Norwood Primary & Pre-School

About Norwood Primary & Pre-School

Norwood Primary & Pre-School in Eastleigh is a state primary for children aged 3 to 11, currently operating below its full capacity of 450 with 396 pupils on roll. The school serves a community with a higher-than-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals, at 21.2%, which is a useful indicator of the level of disadvantage the school is working with. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 75 applications for just 32 places, with all 32 first-preference offers taken up, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.34. That suggests local families are keen to get in, despite the school's current Ofsted rating. The most recent graded inspection in September 2024 judged the school as Requires Improvement overall, a downgrade from its previous Good rating in 2019. However, the breakdown shows several areas still rated Good, including early years provision, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 place it at the bottom of the Eastleigh local authority rankings, coming 23rd out of 23 schools. Just 30% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a local authority average of 61%. The school's ranking score of 30 puts it in the bottom 50 nationally. Looking at individual subjects, 61% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 53% in maths, but writing lagged behind at 44%. At the higher standard, the figures are low across the board: 9% in reading, 16% in maths, and just 5% in writing. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is difficult to say whether pupils are making typical gains from their starting points. The school does not have a sixth form, and its nursery provision means children can join from age three.

Norwood offers a decent range of facilities including a sensory room, forest school, library, ICT suite and art studios, plus a chapel. Sports provision covers football, netball, cricket, gymnastics, rounders and cross country, with clubs such as book club, coding, drama and gardening. The school has identified SEND support for moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, hearing and visual impairments, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses, based on 25 respondents, show 80% would recommend the school. Most parents agreed their child is happy (84% strongly agree or agree) and feels safe (92% strongly agree or agree). However, concerns about behaviour management and bullying are more mixed: only 24% strongly agreed that the school ensures good behaviour, and just 8% strongly agreed that bullying is dealt with effectively. This is a school that suits families who value its inclusive SEND offer and strong early years provision, but who are aware that academic outcomes are currently well below local averages and that the school is working through an Ofsted improvement plan.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Norwood Primary & Pre-School

Helpful Guides for Parents