Find the best primary schools in Winchester. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Winchester has 44 primary schools, all in Hampshire council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 44, 19 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Winchester primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Barton Farm Primary Academy | Mixed | 4.9 / 5 |
| The Westgate School | all-through | 4.8 / 5 |
| Twyford St Mary's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.8 / 5 |
| St Faith's Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.8 / 5 |
| Weeke Primary School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| Bishops Waltham Infant School | Mixed | 4.7 / 5 |
| St Bede Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.5 / 5 |
| Durley Church of England Controlled Primary School |
There are 44 primary schools in Winchester. Of those, 1 is an all-through school, teaching both primary and secondary years.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. If you live in Winchester, that council is Hampshire. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 44 primary schools in Winchester, 19 have a religious character: 18 Church of England and 1 Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Barton Farm Primary Academy (4.9), The Westgate School (4.8), Twyford St Mary's Church of England Primary School (4.8), St Faith's Church of England Primary School (4.8) and Weeke Primary School (4.7). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 44 schools here, 42 have enough published data for a rating.
| Church of England |
| 4.5 / 5 |
| Sparsholt Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.5 / 5 |
| Denmead Infant School | Mixed | 4.4 / 5 |
| Cornerstone CofE (VA) Primary School | Church of England | 4.4 / 5 |
| All Saints Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Newtown Soberton Infant School | Mixed | 4.2 / 5 |
| Otterbourne Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.2 / 5 |
| Western Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.1 / 5 |
| Meonstoke Church of England Infant School | Church of England | 4.1 / 5 |
| Kings Worthy Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Sun Hill Infant and Preschool | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Hambledon Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Itchen Abbas Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Colden Common Primary School | Mixed | 3.9 / 5 |
| Compton All Saints Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.9 / 5 |
| St Peter's Catholic Primary School, Winchester | Roman Catholic | 3.8 / 5 |
| West Meon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Bishop's Waltham Junior School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| John Keble Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Stanmore Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Winnall Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Swanmore Church of England Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| South Wonston Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Oliver's Battery Primary and Nursery School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Upham Church of England Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.4 / 5 |
| Owslebury Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| Sun Hill Junior School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| St John the Baptist Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| Wickham Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 3.2 / 5 |
| Cheriton Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Denmead Junior School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Micheldever CofE Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Harestock Primary School | Mixed | 2.9 / 5 |
| Berewood Primary School | Mixed | 2.8 / 5 |
| Curdridge Primary School | Mixed | 2.3 / 5 |
| Droxford Junior School | Mixed | Not yet rated |
| Newlands Primary Academy | Mixed | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.