Shirley Junior School

About Shirley Junior School

Shirley Junior School sits within the Southampton local authority, a mixed, non-denominational state primary for children aged 7 to 11. In the most recent local rankings, it placed 17th out of 42 primary schools in the area, putting it in the top half of its peers. The highest-ranked schools nearby include Mansel Park Primary & Nursery School, Springhill Catholic Primary School, and Sinclair Primary and Nursery School, all of which sit above Shirley on the local scoreboard. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Springhill Catholic Primary, just 1.8 kilometres away. With 358 pupils on roll against a capacity of 360, the school is essentially full, suggesting steady local demand. Headteacher Kerri Davie leads a school where 21.2 per cent of pupils qualify for free school meals, a figure that gives some indication of the socioeconomic mix of the intake.

Academically, Shirley Junior School achieves a solid set of Key Stage 2 results. In the 2023/24 assessments, 61 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is six percentage points above the Southampton local authority average of 55 per cent. Reading was a particular strength, with 81 per cent meeting the expected standard and 38 per cent reaching the higher standard. Maths followed closely, with 73 per cent at expected and 19 per cent at the higher level. Writing was slightly lower, with 74 per cent at expected and 10 per cent at higher. The average scaled scores were 107 in reading and 103 in maths. Nationally, the school ranks in the 55th percentile, and within the South East region it sits just above the midpoint. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in June 2023, confirmed the school remains Good, a rating it has held consistently since at least its previous graded inspection in 2017.

The school offers a practical range of facilities including a sports hall, ICT suite, dining hall, forest school area and music rooms. Sports on offer include athletics, football, gymnastics, dance and rounders, while extracurricular clubs extend to chess, book club, gardening, choir, science club and eco club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists a broad set of SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment, physical disability, social and emotional mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This breadth suggests a school equipped to support a diverse range of learners. Shirley Junior School is likely to suit families in Southampton looking for a well-subscribed, Good-rated junior school with above-average KS2 outcomes, a strong reading focus, and a wide net of SEND support and enrichment activities.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Shirley Junior School

Helpful Guides for Parents