Hazel Wood Infant School
83%
Capacity
198
Pupils
2.6x
Demand
About Hazel Wood Infant School
Hazel Wood Infant School is a state primary in the New Forest, Hampshire, for children aged 4 to 7. It currently has 198 pupils against a capacity of 240, meaning there is some physical room in the building, but the school is heavily oversubscribed in practice. For the 2025/26 intake, it received 156 applications for 60 places, with 77 of those as first preferences, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.6. That is a strong demand signal. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 15.7%, which is above the national primary average of around 23% but sits below the Hampshire average, suggesting a slightly more affluent intake than the county norm. The school is mixed and non-religious, with no nursery provision or sixth form. It is led by headteacher Hannah Simpson-Riggs.
Academically, Hazel Wood Infant School holds the highest possible Ofsted rating: Outstanding across every category in its most recent graded inspection in December 2023. The inspectors gave top marks (Grade 1) for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a clean sweep. The school’s previous inspection, back in 2011, also rated it Outstanding overall, so this is a sustained track record. As an infant school, it does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results, so direct comparison with the Hampshire LA average of 61% reaching the expected standard is not possible. However, its Outstanding status places it among just 33 of the 425 primary schools in the local authority, which is roughly 8% of the total, so it is in a select group.
The school offers a broad set of facilities including a library, art studios, an outdoor playground, a forest school area, and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, cricket, netball, football, gymnastics, and athletics, while extracurricular clubs include gardening, chess, book club, coding, and film club. SEND support is well-documented, with provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. Given the oversubscription, families living closest to the school will have the best chance of securing a place. This is a strong choice for parents in the New Forest area who want a proven Outstanding infant school with a clear focus on early years development and a wide range of enrichment activities.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 7 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Hazel Farm Road, Southampton, New Forest, SO40 8WU |
| Headteacher | Hannah Simpson-Riggs |
| Local Authority | Hampshire |
| Number of Pupils | 198 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 15.7% |
| School Capacity | 198 / 240 (83% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
5 Dec 2023Overall Effectiveness
Outstanding
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 22 Jan 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
5Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed60
156
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
77 families put this school as their 1st choice (49% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.
Ethnic background
- White British86.4%
- White (other)6.6%
- Asian2.5%
- Mixed2.0%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than half of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
9
Total schools
6
Oversubscribed
9
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hazel Wood Infant School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Hazel Farm Road, Southampton
New Forest, SO40 8WU
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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