Highfield Church of England Primary School

About Highfield Church of England Primary School

Highfield Church of England Primary School sits within the Southampton local authority, where it ranks 11th out of 42 primary schools — comfortably inside the top quarter. Among its closest peers in the LA, it sits behind Mansel Park Primary & Nursery School, Springhill Catholic Primary School, and Sinclair Primary and Nursery School, all of which score higher on the same ranking metric. The school is a state-funded, mixed-gender primary for children aged 4 to 11, with a Church of England character. It is led by headteacher Rosie Walford and currently has 316 pupils on roll, just one over its official capacity of 315. Around 10 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly below the national average for primary schools. The school is popular locally: for the 2025/26 admissions round, it received 131 applications for 44 places, with 43 first-preference offers made from 49 first-preference applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of nearly 3 to 1.

Academically, Highfield performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 67 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the Southampton LA average of 55 per cent. The school’s ranking score of 67 places it in the top 50 per cent nationally and in the top quarter of schools in the South East region. Reading and writing scores are particularly strong: 82 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading and 84 per cent in writing, while maths reached 76 per cent. At the higher standard, 13 per cent achieved the top level across all three subjects. In its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in July 2022, the school was rated Good overall, with Outstanding grades for early years provision, personal development, and behaviour and attitudes. This marks a significant improvement from its previous inspection in January 2022, where it was rated Inadequate overall.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a Forest School, sensory room, chapel, music rooms, sports hall, and outdoor playground. Sports provision includes netball, football, gymnastics, cricket, swimming, and cross country, while clubs cover drama, choir, art, and gardening. Highfield has a well-developed SEND offer, with specialist support for pupils with dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health needs, physical disabilities, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families considering the school, its strong local reputation and oversubscription mean early application is essential. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Bitterne Park Primary & Nursery School, 1.7 km away, but Highfield’s own strong Ofsted grades and above-average outcomes make it a compelling choice for families seeking a Church of England primary with a clear focus on personal development and behaviour.

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