Schools in Southampton

Medieval town walls and Victorian warehouse frontages define a port city shaped by centuries of Atlantic trade, most famously as the departure point for the RMS Titanic in 1912 and the Mayflower three centuries earlier, though much of the centre was rebuilt after the wartime bombing of the Southampton Blitz. Portswood and Swaythling extend the residential belt toward the university quarter to the northeast, popular with academic and professional families. Around 254,000 people live across the city today.

Freemantle and Shirley are among the most school-competitive districts in the city, with families actively competing for primary catchments across both areas. Winchester, to the north, draws parents seeking selective secondary provision. The city sits where the River Test meets the Itchen at the head of Southampton Water, and Southampton Central station connects to London Waterloo via the South Western Main Line while also serving Portsmouth, Winchester, and the wider coast.

  • 109

    Primary

    schools

  • 24

    Secondary

    schools

  • 2

    All-through

    schools

  • 2

    Post-16

    colleges

  • 18

    Special

    schools

  • 5

    Other

    schools

of which12sixth forms·29faith·1nursery schools161 total

Area Performance

Southampton schools rank in the top 53% of England

Across 113 primary, secondary and sixth-form schools, state and independent. The average Find My School Inspection Score is 7.45/10, +0.07 vs England.

Find My School Inspection Band

17% Elite

Distribution across all Southampton schools

EliteExcellentGoodDevelopingRebuilding

Southampton vs England distribution

National Rank

Top 53%

Across all ranked Southampton schools

Top 53%Primaryavg #7,901 of 14,821
Top 55%Secondaryavg #2,083 of 3,803
Top 49%Sixth formavg #1,247 of 2,523

Local directory

School profiles in Southampton

Browse 94 local profile links across primary schools in southampton town, secondary schools in southampton town, sixth forms in southampton town and other schools. Each profile brings together admissions context, performance data, inspection history and school details in one place.

97 nurseries in Southampton

Primary schools in Southampton town

55 local matches

Rankings

Secondary schools in Southampton town

15 local matches

Rankings

Sixth forms in Southampton town

5 local matches

Rankings

Other schools

23 local matches

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