Park Gate Primary School

About Park Gate Primary School

Park Gate Primary School is a state-funded mixed primary in Fareham, Hampshire, currently home to 387 pupils against a capacity of 420 — so it’s running close to full but not yet at the brim. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 13.5%, which is worth noting against the national primary average of around 23% and suggests a slightly more advantaged intake than many schools nationally. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 128 applications for just 52 places, with 49 first-preference offers made from 50 first-preference applications. That works out at an oversubscription ratio of 2.46, meaning nearly two and a half families compete for every spot. The school is non-religious and has no nursery provision or sixth form, so it’s a straight-through primary for ages 4 to 11. Headteacher Cara Newman leads a school that clearly has a solid local reputation, given the application pressure.

Academically, Park Gate performs around the middle of the pack. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 62% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined — almost exactly in line with the Hampshire local authority average of 61%. That places the school 134th out of 425 primaries in the county, and 13th out of 22 in Fareham specifically. At the higher end, 9% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects, with reading and maths both averaging a scaled score of 105. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in March 2023, confirmed it remains Good overall, with leadership and management also rated Good. Notably, the early years provision was judged Outstanding — a strong foundation for children joining in Reception. The previous graded inspection in 2017 also awarded Good overall, so the school has held a consistent rating for some time.

Facilities are a real strength here. The school boasts a library, sports hall, dining hall, art studios, music rooms, a sensory room, a chapel, and even a forest school area — unusual breadth for a primary. Sports include gymnastics, football, swimming and cross country, while clubs range from book club and drama to eco club and gardening. SEND provision is comprehensive, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language challenges, multi-sensory impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families seeking a well-resourced, non-faith primary with strong early years provision and a clear local draw, Park Gate is a popular choice — but you’ll need to put it as a first preference to stand a realistic chance of a place.

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