Horndean Infant School

About Horndean Infant School

Horndean Infant School, a state primary for children aged three to seven in East Hampshire, holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022. That inspection marked a change from the school’s previous Outstanding grade, awarded back in 2007. The drop in overall effectiveness is explained by the fact that the earlier inspection graded the school as Outstanding across the board, whereas the 2022 visit rated it Good for quality of education, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management. One area that remains Outstanding is early years provision, which inspectors singled out as a particular strength. With 260 pupils on roll against a capacity of 270, the school is nearly full, and its 7.7 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average, suggesting a relatively advantaged intake.

Because Horndean Infant School only covers Reception to Year 2, it does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results, which are taken at the end of primary school. The most informative academic metric, therefore, is the Ofsted judgement itself, which confirms that pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and maths. The school’s local authority, Hampshire, has 33 primary schools rated Outstanding out of 425 total, so a Good rating places Horndean comfortably within the top tier of local provision. The school’s previous Outstanding record and the continued Outstanding early years grade suggest strong foundations for younger children. Parents considering this school should note that their child will need to transfer to a junior school at age seven, so it is worth checking feeder arrangements early.

The school offers a broad range of facilities for its age group, including a sensory room, music rooms, a gymnasium, playing fields and an ICT suite. Sports on offer include football, dance, rounders and cross country, while clubs cover drama, gardening and film club. For children with additional needs, the school provides support for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, and speech, language and communication needs. Admission for the 2025/26 intake was oversubscribed: the school received 184 applications for 89 places, with 83 offers made to first-preference families. That oversubscription ratio of 2.07 means it is a popular choice locally, so parents should ensure they apply by the deadline and consider listing it as a first preference to maximise their chances.

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