelling, which is at an earlier stage; and further improving attendance through work with pupils and families. Overall, leaders have an accurate view of the school and are taking appropriate action, with no graded weaknesses requiring urgent attention.

Strengths

• High expectations and effective early identification for pupils facing barriers to learning
• Strong support for pupils with SEND, including those with EHC plans
• Well-trained staff in the specially resourced SEMH provision
• Clear and purposeful pupil premium strategy that promotes equity for disadvantaged pupils
• Well-planned PSHE and personal development programme embedded across school life
• Wide range of pupil leadership roles that build confidence and responsibility
• Pupils show respect, empathy and confidence to challenge discriminatory behaviour
• Effective pastoral support for pupils and families
• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education and life beyond school
• Reading is well established and supports access across the curriculum
• Pupils behave well, are polite, kind and respectful
• Bullying is rare and staff respond quickly to concerns
• Attendance is broadly in line with national averages and improving
• Trustees provide appropriate support and challenge and meet statutory duties
• Staff feel supported and valued, with well-planned professional learning
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture

Areas for Improvement

• Foundational fluency and accuracy in mathematics requires further embedding
• Work to strengthen spelling is at an earlier stage
• A small number of pupils still have attendance below the level leaders expect
• Leaders should continue to develop pupils' and families' understanding of the positive impact of attendance

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 Sun Hill Junior School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.3% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Sun Hill 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 Sun Hill Junior School had 18.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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 Sun Hill Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 7.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 3 pupils.

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 Sun Hill Junior School received £8,048 and spent £8,286 for each of its 174 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £38,000 (£217 per pupil).

Across all 2 schools of Vita Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,934 and spending £7,778 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Alresford · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

Sun Hill Junior School is part of Vita Multi Academy Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Perins School Alresford

What is Sun Hill Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sun Hill Junior School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Sun Hill Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sun Hill Junior School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Sun Hill Junior School have?

Sun Hill Junior School has 145 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sun Hill Junior School cover?

Sun Hill Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

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

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sun Hill Junior School?

Sun Hill Junior School is at Sun Lane, Alresford, Hampshire, SO24 9NB.