Meon Infant School, Southsea
Meon Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Southsea, part of The Thinking Schools Academy Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2025 did not change this grade. It was 89% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Portsmouth (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Meon Infant School in detail
Getting a place at Meon Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 35 families put Meon Infant School as their first choice and 99 named it as one of their preferences, for 39 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Meon Infant School are Meon Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 76% reading, 76% maths); Milton Park Primary School (0.2 miles, Good, 62% reading, 69% maths); Wimborne Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 78% reading, 63% maths); and Moorings Way Infant School (0.5 miles, Good).
Meon Junior SchoolMilton Park Primary SchoolWimborne Primary SchoolMoorings Way Infant School
The trust
Meon Infant School is one of 26 schools run by The Thinking Schools Academy Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 54% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
34 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Meon Infant School (as of September 2025): 59% would recommend the school, 91% say their child is happy there and 86% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (91%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (50%).
Who goes there
33.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 9.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (65%), Mixed (11%) and Asian (8%).
In 2026, 13 pupils (9.8%) received SEN support and 8 (6%) 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.
Staffing
Meon Infant School had 10 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Fratton Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hollam Road (w-bound), 170 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Meon Infant School issued 1 suspension, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's July 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Meon Infant School excels at teaching children to read through highly trained staff and daily phonics lessons. The school creates a warm, welcoming environment where pupils feel safe and supported, and teachers have high expectations of all pupils from day one. The curriculum is thoughtfully designed and enriched with trips to places like aquariums, country parks and museums, giving pupils experiences they may not have had otherwise.
Key Strengths
- Highly effective daily phonics teaching and strong focus on reading, with most pupils becoming confident readers by the end of Year 2
- Warm, positive relationships between staff and pupils that foster a strong sense of belonging and support positive behaviour
- Well-designed and ambitious curriculum with well-trained teachers who deliver lessons with clarity
- Strong partnerships with parents and a growing sense of community
- Pupils benefit from enriching trips and experiences that broaden their understanding of the world
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, teachers do not always check effectively whether pupils have learned key knowledge, making it difficult to adapt teaching for those falling behind
- Need to refine processes for checking pupils' understanding across the wider curriculum to ensure they have grasped essential skills and knowledge before moving on
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with the school creating an open culture where everyone feels welcomed and supported.
Extracurricular Activities
Aquarium visits, country park visits, museum visits, playground learning through play, lunch and playtime activities
Meon Infant School has improved significantly since its previous inspection and is now rated Good across all areas. The school prioritizes reading, creates a warm and supportive environment, and has a well-designed curriculum that meets pupils' needs.
At a Glance
33.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
34 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
26.6
Avg class size
27.8
Infant (KS1)
5
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Meon Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Meon Infant School.
- Active8 Minds Meon Holiday ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- School Friend Clubs @ Wimborne650m away · Not yet graded
- Stacey Centre Playscheme930m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Meon Infant School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Portsmouth's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Meon Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Meon Infant School is in Portsmouth; for families living there:
- Portsmouth's school travel policy: Travel assistance policy for school age (5-16) children
- How to apply: apply for discretionary travel assistance
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 45
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 12
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 45 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 33 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
9 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 Portsmouth is 57 (the median across 67 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 Meon Infant School
Will you get a place at Meon Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Meon Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Meon Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Meon Infant School.
- Portsmouth publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Meon Infant School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Meon Infant School for 2019 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Portsmouth 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
89%
Available places
160 pupils
180 places
20 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Southsea
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Southsea
Across Portsmouth council
Places available
2,230
Applications
1,887
Got 1st preference
93.0%
Got preferred school
98.7%
All primary applications across Portsmouth council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
13
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
15.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
133
Total Pupils
75
Boys
58
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
13.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,132
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,732
Per pupil
£1054k
Total funding
£67k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
8.9%
Persistent absence
123
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
Meon Infant School
Questions parents ask about Meon Infant School
What is Meon Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Meon Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in November 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Meon Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Meon Infant School is oversubscribed, Portsmouth allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Meon Infant School?
Meon Infant School was not full in 2025: it ran at 89% of its 180 places.
How big are the classes at Meon Infant School?
Classes at Meon Infant School average 26.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Meon Infant School?
Meon Infant School has around 133 pupils on roll. 34% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Meon Infant School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at Meon Infant School in 2024/25. 8.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Meon Infant School?
Apply through Portsmouth's coordinated admissions process, naming Meon 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 Meon Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Active8 Minds Meon Holiday Club (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 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 Meon Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 45 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 12 serious and 33 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 9 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 Portsmouth is 57 (the median across 67 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Meon Infant School?
Meon Infant School is at Shelford Road, Milton, Southsea, Hampshire, PO4 8NT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)