Sholing Infant School

Sholing Infant School is a highly effective infant school where pupils are extremely happy, proud of their community and behave exceptionally well. The inspection found that the curriculum is exceptionally well designed and taught, with strong priority given to communication, language and social skills, particularly in light of the pandemic’s impact. Reading and writing are promoted strongly, phonics teaching is well trained, and pupils with SEND are identified rigorously and supported effectively so that they achieve highly and are ready for key stage 2. Pupils’ personal development is a notable strength: the school carefully builds responsibility, respect, citizenship and character from the early years, and pupils take on responsibilities enthusiastically. Attendance is high because pupils enjoy school and staff work closely with families to remove barriers. Leadership, governance and trust oversight are strong, staff feel well supported, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the pandemic and its first section 5 inspection as an academy; it is part of Hamwic Education Trust and was previously judged outstanding before becoming an academy. No significant weaknesses were identified in the report.

Strengths

• Exceptionally well-designed and taught curriculum across subjects
• Strong focus on communication, language and social skills throughout the curriculum
• Highly effective phonics and early reading teaching
• Pupils quickly learn to read and write fluently, with especially high-quality writing
• Rigorous identification of SEND and well-targeted adaptations support achievement
• Pupils behave superbly and develop a strong sense of character
• Exceptional personal development and preparation for citizenship
• High attendance supported by excellent work with parents and carers
• Leaders, governors and the trust monitor effectiveness extremely well
• Staff feel supported and leaders consider workload and well-being carefully
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective
• Early years provision helps children communicate, take turns and become independent
• Pupils are extremely happy, proud and eager to meet high expectations
• Wide range of extra-curricular clubs, activities and visits

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 Sholing Infant School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.6% 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 Sholing Infant 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 Sholing Infant School had 23.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.3% 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, 14.0% of pupils at Sholing Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% 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 Sholing Infant School received £6,412 and spent £6,449 for each of its 268 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £31,000 (£115 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

Sholing Infant School is part of Hamwic Education Trust, which runs 36 schools. The nearest others:

• Sholing Junior School Southampton
• Ludlow Infant Academy Southampton
• Thornhill Primary School Southampton
• Glenfield Infant School Southampton
• Beechwood Junior School Southampton
• Weston Park Primary School Southampton
• Woolston Infant School Southampton
• Harefield Primary School Southampton
• Weston Secondary School Southampton
• Weston Shore Infant School Southampton

What is Sholing Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sholing Infant School is Outstanding, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Sholing Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sholing Infant School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Sholing Infant School have?

Sholing Infant School has 264 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sholing Infant School cover?

Sholing Infant School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Sholing Infant School?

Sholing Infant School is at Heath Road, Sholing, Southampton, Hampshire, SO19 2QF.