Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools, Southampton
Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Southampton. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 19th-highest of the 79 schools in Southampton with published results, and 5,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Southampton (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools in detail
Results
In 2025, 89% of Year 6 pupils at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 71% and 70% in Southampton and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 84% in reading and 88% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools
For September 2026 entry, 88 families put Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools as their first choice and 182 named it as one of their preferences, for 89 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools are St Denys Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 69% reading, 59% maths); Portswood Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 97% reading, 97% maths); Swaythling Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 76% reading, 83% maths); and Mansbridge Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 77% reading, 68% maths).
Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
St Denys Primary SchoolPortswood Primary SchoolSwaythling Primary SchoolMansbridge Primary School
What parents say
150 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools (as of September 2025): 80% would recommend the school, 89% say their child is happy there and 52% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (90%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (52%).
Who goes there
16.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 107 pupils (14.8%) received SEN support and 9 (1.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Denys Rail Station, about 1140 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wellington Road (sw-bound), 110 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools issued 13 suspensions, 2.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools are Bitterne Park School (0.3 miles), Saint George Catholic Voluntary Aided College Southampton (1.2 miles) and Cantell School (1.3 miles).
Bitterne Park SchoolSaint George Catholic Voluntary Aided College SouthamptonCantell School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from September 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school excels at making learning exciting and meaningful - pupils are genuinely enthusiastic about what they learn because the curriculum connects to real-world issues like environmental conservation. Teachers are exceptionally well trained and know exactly what each child needs to learn next, ensuring all pupils including those needing extra support receive targeted help. The school goes beyond academics, helping children develop strong character and leadership skills through extensive clubs, trips, and community involvement.
Key Strengths
- Highly ambitious and carefully structured curriculum that builds knowledge securely from early years through Year 6
- Exceptional teaching quality with consistent approaches across the school and excellent support for pupils with SEND
- Superb phonics teaching and early reading provision with pupils quickly learning to read fluently
- Excellent character development with extensive opportunities for leadership roles and meaningful participation in society
- Strong safeguarding culture with well-embedded processes to identify and support vulnerable pupils quickly
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with well-embedded processes to identify vulnerable pupils' needs and a strong culture of care.
Extracurricular Activities
Singing club, gardening days, theatre trips, opera visits, whole-school shows, visits from local authors, eco-warrior roles, school council roles
Bitterne Park Primary School is an outstanding school where pupils are proud to attend and achieve highly through an ambitious, expertly taught curriculum. The school has a strong vision of developing children to be 'architects of a better world' with excellent behaviour, relationships and personal development.
At a Glance
16.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
150 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 84% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 88% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.6
Avg class size
27.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
22
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools
Year 1 blog:
3 Oct 2026
Year 1 blog:
2 Oct 2026
ECO blog:
2 Oct 2026
Year 4 blog:
2 Oct 2026
Year 1 blog:
2 Oct 2026
Year 6 blog:
1 Oct 2026
From Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools.
- Superstar Sports BitterneAt the school · Not yet graded
- Creative Kidz Childcare at Portswood Primary School750m away · Not yet graded
- Testlands Holiday Club - St Denys Primary School820m away · Not yet graded
- Premier Education at St Denys820m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
You apply to the council where you live. Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools is in Southampton; for families living there:
Apply to Southampton for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 5
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 10 slight.
5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise.
3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Southampton is 33 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Will you get a place at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Southampton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Southampton got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
95%
Near capacity
628 pupils
660 places
32 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Southampton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southampton
Across Southampton council
Places available
2,745
Applications
2,122
Got 1st preference
93.3%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Southampton council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
107
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
16.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
725
Total Pupils
354
Boys
371
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
27
Teachers
26.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,071
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,051
Per pupil
£3466k
Total funding
£147k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
7.8%
Persistent absence
550
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools
Questions parents ask about Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools
What are SATs results like at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools?
Of the pupils at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 89% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools's Ofsted rating?
Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools?
No fixed boundary. When Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools is oversubscribed, Southampton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools?
Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools?
Classes at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools average 28.6 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools?
Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools has around 725 pupils on roll. 16% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools in 2024/25. 7.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools?
Apply through Southampton's coordinated admissions process, naming Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Superstar Sports Bitterne (registered, not yet graded). There are 3 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 10 slight. 5 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on a bicycle and 3 in a vehicle or otherwise. 3 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Southampton is 33 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools?
Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools is at Manor Farm Road, Bitterne Park, Southampton, Hampshire, SO18 1NX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)