Glenfield Infant School, Southampton

Ofsted's report card from its 3 February 2026 inspection grades Glenfield Infant School on 7 areas: 5 expected standard and 2 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders' work to improve attendance is having a positive impact."

Early years - Expected standard. "Children in the early years make a positive start to their education."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders and staff share high ambitions for all pupils to be successful."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders know the school well."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure pupils follow a coherent and logical programme for their personal development and wellbeing."

Achievement - Needs attention. "Pupils do not achieve as highly as they should."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Teaching is not consistently effective across the school."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to embed and strengthen teaching strategies for developing handwriting, spelling and grammar across the curriculum so they can raise levels of achievement in writing"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently use assessment information to check pupils' understanding systematically, and in response adapt their teaching so that pupils build successfully on prior learning"; "Leaders should ensure that phonics teaching is fully effective across the school so that all groups can achieve consistently well in their reading and gain the fluency they need"; "In the early years, leaders should ensure the consistent use of high-quality interactions from staff to extend children's vocabulary and deepen their understanding of important knowledge as they play".

In its own words: "At Glenfield Infant School we aim for all our school community to value themselves and each other. We create positive and nurturing learning environments where all children belong. Children are encouraged and challenged to achieve their very best in all aspects of their learning."

From the headteacher's welcome: "Glenfield is a warm and caring Infant School placed in the centre of wonderful, wooded grounds. We are an Infant school with a welcoming staff and Governing Body team. It has ambition at its core for all the children and a strong approach to developing the whole child. We include opportunities for Forest School adventures and learning through experiences."

For September 2026 entry, 63 families put Glenfield Infant School as their first choice and 122 named it as one of their preferences, for 58 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 7 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state primary schools to Glenfield Infant School are Beechwood Junior School (0.2 miles, Outstanding, 82% reading, 78% maths); Bitterne Church of England Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 68% reading, 67% maths); Bitterne Manor Primary and Nursery School (0.6 miles, Good, 57% reading, 77% maths); and Harefield Primary School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 72% reading, 72% maths).

Glenfield Infant School is one of 37 schools run by Hamwic Education Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's primary schools, 57% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.

47 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Glenfield Infant School (as of April 2026): 81% would recommend the school, 85% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (85%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

26.5% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (69%), Mixed (11%) and Asian (7%).

In 2026, 42 pupils (18.6%) received SEN support and 14 (6.2%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Bitterne Rail Station, about 1000 metres away (roughly a 12-minute walk).

9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Huntly Way (s-bound), 240 metres away.

Glenfield Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.

The secondary schools closest to Glenfield Infant School are Oasis Academy Sholing (0.9 miles), Bitterne Park School (0.9 miles) and Woodlands Community College (1.1 miles).