Marchwood Church of England Infant School
94%
Capacity
169
Pupils
1.3x
Demand
About Marchwood Church of England Infant School
Parents considering Marchwood Church of England Infant School will find a school that local families clearly rate highly. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 55 applications for 41 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.34. Of those 55 applicants, 39 put the school as their first preference, and every single one of those families was offered a place. That is a strong signal that the school matches what parents in the New Forest area are looking for. The school is a state-funded, mixed-gender Church of England infant school for children aged 4 to 7, with 169 pupils on roll against a capacity of 180. The headteacher is Sally Atkins. Just over 13% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools.
Academically, the school holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across both its most recent graded inspections. The most recent full graded inspection took place in October 2013, when the school was judged Good overall, with Good for leadership and management. An ungraded inspection in April 2023 confirmed the school remains Good. In the earlier 2008 inspection, the school was also rated Good overall, with Good leadership and Good early years provision. While the school does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results — it only goes up to Year 2 — the local authority average for KS2 attainment across Hampshire primary schools is 61. The nearest outstanding-rated school is Marchwood Junior School, just 0.7 km away, which many families will consider as a natural next step after Year 2.
The school offers a wide range of facilities for such a small infant school, including a forest school, sensory room, music rooms, art studios, a gymnasium, sports hall, chapel, and an outdoor playground. Clubs include drama, gardening, eco club, film club, choir, and chess, while sports on offer are rounders, athletics, swimming, and netball. The school has dedicated SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and visual impairment. With its Church of England character, strong local demand, and a clear feeder link to the nearby outstanding-rated junior school, Marchwood Infant School is a particularly good fit for families who want a small, community-focused infant school with a Christian ethos, plenty of outdoor learning, and a smooth transition to the next stage of primary education.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 7 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Twiggs Lane, Southampton, New Forest, SO40 4ZE |
| Headteacher | Sally Atkins |
| Local Authority | Hampshire |
| Number of Pupils | 169 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 13.6% |
| School Capacity | 169 / 180 (94% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
20 Apr 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (20 Apr 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 7 Nov 2013. 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
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
10Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed41
55
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
39 families put this school as their 1st choice (71% 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 British76.3%
- Mixed7.2%
- White (other)2.4%
- Black1.2%
- Asian0.6%
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.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
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.
2
Total schools
1
Oversubscribed
2
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.
Was this page helpful?
Frequently Asked Questions About Marchwood Church of England 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
Twiggs Lane, Southampton
New Forest, SO40 4ZE
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
Parent Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience at Marchwood Church of England Infant School!
Write a Review