Sholing Junior School is a co-educational junior school (7 - 11 years) of 360 pupils. The standard admission number is set at 90 (September 2015). It is an Urban City school and caters mainly for children who live on the eastern side of Southampton. We place personal development and emotional literacy high on our agenda and the motto of Sholing Junior School is ‘Achieving Together'. We see ourselves as a learning community in which all stakeholders; pupils, parents and staff alike, are acknowledged to be learners and are encouraged to achieve together and strive for excellence. The school is an integral part of the local community and is exceptionally well regarded by parents. Sholing Junior School is presently full with most year groups over-subscribed.
The school is in an area of comparative disadvantage and the school deprivation indicator has increased since 2010. 60% of our children live in IDACI rank 1 & 2 'most deprived' areas (April 2016). The catchment serves an area of mostly local authority and social housing with a little private housing. It includes a wide social mix, including pupils with complex social, emotional and educational needs. Despite the financial barriers, pupil participation in extra-curricular activities and residential trips is high. Our pupils come from the wards of Sholing, Peartree, Bitterne and Harefield with the many coming from the Merry Oak Estate. The area of Sholing is a stable community with many of our pupils' parents and grandparents having attended the school. Although the majority of children are from the immediate locality, increasing numbers apply and come from beyond the catchment area. The majority of pupils are white with 14.2% from minority ethnic backgrounds. Children that transfer to us from other schools often arrive with very low self-esteem due to their previous unhappy experiences. When they leave us, the vast majority have self-belief and are positive about themselves and the future.
[1] The people in this category have modest lifestyles, but are able to get by. NA = national figure