School Chooser

Sun Hill Infant and Preschool

Primary · ages 3-7MixedCouncil127 pupilsNurseryAlresfordHampshire
School Chooser Score
39
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 18 to 66
Out of 100. Better than 16% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, January 2026
Attendance93.7%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families7%Far fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend96%53 Parent View responses
Places8 spare127 pupils, 135 places
Pupils per teacher20.4School workforce census

Sun Hill Infant and Preschool is a council school in Alresford for boys and girls aged 3 to 7. It has 127 pupils and room for 135. About 7 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 39 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 16% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in January 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Sun Lane, Alresford, SO24 9NB01962 732632sunhillinfantandpreschool.co.ukMrs Helen Wilson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 6 January 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Strong
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
Strong
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
14 September 2021S5 InspectionGood

Results

No published results yet for this school.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places103 pupils for 150 places, 2024/25
69% full

47 places were empty (31% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 16% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. Every child who applied got a place (35 offers for 45 places).

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary455335all offeredLA
2025 Primary454830all offeredLA
2024 Primary454531all offeredLA
2023 Primary455437all offeredLA
2022 Primary604330all offeredLA

What parents say

Would recommend the school96%England 87%
My child is happy here96%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe96%
Positive overall96%
My child is happy at this school
96%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
96%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
96%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
6% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
67%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
96%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
9% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
100%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
96%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
79%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
94%England 82%
I would recommend this school
96%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
96%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 53 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll127Census January 2026
Places13594% full
Pupils from low-income families6%7% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English2%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support9%11 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan1%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size23.33 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)7%£10,850 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls59 / 68
White British pupils90%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (4), emotional and mental health (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Specific learning difficulty (2), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll127131130133123135
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals6%7%5%8%7%7%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language2%6%4%2%2%3%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support8%6%7%10%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans1%1%1%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance93.7%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school10.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.9%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence6.3%5.2%5.4%5.6%2.7%3.5%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence5.4%4.9%5.1%5.4%2.6%3.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.9%0.3%0.4%0.3%0.1%0.2%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence10.8%9.1%12.4%17.9%1.0%5.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.00.00.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers5.6full-time equivalent, 8 people
Pupils per teacher20.4Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.2full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,135
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.12024/25

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,802England £7,738. Total £864k
Income per pupil£6,638England £7,697. Total £843k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,108England £3,480
Money in reserve7%Not much put by: £61k, £476 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£21kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£6,802spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m4612 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate32 per 1,000 people65% lower than the England average
Typical house price£460,240Winchester
Nearest bus stop100 mSun Hill School, 7 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Sun Hill Junior SchoolAcademy0 m145Report card 202653Compare
Cheriton Primary SchoolCouncil2.2 miles70No overall grade 202567Compare
Itchen Abbas Primary SchoolCouncil3.4 miles62Good 202365Compare
Ropley CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England3.4 miles180Good 202271Compare
Four Marks Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England5.0 miles271Good 202368Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Sun Hill Infant and Preschool with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats16%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 39 is 32 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 71 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Sun Hill Infant and Preschool, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Twyford St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolChurch of England8.3 miles141Not inspected93Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 39 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 39% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 18 to 66. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.07
Ofsted report card, 0.7 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.31
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.02
2024/25; 74 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say5%above
+0.08
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 53 responses

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Sun Hill Infant and Preschool a good school?

It is about average. Sun Hill Infant and Preschool scores 39 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 16% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 18 to 66, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Sun Hill Infant and Preschool's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 6 January 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as as expected.

How many pupils does Sun Hill Infant and Preschool have?

127 pupils aged 3 to 7 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 135 places, so it is 94% full.

Is Sun Hill Infant and Preschool oversubscribed?

Probably not. 47 places were empty in 2024/25 (31% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Sun Hill Infant and Preschool?

Pupils were in school 93.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 11% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about Sun Hill Infant and Preschool?

96% of the 53 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 96% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at Sun Hill Infant and Preschool?

The average class had 23.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Sun Lane, Alresford, SO24 9NB
Telephone
01962 732632
Website
sunhillinfantandpreschool.co.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Helen Wilson
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-7, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Hampshire
Ward
Alresford and Itchen Valley
Constituency
Winchester
Setting
Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
115992 · LAESTAB 8502255 · UKPRN 10075369

Where these figures come from