Farnborough Road Infant School, Southport
Farnborough Road Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 7 in Southport. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2017. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2023 did not change this grade. It was 82% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2017)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Sefton (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Farnborough Road Infant School in detail
Farnborough Road Infant School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I have been the Headteacher at Farnborough Road Infant School for the last 10 years and have taught for the last 30 years at the school, since becoming Newly Qualified Teacher in 1996. I know my school and the Farnborough community very well."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, swimming and judo.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Farnborough Road Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 98 families put Farnborough Road Infant School as their first choice and 167 named it as one of their preferences, for 102 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Farnborough Road Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Farnborough Road Infant School are Farnborough Road Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 80% reading, 84% maths); Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School (0.3 miles, 82% reading, 73% maths); Birkdale Primary School (1.1 miles, Good, 60% reading, 67% maths); and Ainsdale St John's Church of England Primary School (1.4 miles, 63% reading, 50% maths).
Farnborough Road Junior SchoolOur Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary SchoolBirkdale Primary SchoolAinsdale St John's Church of England Primary School
Who goes there
7.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 64 pupils (15%) received SEN support and 5 (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 Hillside Rail Station, about 1010 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Halsall Road (adjacent), 180 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 43 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Sefton (165).
Suspensions and exclusions
Farnborough Road Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Farnborough Road Infant School are Birkdale High School (0.5 miles), Greenbank High School (0.7 miles) and Christ The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre (0.9 miles).
Birkdale High SchoolGreenbank High SchoolChrist The King Catholic High School and Sixth Form Centre
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 · 4 years agoThis judgement is from May 2017, 9 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2023 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This is a genuinely happy school where children feel safe, valued and eager to learn. Your child will benefit from high expectations, a carefully planned curriculum that teaches important knowledge and skills, and staff who work hard to spot what they need help with and support them effectively. The school also helps children become caring, thoughtful individuals who understand healthy living and appreciate the contributions of inspiring people.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve well with secure knowledge across the curriculum, including those with SEND -
- Leaders have carefully designed a knowledge-rich curriculum shaped around how pupils learn -
- Strong safeguarding arrangements with thorough record-keeping and effective work with external agencies -
- Staff create classrooms full of rich conversation focused on learning with minimal disruptions -
- Pupils develop excellent personal development and understand the contributions of important figures like Rosa Parks and Marie Curie
Areas for Improvement
- Some early years staff ask children too many questions in quick succession, making conversations stilted and limiting language development -
- Reading instruction is inconsistent - some staff use impure letter sounds, select mismatched reading books, or provide too much help when pupils read -
- All staff need consistent training in systematic phonics teaching and best practices for early reading instruction
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is effective - leaders ensure all adults understand their responsibilities, maintain thorough records with clear timelines, work well with external agencies, and teach pupils about online safety and mobile phone safety.
Extracurricular Activities
Musical theatre, Little Voices, judo, archery, school council, educational trips
Farnborough Road Infant School is a good school where pupils are happy, feel safe, and achieve well across the curriculum. Leaders have set high expectations and created a nurturing environment where children thrive.
At a Glance
7.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
26.7
Avg class size
28.0
Infant (KS1)
15
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Farnborough Road Infant School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Farnborough Road Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Farnborough Road Infant School is in Sefton; for families living there:
- Sefton's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy ext
- How to apply: Apply for Travel Support
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
6 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 Sefton is 16 (the median across 116 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
Your chances of a place at Farnborough Road Infant School
Will you get a place at Farnborough Road Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Farnborough Road Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Farnborough Road Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Farnborough Road Infant School.
- Sefton publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Farnborough Road Infant School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Farnborough Road Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Sefton 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
82%
Available places
324 pupils
396 places
72 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Southport
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southport
Across Sefton council
Places available
3,080
Applications
2,586
Got 1st preference
91.4%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Sefton council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
64
SEN Support
5
EHC Plans
16.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
428
Total Pupils
223
Boys
205
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
22.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,977
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,041
Per pupil
£1824k
Total funding
£45k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
8.5%
Persistent absence
223
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
Farnborough Road Infant School
Questions parents ask about Farnborough Road Infant School
What is Farnborough Road Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Farnborough Road Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2017, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Farnborough Road Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Farnborough Road Infant School is oversubscribed, Sefton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Farnborough Road Infant School?
Farnborough Road Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 82% of its 396 places.
How big are the classes at Farnborough Road Infant School?
Classes at Farnborough Road Infant School average 26.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Farnborough Road Infant School?
Farnborough Road Infant School has around 428 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Farnborough Road Infant School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Farnborough Road Infant School in 2024/25. 8.5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Farnborough Road Infant School?
Apply through Sefton's coordinated admissions process, naming Farnborough Road Infant School 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.
How many road collisions happen near Farnborough Road Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 9 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 6 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 Sefton is 16 (the median across 116 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Farnborough Road Infant School?
Farnborough Road Infant School is at Farnborough Road, Birkdale, Southport, Merseyside, PR8 3DF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)