Padnell Junior School, Waterlooville
Padnell Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in Waterlooville. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 14 schools in Waterlooville with published results, and 4,096th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Capacity
- Full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Padnell Junior School in detail
Padnell Junior School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our school motto 'Reaching for the Stars' encourages all of our children to aim high and work hard to achieve their hopes, dreams and ambitions."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at Padnell Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 86% 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 (81% in reading, 81% in maths).
Getting a place at Padnell 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 Padnell Junior School are Padnell Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Good); Queen's Inclosure Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 79% reading, 81% maths); Hart Plain Infant School (0.8 miles, Good); and Hart Plain Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 65% reading, 61% maths).
Padnell Junior School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Padnell Infant SchoolQueen's Inclosure Primary SchoolHart Plain Infant SchoolHart Plain Junior School
Who goes there
3.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (91%) and Mixed (5%).
In 2026, 39 pupils (10.8%) received SEN support and 14 (3.9%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Staffing
Padnell Junior School had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 24 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Rowlands Castle Rail Station, about 2.4 miles away in a straight line.
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hazleton Way (w-bound), 150 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 114 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, public order offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hampshire (72), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Padnell Junior School issued 2 suspensions, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Padnell Junior School are The Cowplain School (0.6 miles) and Horndean Technology College (1.3 miles).
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2015, 11 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 June 2015 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
19.2%
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 remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 81% to 86% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 69% to 78% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.9
Avg class size
29.9
KS2
10
Total classes
3 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Padnell Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Padnell Junior School.
- CM Sports After School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- EdActive Wraparound - Waterlooville760m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Padnell Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Padnell 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
- 20
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 5
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 14 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt.
0 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
100%
Full
360 pupils
360 places
No spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Waterlooville
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Waterlooville
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(12)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
39
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
14.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
360
Total Pupils
171
Boys
189
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
24.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,320
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,092
Per pupil
£1993k
Total funding
£92k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.2%
Overall absence
3.6%
Persistent absence
365
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
Padnell Junior School
Questions parents ask about Padnell Junior School
What are SATs results like at Padnell Junior School?
Of the pupils at Padnell Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 86% did so in maths.
What is Padnell Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Padnell Junior School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Padnell Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Padnell 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 Padnell Junior School?
Padnell Junior School was full in 2025, at 100% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Padnell Junior School?
Classes at Padnell Junior School average 29.9 pupils (2025/26). 3 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Padnell Junior School?
Padnell Junior School has around 360 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Padnell Junior School?
3.2% of sessions were missed at Padnell Junior School in 2024/25. 3.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Padnell Junior School?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Padnell 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 Padnell Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: CM Sports After School 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 Padnell Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 20 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 5 serious and 14 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt. 0 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 Padnell Junior School?
Padnell Junior School is at Padnell Road, Cowplain, Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 8EA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)