Pennington Infant School CLOSED

About Pennington Infant School CLOSED

Pennington Infant School is a small state primary in the New Forest, and its intake numbers tell a clear story. With just 61 pupils on roll against a capacity of 90, the school is operating well below its potential size. That undersubscription is striking given the local demand signal: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 17 total applications for 15 places, making it technically oversubscribed with a ratio of 1.13. All 15 first-preference applicants were offered a place, so while competition exists, it is not fierce. What really stands out is the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals: 50.8%. That is far above the national average for primary schools (around 23%) and suggests the school serves a community with significant economic disadvantage. For parents researching options, this context matters — it means the school is likely receiving pupil premium funding and has a cohort with higher-than-average additional needs.

Academically, Pennington Infant School holds a consistent Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent inspections. In its most recent graded inspection in October 2022, inspectors rated every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — as Good (grade 2). The previous inspection in 2012 also awarded Good overall. Because this is an infant school (ages 4-7), there are no KS2 SATs results to compare against the Hampshire local authority average of 61% meeting expected standards. Instead, the focus is on early years and phonics. The school’s early years provision was rated Good, and with a Forest School on site, there is a practical, outdoor approach to learning in the early years. Parents should note that the school does not have a nursery or sixth form, so children will need to transfer to a junior school after Year 2.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a library, sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms, and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, cricket, swimming, athletics, cross country, gymnastics, and tennis, and there are clubs for chess, art, and science. For SEND, the school lists provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties — a broad offer that matches the high FSM context. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Lymington Church of England Infant School, just 1 km away, so some families may compare options. Pennington suits families who want a small, community-focused infant school with strong outdoor learning and a realistic approach to supporting disadvantaged pupils, but who are prepared for the transition to a different school after Year 2.

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