Hythe Primary School

About Hythe Primary School

Hythe Primary School’s headline metrics paint a mixed picture when set against the Hampshire local authority average for primary schools. The LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined (KS2) is 61%, but at Hythe only 39% of pupils achieved that benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year. That is a significant gap. However, the school’s reading and maths average scores tell a slightly different story: pupils averaged 103 in reading and 101 in maths, both of which are close to the national average of 100. So while the proportion hitting the combined expected standard is low, the average scores suggest many children are not far off. The school ranks 33rd out of 35 primary schools in the New Forest, placing it in the bottom 50% nationally. It is worth noting that the school serves a community with 29.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, well above the national average, which often correlates with lower headline attainment figures.

Academically, the school has improved its Ofsted rating from Requires Improvement in 2019 to Good in its most recent graded inspection in October 2022. The inspection report awarded Good across all five categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. At KS2, the breakdown shows that 55% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, 59% in maths, and 50% in writing. Higher standard attainment was low: 18% in reading, 9% in maths, and 0% in both writing and the combined RWM measure. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is unclear whether pupils are making typical gains from their starting points. The school has no sixth form and no nursery provision, so it serves only the primary age range from 4 to 11.

The school is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 80 applications for 25 places, a ratio of 3.2 applicants per place, with 23 first-preference offers made. Facilities include playing fields, a sports hall, gymnasium, art studios, ICT suite, sensory room, and even a chapel. There is a strong range of clubs including Book Club, Drama, Art Club, Film Club, Eco Club and Choir, plus sports such as rounders, netball, tennis and athletics. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families who value a supportive, inclusive environment with good behaviour and personal development, but who are realistic about academic outcomes being below the LA average. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Orchard Infant School, 1.2 km away, which may be an alternative for some families.

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