Ofsted: All the Southampton schools with 'Outstanding' ratings

The education watchdog, the Office for Standards in Education, visits schools to review performance, assessing anything from the quality of teaching to pupil behaviour.

At the end of their visit, the inspectors produce a report and give the school one of four ratings: outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.

These were the schools given the highest rating in the Southampton area, according to the government website.

St Anne’s Catholic School and Sixth Form College

St Anne’s Catholic School and Sixth Form College was given the outstanding title following a two-day inspection in September 2022.

Inspectors described the school as a “lively, diverse and inclusive school” where “pupils are well cared for and have excellent opportunities”.

Staff told inspectors how they felt “valued” and “love working” at the school.

Read more here.

Springhill Catholic Primary School

Springhill Catholic Primary School was given the top rating by inspectors after a two day inspection in March 2022.

The school was told it was outstanding in all factors, which include: the quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; leadership and management and Early years provision.

This was the school’s first full inspection.

St Mary’s Church of England Primary School

St Mary’s Church of England Primary School on Ascupart Street, was told its pupils “flourish” at the “exceptional school” by the inspector in November last year.

The education given was described as “excellent” and with a “sharp focus on learning and remembering more, growing in character and future life chances”.

The school’s curriculum was also praised as “highly ambitious” and “inspirational”.

Mount Pleasant Junior School

Mount Pleasant Junior School in Bevois, a school previously told it required improvements got the top rating after an inspection on June 20 and 21 last year.

The report highlighted the role the school has in shaping the pupils and praised the school for its child-centred ethos which helps children to flourish.

The report said: “Pupils thrive at this exceptional school. Leaders' ethos is to have 'the child at the centre of everything we do', and that is exactly what inspectors found."

Read more here.

Bitterne Manor Primary School

Bitterne Manor Primary School on Quayside Road was described as a school where children are "happy and safe" in December 2022.

The report said that pupils work hard, and staff "ensure that everyone is quickly made to feel welcome and understands the values of the school".

It added that teachers and staff work together to help pupils achieve, with staff having high expectations for all pupils.

Beechwood Junior School

Beechwood Junior School, a school where “pupils love to learn” and according to a parent where “every child has a chance to shine” was given the top rating after an inspection on May 20 and 21 2015.

The school was rated outstanding in all four categories.

It was its first inspection as an academy.

Yarrow Heights School

Yarrow Heights School, an indepdent school on Manor Farm Road was given its rating in September 2023.

All four categories - quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management - were rated outstanding.

Inspectors found that leaders and staff have worked "tirelessly to create a school which provides a first-class education for its pupils".

Read more here.

Bitterne Park Primary School

Teachers at Bitterne Park Primary School were said to provide “outstanding, inspirational leadership and set extremely high expectations” in a top rating report after an inspection in September 2014.

Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs benefit from “carefully crafted support which accelerates their learning, so that they overcome the difficulties they face”.

The report added: “The curriculum provides excellent opportunities for pupils to develop the skills and knowledge they need to face the next stage of their learning with confidence. Pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.”

Great Oaks School

Great Oaks School was described as “an inspirational place where young people, at all stages of their school life, thrive, both socially and academically” in the top rated report after an inspection in November last year.

The school got the highest rating on all five categories.

The school’s curriculum was also described as ”extremely effective”.

Rosewood Free School

Rosewood Free School on Aldermoor Road has been hailed by the regulator as a place where pupils 'thrive'.

This is the second time the school, which provides education for pupils aged two to 19 with profound and multiple learning difficulties, was given the top rating since its last graded inspection in July 2014.

It is the school’s fifth ‘outstanding’ rating.

Read more here.

Marchwood Junior School

Marchwood Junior School were told they had an “imaginative curriculum helps to deepen pupils’ knowledge and skills across a wide range of subjects.”

This was in a top-rated report given after an inspection on October 31 and November 1.

IT added: “Pupils are polite and respectful to adults and each other. They have extremely positive attitudes and love learning. As a result, pupils thrive and behave exceedingly well.”