Sholing Infant School, Southampton
Sholing Infant School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Southampton, part of Hamwic Education Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in January 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in April 2025 did not change this grade. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2014)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Southampton (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Sholing Infant School in detail
Sholing Infant School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "On behalf of the staff, I am delighted to welcome you and your child to Sholing Infant School. We look forward to your association with the school being a long and happy one. We believe that children deserve good quality teaching and learning experiences to enable them to learn effectively."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Sholing Infant School
For September 2026 entry, 78 families put Sholing Infant School as their first choice and 170 named it as one of their preferences, for 85 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Sholing Infant School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Sholing Infant School are Sholing Junior School (under 0.1 miles, Good, 71% reading, 72% maths); St Monica Primary School (0.5 miles, 66% reading, 56% maths); Bitterne Church of England Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 68% reading, 67% maths); and Ludlow Junior School (0.6 miles, Good, 74% reading, 77% maths).
Sholing Junior SchoolSt Monica Primary SchoolBitterne Church of England Primary SchoolLudlow Junior School
The trust
Sholing 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.
What parents say
61 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Sholing Infant School (as of September 2025): 97% would recommend the school, 98% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that the school supports their child's wider development (93%).
Who goes there
In 2026, 37 pupils (14%) received SEN support and 6 (2.3%) 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 Sholing Rail Station, about 1080 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Sholing Technology College (sw-bound), 40 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
Sholing Infant School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Sholing Infant School are Oasis Academy Sholing (under 0.1 miles), Oasis Academy Mayfield (1.1 miles), Weston Secondary School (1.2 miles) and Woodlands Community College (1.3 miles).
Oasis Academy SholingOasis Academy MayfieldWeston Secondary SchoolWoodlands Community College
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; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from January 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's April 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Sholing Infant School excels at creating a happy, supportive environment where children love learning and behave exceptionally well. Staff are excellent role models who ensure every child receives high-quality teaching tailored to their individual needs, with particularly strong phonics and writing instruction. The school places real importance on developing good character and citizenship, teaching children to be kind, responsible members of the community from their very first day.
Key Strengths
- Exceptionally well-designed curriculum with strong subject knowledge from staff
- Outstanding phonics teaching and reading/writing development
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND through rigorous identification and targeted adaptations
- Outstanding behaviour and attitudes with pupils taking responsibilities seriously
- Strong focus on developing communication, language and social skills
- Excellent promotion of attendance with a positive, proactive approach
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with an open, positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Musical activities, day trips, visits to local park and farm
Sholing Infant School is an outstanding school where pupils are extremely happy and behave superbly. The school has exceptionally well-designed curriculum and strong focus on reading, writing, communication and character development.
At a Glance
19.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
61 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
29.7
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Sholing Infant School
Autumn 1 Newsletter
17 Sep 2026
Open sessions for children starting Sept 2027
4 Sep 2026
Ofsted Report Published
13 May 2025
We have spaces available!
13 May 2025
From Sholing Infant School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Sholing Infant School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Sholing Infant School.
- St Monica Kidz Club640m away · Not yet graded
- ActiveMe 360 CIC @ Ludlow Junior School970m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Sholing Infant School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Sholing Infant School is in Southampton; for families living there:
Apply to Southampton for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 31
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 8
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 27 slight.
8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise.
8 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 Southampton is 33 (the median across 87 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 Sholing Infant School
Will you get a place at Sholing Infant School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Sholing Infant School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Sholing Infant School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Sholing Infant School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Southampton, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Sholing Infant School for 2018 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Southampton 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
101%
Over capacity
267 pupils
264 places
3 pupils over capacity 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 Southampton council
Places available
2,745
Applications
2,122
Got 1st preference
93.3%
Got preferred school
99.1%
All primary applications across Southampton council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
16.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
264
Total Pupils
125
Boys
139
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
13
Teachers
20.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,089
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,182
Per pupil
£1571k
Total funding
£62k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.7%
Overall absence
8.6%
Persistent absence
185
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
Questions parents ask about Sholing Infant School
What is Sholing Infant School's Ofsted rating?
Sholing Infant School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in April 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in January 2014, it was rated Outstanding.
What is the catchment area for Sholing Infant School?
No fixed boundary. When Sholing Infant School is oversubscribed, Southampton allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Sholing Infant School?
Sholing Infant School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Sholing Infant School?
Classes at Sholing Infant School average 29.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Sholing Infant School?
Sholing Infant School has around 264 pupils on roll. 19% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Sholing Infant School?
3.7% of sessions were missed at Sholing Infant School in 2024/25. 8.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Sholing Infant School?
Apply through Southampton's coordinated admissions process, naming Sholing 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 Sholing Infant School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Sholing Infant School: St Monica Kidz Club (640m away, registered, not yet graded) and ActiveMe 360 CIC @ Ludlow Junior School (970m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Sholing Infant School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 31 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 3 serious and 27 slight. 8 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 4 on foot, 2 on a bicycle and 2 in a vehicle or otherwise. 8 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 Southampton is 33 (the median across 87 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Sholing Infant School?
Sholing Infant School is at Heath Road, Sholing, Southampton, Hampshire, SO19 2QF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)