Roman Way Primary School

About Roman Way Primary School

Roman Way Primary School in Test Valley is a state primary for 4 to 11 year olds that currently teaches 204 pupils against a capacity of 240, leaving around 15% of places unfilled. That spare capacity is notable given the school’s intake profile: 40.2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average for primary schools and a strong signal that the school serves a community with higher-than-typical levels of disadvantage. Despite this, demand for places is high. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 102 applications for just 28 places, an oversubscription ratio of 3.64. Of those, 38 were first-preference applications, and 24 first-preference offers were made. That level of competition suggests families in the area actively choose Roman Way, even with other local options available. The school is non-religious and co-educational, with no nursery or sixth form provision.

Academically, Roman Way sits in the bottom half of primary schools nationally, ranking 7,775 out of 13,686 on the key stage 2 reading, writing and maths expected standard metric. In its most recent data from 2023/24, 60% of pupils reached the expected standard in all three subjects, just below the local authority average of 61%. Performance varied by subject: 70% met the expected standard in writing, 67% in reading and 67% in maths. At the higher standard, 7% achieved in all three, with reading the strongest at 30% and maths at 13%. Average scaled scores were 103 in reading and 100 in maths. The school’s most recent graded Ofsted inspection in 2013 rated it Good overall, with Good leadership and management. An ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed it remains Good. Its previous inspection in 2009 had rated it Requires improvement, so the trajectory is clearly upward.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, forest school, gymnasium, sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms and even a chapel. Sports provision covers dance, football, cricket, tennis and gymnastics, while clubs extend to gardening, drama, choir, chess, film club and book club. For SEND, the school lists provisions for seven categories including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. With 28 places available and strong oversubscription, families applying should be prepared for competition, particularly for first-preference offers. Roman Way suits parents who value a well-equipped primary with a broad extracurricular offer and a clear record of improvement, set in a community with significant socioeconomic diversity. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Portway Infant School, 2.9 km away, for those considering alternatives.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Roman Way Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents