Freegrounds Junior School, Southampton
Freegrounds Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Southampton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2023 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 49th-highest of the 79 schools in Southampton with published results, and 9,801st of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Capacity
- 92% full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Freegrounds Junior School in detail
Freegrounds Junior School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of our entire school team, I would like to welcome you to Freegrounds Junior School. We are a friendly community who work closely with the other schools in the Wildern Partnership, particularly Freegrounds Infant School, where the majority of our pupils join us from."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football and netball.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils at Freegrounds Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 70% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in Hampshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (68% in reading, 80% in maths).
Getting a place at Freegrounds Junior School
Across Hampshire, 93% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 99% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Hampshire lodged 254 appeals against primary school offers; 146 reached a hearing and 8 succeeded (5.5% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Freegrounds Junior School are Freegrounds Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); 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).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Freegrounds Junior School.
Freegrounds Infant SchoolKings Copse Primary SchoolShamblehurst Primary SchoolBerrywood Primary School
Who goes there
5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
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 Junior 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 Junior School issued 11 suspensions, 3.3 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Freegrounds Junior School are Wildern School (0.5 miles) and Deer Park School (1 mile).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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 · 3 years agoThis judgement is from October 2012, 14 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 October 2012 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
17.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 68% to 73% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 80% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 86% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.1
Avg class size
30.1
KS2
10
Total classes
4 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Freegrounds Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Freegrounds Junior 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 Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Freegrounds Junior 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
92%
Near capacity
332 pupils
360 places
28 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.
Inspection History(6)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
57
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
22.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
301
Total Pupils
151
Boys
150
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
17
Teachers
17.7:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,423
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,063
Per pupil
£1846k
Total funding
£91k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
5.4%
Persistent absence
336
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 Junior School
Questions parents ask about Freegrounds Junior School
What are SATs results like at Freegrounds Junior School?
Of the pupils at Freegrounds Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% reached the expected standard in reading and 70% did so in maths.
What is Freegrounds Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Freegrounds Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Freegrounds Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Freegrounds Junior 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 Junior School?
Freegrounds Junior School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 360 places.
How big are the classes at Freegrounds Junior School?
Classes at Freegrounds Junior School average 30.1 pupils (2025/26). 4 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Freegrounds Junior School?
Freegrounds Junior School has around 301 pupils on roll. 18% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Freegrounds Junior School?
3.7% of sessions were missed at Freegrounds Junior School in 2024/25. 5.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Freegrounds Junior School?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Freegrounds Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Freegrounds Junior 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 Junior 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 Junior School?
Freegrounds Junior School is at Hobb Lane, Hedge End, Southampton, Hampshire, SO30 0GG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)