Southbourne Infant School
About Southbourne Infant School
Southbourne Infant School is a state primary in Chichester, within the West Sussex local authority, catering for children aged 5 to 7. Among the 226 primary schools in the LA, it sits alongside strong local peers including Barns Green Primary School, Heron Way Primary School, and Aldingbourne Primary School, which rank among the top in the area. The school is mixed and non-religious, with headteacher Lucy Whiffin leading a community of 176 pupils, just shy of its 180-capacity. It is notably oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 102 applications for 54 places, with 53 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.89. This level of demand suggests a strong local reputation, particularly for families seeking a focused infant-phase education. The school also reports 17.6% of pupils eligible for free school meals, which is slightly above the national average for primary schools, indicating a reasonably diverse intake.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
20 Sept 2023Latest monitoring visit (20 Sept 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 23 Apr 2018. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
Facilities
9Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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