Fair Oak Infant School

About Fair Oak Infant School

Fair Oak Infant School sits in a local authority where the average Key Stage 2 attainment stands at 61, but as an infant school it doesn't take pupils through to that stage, so the more telling comparison is against its own type. The school is rated Good by Ofsted, which puts it in line with the vast majority of Hampshire's 425 primary schools, though notably only 33 of those hold the top Outstanding grade. What stands out here is that Fair Oak was previously rated Outstanding back in 2007, so its current Good rating represents a step down, but inspectors in 2021 judged every category — quality of education, behaviour, personal development, leadership and early years provision — as Good, with no weaknesses flagged. That consistency across all five areas suggests a school that knows what it's doing, even if it no longer carries the top badge.

Academically, the picture is solid rather than spectacular. The school's most recent Ofsted report from September 2021 gave quality of education a Grade 2, meaning Good, and the early years provision was also rated Good. Behaviour and attitudes scored the same, which is reassuring for parents of younger children. The school has 388 pupils on roll, slightly over its official capacity of 360, and it's clearly popular: for 2025/26 admissions, there were 207 applications for 118 places, with 128 first-preference applications and 117 first-preference offers. That oversubscription ratio of 1.75 tells you demand outstrips supply. With only 6.4 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is relatively advantaged compared with the national average, which may partly explain the school's steady performance.

Facilities are generous for an infant school, including a gymnasium, sports hall, ICT suite and a forest school, plus a chapel on site. Sports offered include gymnastics, football, netball, cross country and cricket, and clubs range from gardening and coding to book club. The SEND provision is notably broad, covering moderate learning difficulty, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health support — so this is a school equipped to handle a wide range of additional needs. For families in Eastleigh and surrounding areas, Fair Oak Infant School is a strong, well-subscribed option that delivers consistent Good outcomes, but you'll need to get that first-preference application in given the competition for places.

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