Heatherside Infant School

About Heatherside Infant School

Heatherside Infant School was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in January 2025, but the detail tells a more nuanced story. The school was previously judged Outstanding overall in 2015, and while the latest inspection did not assign a new overall effectiveness grade, inspectors gave top marks of Outstanding for personal development and for behaviour and attitudes. The quality of education and leadership and management were both rated Good, and early years provision also came in at Good. That means the school has held onto strong behaviour and personal development standards even as academic expectations have been recalibrated. With 259 pupils on roll, just shy of its 270 capacity, Heatherside is clearly a popular choice in Hart. The parent view is overwhelmingly positive: 99% of the 80 respondents would recommend the school, and 85% strongly agreed that their child is happy there.

Academic outcomes data for this infant school is limited because children leave at age seven, before Key Stage 2 SATs are taken. However, the local authority context for Hampshire shows that the average percentage of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 across all primary schools is 61%. Heatherside’s own results are not published in the data, but its Ofsted report confirms that the quality of education is Good, and inspectors noted that pupils achieve well. The school’s most recent inspection also highlighted that children in early years get off to a strong start. For a school that only covers Reception through Year 2, the focus is firmly on building foundations, and the parent survey backs this up: 80% strongly agreed that their child does well at the school, and 64% strongly agreed that the school has high expectations.

Heatherside is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 247 applications for 89 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.78, and 84 of those offers went to first-preference families. The school offers a range of facilities including a forest school, art and music rooms, an ICT suite, and a sports hall, plus clubs like chess, gardening and film club. Sports on offer include athletics, netball, swimming and tennis. The school has identified SEND provisions for autistic spectrum disorder, hearing impairment, multi-sensory impairment, social emotional and mental health needs, and other difficulties. For families in Hart looking for a strong start in a school where behaviour and personal development are rated Outstanding, and where parents report very high levels of happiness and safety, Heatherside Infant School is clearly a sought-after option — though securing a place will require a first-preference application.

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