Waterside Primary School

About Waterside Primary School

Waterside Primary School enjoys strong support from its parent community, with 91% of respondents to the most recent Parent View survey saying they would recommend the school. This positive sentiment is reflected in the school’s popularity: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 49 applications for just 23 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.13. All 23 first-preference applicants were offered a place, suggesting that while competition is real, local families who put it first are likely to succeed. The survey, which ran from September 2024 to September 2025 and gathered 45 responses, showed particularly high satisfaction around children’s happiness and safety. A combined 95% of parents either agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy at the school, and 91% felt the same about safety. Parents also felt well-informed, with 95% agreeing the school makes them aware of what their child will learn.

Academically, Waterside Primary’s Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 paint a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 53%, which is below the Hampshire local authority average of 61%. This places the school 214th out of 425 primary schools in the county. In individual subjects, reading was the strongest area, with 70% of pupils meeting the expected standard and 23% reaching a higher standard. Maths saw 57% at expected and just 7% at the higher level, while writing had 67% at expected but none at the higher standard. The school’s average maths score was 100, and reading averaged 104. Ofsted’s most recent graded inspection, in November 2024, rated the school Good across all areas including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision. This was consistent with its previous Good rating from 2019.

The school is a mixed, state primary for children aged 4 to 11, with a current roll of 175 pupils against a capacity of 210. It serves a community with above-average disadvantage, as 46.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Facilities include a forest school, sensory room, sports hall, music rooms, and an ICT suite, with clubs covering chess, gardening, drama and art. Sports offered include gymnastics, dance, cricket, athletics and swimming. The school has a dedicated chapel on site. For children with special educational needs, the school lists provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication, hearing impairment, and physical disability. However, the Parent View data on SEND support was notably less positive, with 45% of respondents strongly disagreeing that the school gives SEND children the support they need, though only 24% of respondents identified as having a child with SEND. This is a school that suits families who value a strong community feel and a broad range of activities, but those with children who have specific SEND needs may want to investigate further.

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