Sarisbury Church of England Junior School

Compassion, courage and creativity are not just display-board language here, they sit at the centre of how the school talks about learning, behaviour and pupil leadership. The school’s latest official inspection found it had taken effective action to maintain its previously identified standards, with a clear picture of polite behaviour, ambitious curriculum intent and pupils who enjoy coming to school.

Academically, the latest published KS2 picture is solid on headline attainment. In the latest dataset, 70% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. At the higher standard, 20% achieved the higher benchmark. Reading, maths and GPS scaled scores also sit above 100, which is the national reference point for scaled scoring.

This is a junior school (Years 3 to 6), so the key admissions moment is Year 3 transfer. For Year 3 entry in September 2027 in Hampshire, applications close on 15 January 2027, with offers issued on 16 April 2027.

The school’s public-facing message is consistent, pupils are expected to take responsibility and contribute, not just follow rules. The structures described in the latest inspection report back this up, with pupils encouraged into formal roles such as colour team captains, prefects and peer-elected responsibilities. There are also defined groups, including the Rights Respecting team and the Peace team, which signals that citizenship and relationships are treated as something you practise, not something you get told about once a term.

The Church of England character is explicit and integrated into daily routines rather than reserved for occasional services. The school states that collective worship is used as a daily rhythm for reflection and celebration, and that the three core values are explored through that structure. For families who want a school where Christian values are visible in language and routines, that clarity is helpful. For families who prefer a more secular tone, it is worth understanding how worship, spirituality and faith teaching sit in the weekly timetable.

Leadership is also clearly anchored. Catherine Nice is named as headteacher, and the most recent inspection confirms she joined in September 2022, which matters because it tells you the current direction is not a legacy arrangement, it is being actively shaped by the present team.

Because this is a junior school, the most relevant performance lens is KS2. The latest data paints a broadly positive attainment profile:

• Expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined: 70%

• Higher standard in reading, writing and maths: 20%

• Reading scaled score: 106

• Maths scaled score: 105

• GPS scaled score: 105

• Science expected standard: 90%

In FindMySchool’s primary ranking (based on official outcomes data), the school is ranked 4,998th of 14,978 schools in England for primary academic outcomes and 8th in Southampton. This is a much stronger position than the previous profile suggested. The practical takeaway for parents is to look at both layers together: the headline attainment measures show many pupils meeting expected standards, while the local rank provides useful context against nearby schools using consistent measures.

The school’s own description emphasises an engaging curriculum with themed days and trips, plus structured opportunities to represent the school through sport and music. The inspection report adds detail about how teaching is expected to work: strong subject knowledge, clear presentation, and questioning intended to deepen understanding. A specific example given is the use of songs and actions in mathematics to help pupils retain vocabulary linked to angles, which points to a teaching style that uses memory supports and shared language rather than assuming pupils will pick concepts up indirectly.

Reading is positioned as a spine rather than a single subject. The inspection describes a focus on reading woven through the curriculum, with “English ambassadors” championing books through reviews and peer recommendations. That suggests two things. First, reading culture is being built socially, not just through quiet individual reading time. Second, leadership opportunities start young and are framed as service, not status.

There are also clear next steps identified for the school. In a small number of subjects, the curriculum knowledge that pupils should recall over time is not yet selected precisely enough, and that can limit how consistently lessons build on prior learning. For many families, this is the kind of improvement point that reads as normal curriculum refinement rather than a fundamental weakness, but it is a sensible discussion point at a visit: ask how the school is defining “essential knowledge” in foundation subjects, and how leaders check it is retained.

As a junior school, most pupils will transfer to Year 7 in Hampshire secondary schools through the local authority admissions process. What matters most is the pathway planning during Year 6: how the school supports families with choices, deadlines, and transition readiness. Hampshire’s secondary admissions timeline is separate to Year 3 transfer, and families should track that process early if a move to a specific secondary is important.

If you are trying to understand the likely next-step options from your address, Hampshire provides a catchment checker, and parents can also use FindMySchool’s Map Search to sanity-check travel distance and local alternatives quickly before committing to a single plan.

The school describes itself as a three-form junior school, with many pupils arriving from the paired infant school at the start of Year 3, alongside children joining from other settings. For September 2027 entry, the admissions number is stated as 90.

