Freegrounds Infant School, Southampton
Freegrounds Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 7 in Southampton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2013. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2023 did not change this grade. It was 77% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2013)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hampshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Freegrounds Infant School in detail
Freegrounds Infant School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Freegrounds Infant School is a three form entry Infant School situated in the suburb of Hedge End, on the outskirts of Southampton. The original school building was built in 1969. Two further classrooms and a new reception area were added in 2008, to cater for the growing demand for places over the years as the area has expanded."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Freegrounds Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 58 families put Freegrounds Infant School as their first choice and 143 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Freegrounds Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Freegrounds Infant School are Freegrounds Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 73% reading, 70% maths); Kings Copse Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 86% reading, 79% maths); Shamblehurst Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 73% reading, 77% maths); and Berrywood Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 80% reading, 80% maths).
Freegrounds Junior SchoolKings Copse Primary SchoolShamblehurst Primary SchoolBerrywood Primary School
Who goes there
11.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.9% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (87%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 19 pupils (8.4%) received SEN support and 7 (3.1%) 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 Hedge End Rail Station, about 1.4 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hobb Lane (sw-bound), 330 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Freegrounds Infant School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Freegrounds Infant School issued 12 suspensions, 5.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Freegrounds Infant School are Wildern School (0.5 miles) and Deer Park School (1 mile).
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 2013, 13 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
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2013 inspection - down from Outstanding.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
11.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
28.1
Avg class size
28.1
Infant (KS1)
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Freegrounds Infant School
Zactiv!
15 May 2026
KS1 are Palaeontologists!
28 Apr 2026
Jack and the Beanstalk
28 Apr 2026
Who swallowed Stanley!?
28 Apr 2026
World Book Day
24 Mar 2026
Easter Bake Off
24 Mar 2026
From Freegrounds Infant School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Freegrounds Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Freegrounds Infant School.
- Freegrounds Juniors Holiday ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- Creative Kidz Childcare Kings Copse680m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Freegrounds Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Freegrounds Infant School is in Hampshire; for families living there:
Apply to Hampshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 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 Freegrounds Infant School
Will you get a place at Freegrounds Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Freegrounds Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Freegrounds Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Freegrounds Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hampshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Freegrounds Infant School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hampshire 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
77%
Available places
209 pupils
270 places
61 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 Hampshire council
Places available
15,642
Applications
12,982
Got 1st preference
93.4%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Hampshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
19
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
11.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
225
Total Pupils
106
Boys
119
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
20.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,703
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,410
Per pupil
£1259k
Total funding
£36k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.2%
Overall absence
8.2%
Persistent absence
147
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
Freegrounds Infant School
Questions parents ask about Freegrounds Infant School
What is Freegrounds Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Freegrounds Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2013, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Freegrounds Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Freegrounds Infant School is oversubscribed, Hampshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Freegrounds Infant School?
Freegrounds Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 77% of its 270 places.
How big are the classes at Freegrounds Infant School?
Classes at Freegrounds Infant School average 28.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Freegrounds Infant School?
Freegrounds Infant School has around 225 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Freegrounds Infant School?
4.2% of sessions were missed at Freegrounds Infant School in 2024/25. 8.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Freegrounds Infant School?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Freegrounds 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.
Does Freegrounds Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Freegrounds Juniors Holiday Club (registered, not yet graded). There is another 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 Freegrounds Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Freegrounds Infant School?
Freegrounds Infant School is at Hobb Lane, Hedge End, Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 0GG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)