Tower Hill Primary School

Tower Hill Primary School is a highly inclusive and caring school where pupils are happy, feel safe and behave exceptionally well. Inspectors found outstanding provision for behaviour and attitudes, personal development and early years, while the quality of education and leadership and management were good. The school has grown considerably since its previous inspection and this was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic; it is no longer given an overall effectiveness grade. Pupils benefit from a well-designed curriculum, strong subject knowledge among staff and highly effective phonics teaching. Children in the early years thrive and make secure foundations for future learning. Pupils’ wider development is a notable strength, with a wide extra-curricular offer, strong values and an inclusive ethos that supports disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. Attendance is high, and governors and staff are committed and well supported. The main area for improvement is reading beyond early phonics. A minority of teaching does not develop pupils’ reading knowledge and understanding sufficiently well, so some pupils do not progress through the reading curriculum as well as they could by Year 6. Some recently revised subject curriculums are also less established than others, meaning pupils do not remember as much in those subjects.

Strengths

• Pupils behave impeccably in and out of lessons, with minimal disruption to learning.
• The school has a highly inclusive ethos and strong provision for pupils with SEND.
• Children in the early years thrive and build very secure foundations for future learning.
• Staff deliver the phonics curriculum expertly, and pupils who struggle are supported to catch up quickly.
• Pupils’ personal development is outstanding, including through a wide range of clubs and visits.
• Pupils understand and believe in the school’s values and show high respect for others.
• Attendance is high, and the school takes decisive, supportive action where needed.
• Governors provide effective support and challenge, and staff are proud to work at the school.
• Pupils achieve well in many subjects, including mathematics, physical education, history and art and design.

Areas for Improvement

• A minority of teaching does not develop pupils’ reading knowledge and understanding sufficiently well, so some pupils do not progress through the reading curriculum as well as they could by Year 6.
• Some recently revised subject curriculums are less established, so pupils do not remember as much in those subjects as in more established ones.

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 Tower Hill Primary School attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.2% 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, 0.7% of pupils at Tower Hill 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 Tower Hill Primary School had 22.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 17.6% 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, 17.7% of pupils at Tower Hill Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% 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 Tower Hill Primary School received £6,522 and spent £6,512 for each of its 418 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £229,000 (£548 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 Farnborough · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Tower Hill Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Tower Hill Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Tower Hill Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Tower Hill Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Tower Hill Primary School have?

Tower Hill Primary School has 418 pupils on roll.

What age range does Tower Hill Primary School cover?

Tower Hill Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Tower Hill Primary School?

Tower Hill Primary School is at Fowler Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 0BW.