South Baddesley Church of England Primary School & Nursery

About South Baddesley Church of England Primary School & Nursery

South Baddesley Church of England Primary School & Nursery punches well above the Hampshire average for its type when it comes to core academic benchmarks. While the local authority average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 sits at 61%, this small New Forest school achieves 74% — a solid 13-point lead. That performance places it 8th out of 35 primary schools in the New Forest district, comfortably inside the top 25% nationally. The school’s reading scores are particularly strong: 96% of pupils hit the expected standard and over half (52%) reached the higher standard, compared with 26% in writing and 15% in maths. The average reading score of 109 and maths score of 105 both suggest a cohort performing above floor targets. Ofsted’s most recent graded inspection in 2019 rated the school Good overall, with leadership and management also judged Good, and the ungraded inspection in June 2024 confirmed the school remains Good. The early years provision was rated Good too, though the previous 2008 inspection had awarded Outstanding across the board.

The school’s Key Stage 2 results tell a story of consistent, if not spectacular, performance. The 74% achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths is well above the LA average of 61%, and the 11% reaching the higher standard across all three subjects is respectable for a school of this size. The reading results are the standout: a 96% expected rate and 52% higher rate suggest strong literacy teaching. Maths is more modest, with 81% at expected and 15% at higher, while writing sits at 81% expected and 26% higher. There are no Progress 8 scores available for this primary school, so it’s not possible to measure how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the raw attainment figures are clearly above the local norm. The school ranks 56th out of 425 primary schools in Hampshire overall, which places it in the top 15% of the county — a strong showing for a village school with just 131 pupils on roll.

South Baddesley is a Church of England primary with a nursery, taking children from age 3 to 11. It’s oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, there were 33 applications for just 12 places, with all 12 first-preference applicants offered a spot — a ratio of 2.75 applicants per place. The school has a range of facilities including a library, sports hall, playing fields, ICT suite, chapel and a Forest School programme, plus clubs covering choir, chess, coding, drama, eco and art. Sports on offer include swimming, athletics, cricket, rounders, netball and football. SEND provision is listed for specific learning difficulties (dyslexia) and autistic spectrum disorder, though the school’s small size may limit the breadth of specialist support. With 15.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals — slightly above the national average for primaries — the school serves a mixed catchment. It’s a good fit for families who value strong academic outcomes in a small, church-affiliated village school, particularly those who can secure a place in a competitive admissions round.

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