Year 3 entry is coordinated by Hampshire County Council. The key dates for the main admissions round for September 2026 are:

• Applications open: 1 November 2025

• Deadline: 15 January 2027

• Offers released: 16 April 2027

For Year 3 entry in September 2027 in Hampshire, applications close on 15 January 2027, with offers issued on 16 April 2027.

If you are considering joining outside the normal Year 3 intake, Hampshire also sets out the approach for September 2026 starts via in-year applications, with exceptional processing timelines from 1 May 2026 and decisions processed from 8 June 2026.

The school signposts that it welcomes visits and that arrangements can be made via the school office, which is usually the quickest way to understand class organisation, support, and how places are managed when year groups are near capacity.

The school’s pupil leadership structure is one of the clearer pastoral signals. When a school builds systems like Peace teams and Rights Respecting roles into the pupil experience, it typically means relationships and behaviour are expected to be explicit, practised and talked about regularly, not treated as separate from learning.

Safeguarding is the essential baseline. Ofsted confirmed the school’s safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Inclusion is also publicly explained rather than implied. The school identifies its SENCo as Rebecca Paddock and describes an approach focused on adapting teaching so pupils’ strengths and barriers are understood and responded to. For families with SEND questions, that named point of contact is useful because it supports specific conversations about provision, communication and how support is reviewed.

This is an area where the school gives unusually concrete detail. The current extra-curricular list is published in a way that lets parents see what is genuinely happening week by week. Examples include:

• French Club (Monday, in the library)

• SJS School Choir (Thursday, in the hall)

• Sewing and Crafting Club (Thursday)

• A range of year-group sport options including girls’ football, netball, dodgeball and basketball, some funded through the sports premium

The implication is practical. Families looking for after-school enrichment can plan around a known timetable rather than hoping provision appears later. It also suggests pupils can sample languages, performing arts and practical creative work alongside sport, which often suits children who thrive when school life has multiple “routes to shine”.

Music looks like a particular pillar. The school states pupils have opportunities to learn instruments through Beyond the Beat and to represent the school in an orchestra. That is not a generic “music is important” claim, it implies a defined external partnership and group performance structures.

Outdoor learning is also described as part of curriculum enrichment, with an explicit emphasis on learning in and about nature to build healthy, resilient and environmentally aware pupils. The key parent question here is how often this happens and which year groups get it most consistently, because outdoor learning works best when it is routine rather than occasional.

The published school day structure is clear. Registers are taken between 08:45 and 09:00, and pupils are dismissed at 15:30. Morning break is 20 minutes and lunch is one hour.

Wraparound care is available on site through Sprouts Childcare. The school notes Sprouts has provided wraparound care at Sarisbury schools since September 2017, and publishes session timings, including breakfast club from 07:30 to the start of school and after-school club from the end of the school day until 18:00. Costs are listed as £7.95 per breakfast session and £14.75 per after-school session. A holiday club is also described, running 07:30 to 18:00 and based at the infant school site.

For travel, most families will think for local road access and walkability in Sarisbury Green, plus bus routes in the wider Southampton and Fareham area. If your shortlist depends on daily logistics, map the journey at drop-off and pick-up times, then compare against wraparound availability so you are not relying on best-case traffic.

• Junior-only entry point. Many pupils will arrive at Year 3 via transfer, which can be a big change for children coming from smaller infant settings. Ask how induction is handled for pupils joining without an established peer group.

• Curriculum refinement underway. The latest inspection highlights that in a few subjects, the most important knowledge to be remembered over time is not yet defined precisely enough. Families may want to understand what has changed since December 2024, and how leaders are checking that pupils retain key learning.

• Reading support precision. Where pupils need help mastering reading, support is in place, but monitoring is not always as tight as it could be, which can make practice less targeted. If reading is a key concern, ask what tracking looks like in day-to-day routines.

• Faith character is real. Collective worship and Christian values are central to the school’s identity. This will suit many families, but it is worth checking fit if you prefer a more secular culture.

A well-structured junior school that places values, pupil leadership and personal development at the centre, while also posting KS2 outcomes above England averages in the most recent published data. Best suited to families who want a Church of England ethos alongside a busy extracurricular timetable, and who value clear routines plus wraparound care options. For shortlisting, the practical work is admissions planning and transition thinking, particularly if your child will join at Year 3 from a different school.