Athelstan Primary School

Athelstan Primary School continues to be a good school, recognized for its vibrant and welcoming environment where pupils express a strong desire to attend. The school has developed a comprehensive curriculum that reflects its diverse community and prioritizes reading, aided by skilled teaching in phonics. Pupils are actively engaged, participate in various clubs, and show eagerness in leadership roles, enhancing their personal development. Parents express high satisfaction, indicating strong community support for the school's efforts.

Strengths

• Vibrant and welcoming school environment
• Strong emphasis on reading and phonics
• Well-planned and diverse curriculum
• Good provision for pupils with SEND
• Excellent staff-pupil relationships
• Active and engaged pupil participation in clubs and leadership roles
• Strong history knowledge among pupils

Areas for Improvement

• Writing proficiency is less strong compared to reading
• Key stage 1 pupils struggle with expressing answers in written form
• Opportunities for extended writing in key stage 2 are limited

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 Athelstan Primary School attended 93.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.4% 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, 0.5% of pupils at Athelstan 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 Athelstan Primary School had 21.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.1% 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, 22.2% of pupils at Athelstan Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 Athelstan Primary School received £6,502 and spent £6,580 for each of its 604 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £199,000 (£330 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

All schools in Sheffield · Sheffield local authority: places and applications

Athelstan Primary School is part of The Crucible Co-Operative Learning Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Brunswick Community Primary School Sheffield

What is Athelstan Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Athelstan Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Athelstan Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Athelstan Primary School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Athelstan Primary School have?

Athelstan Primary School has 604 pupils on roll.

What age range does Athelstan Primary School cover?

Athelstan Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 73% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Athelstan Primary School?

Athelstan Primary School is at Richmond Park Way, Handsworth, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S13 8HH.