Shakespeare Infant School

About Shakespeare Infant School

Shakespeare Infant School in Eastleigh is a state primary for children aged 5 to 7, and it’s a school that local families clearly want. With 251 pupils on roll against a capacity of 270, it’s running close to full but still has a little breathing room. The real signal of demand comes from admissions for the 2025/26 intake: the school received 111 applications for just 59 places, an oversubscription ratio of 1.88. Of those, 58 were first-preference applications, and 58 first-preference offers were made, meaning almost every family who put it first got a place, but competition for those spots is stiff. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 13.5%, which is slightly below the national primary average of around 23% and suggests a relatively affluent intake. The school is non-religious, with no nursery or sixth form, and is led by headteacher Nikki Wilson.

Academically, Shakespeare Infant School holds a Good rating from its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023, a step down from the Outstanding it achieved in 2009. The inspection breakdown shows real strengths: behaviour and attitudes, and personal development, both scored Outstanding, while quality of education and early years provision were rated Good, and leadership and management also came in at Good. This is a school that Ofsted sees as strong on character and conduct, even if academic delivery is solid rather than exceptional. Because the school only covers Key Stage 1 (ages 5 to 7), there are no KS2 SATs results to compare against the Hampshire local authority average of 61% reaching the expected standard. That means parents won’t find a headline exam score here, but the early years and personal development grades suggest a focus on building strong foundations before children move on to junior school.

The school offers a broad set of facilities for such a young age group, including a gymnasium, sports hall, playing fields, music rooms, an ICT suite, and a forest school, plus a chapel on site. Sports provision covers football, rounders, swimming, gymnastics, cross country, and tennis, while clubs include art, drama, science, book, and gardening. For SEND, the school lists support for a wide range of needs, including autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language communication needs, visual impairment, physical disability, and social, emotional and mental health difficulties. This is a school that suits families who want a strong start in a well-resourced infant setting with good behaviour and personal development, and who are prepared for the competitive admissions process. It’s worth noting that the nearest Outstanding-rated infant school, Hiltingbury Infant School, is 2.9 km away, so Shakespeare is a strong local option for those who don’t secure a place there.

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