Athelney Primary School

Athelney Primary School is an inclusive and caring school where pupils feel safe, respected and a strong sense of belonging. Inspectors found personal development and wellbeing to be a strong standard, with a broad enrichment programme, extensive leadership opportunities, and pastoral support described as second to none. Pupils behave very well, are confident and welcoming, and the school's inclusive culture, including its specialist resourced provision for pupils with autism, is a notable strength. Early years and inclusion are expected standard, with children getting a positive start and SEND pupils generally well supported. The curriculum is broad and well embedded, and leaders' work to improve writing and mathematics is having a positive impact on current pupils' learning. However, historically pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 has been well below national averages, and the Year 1 phonics check has also been below average. Some pupils still have gaps in learning and misconceptions that are not always addressed swiftly. Leadership and governance are expected standard, with leaders and governors having an accurate view of strengths and priorities. Attendance is a significant concern: too many pupils miss too many days of school, and overall and persistent absence remain above national averages. Leaders are taking meticulous, well-targeted action and absence is reducing for some groups, but improvements are not yet sustained over time. The school is part of the King Alfred Federation and serves a community with above-average disadvantage and a high proportion of pupils with EHC plans; safeguarding standards are met.

Strengths

• Personal development and wellbeing are strong, with a broad range of cultural, sporting, artistic and leadership opportunities.
• Pupils are confident, respectful, honest, polite and welcoming, and they behave very well.
• The school has an inclusive culture and holds a nationally recognised quality mark for inclusion.
• Pupils with SEND, including those in the specialist resourced provision for autism, thrive.
• The curriculum is broad, rich and well embedded, with phonics, reading and foundational skills given high priority.
• Early years provides a very positive start, including for 2-year-olds, with swift progress in communication, language, early reading, mathematics and writing.
• Pastoral support is second to none, and staff care deeply about pupils.
• Leaders and governors have an accurate view of the school, work effectively together and are highly supportive of staff.
• Staff are proud to work at the school, feel well supported with workload and wellbeing, and benefit from effective professional development.
• Disadvantaged pupils' achievement is improving because of well-targeted funding and support.
• Leaders' actions to improve attendance are reducing absence for groups and individuals.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 has been well below national standards over time.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check has been below average.
• Some pupils across the school continue to have gaps in their learning.
• Some misconceptions persist in pupils' work where they are not identified and addressed fully.
• Teaching at times does not build effectively enough on pupils' prior learning so that gaps are followed up swiftly.
• Too many pupils currently miss too many days of school, with overall and persistent absence above national averages.
• Improvements in attendance have not yet been sustained over time.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Athelney Primary School attended 91.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 26.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Athelney Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Athelney Primary School had 15.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 19.5% of pupils at Athelney Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 12.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

The school has resourced provision with 18 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Athelney Primary School received £11,797 and spent £11,840 for each of its 341 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £132,000 (£389 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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What is Athelney Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Athelney Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Athelney Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Athelney Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Athelney Primary School have?

Athelney Primary School has 354 pupils on roll.

What age range does Athelney Primary School cover?

Athelney Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Athelney Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 43% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Athelney Primary School?

Athelney Primary School is at Athelney Street, London, SE6 3LD.