Pirton School

Pirton School is a small, below-average-sized primary school with a broadly positive inspection outcome. Safeguarding standards are met, early years and pupils’ personal development and wellbeing are strong, while most other areas are at the expected standard. The school is inclusive, knows its pupils well and provides effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Leaders have improved the curriculum since the previous inspection, attendance is above national averages, and pupils generally behave well and feel safe.

Strengths

• Early years provision is a clear priority and children achieve very well from their starting points.
• Children develop strong communication, early reading and mathematics skills.
• Pupils’ personal development and wellbeing are given high priority.
• Pupils feel safe, valued and supported by staff.
• The school is inclusive and identifies pupils’ needs accurately and early.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND receive effective support and usually achieve in line with their peers.
• The curriculum has been improved and is well sequenced since the previous inspection.
• Attendance is above national averages and most pupils attend regularly.
• Most pupils behave well, follow routines and have positive attitudes to learning.
• Leaders support staff wellbeing and workload, and staff feel supported.
• Governors understand their roles and hold leaders to account.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, trips and enrichment opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Expectations for learning and behaviour are not applied consistently, leading to low-level disruption.
• Staff do not always reinforce routines or address low-level disruption promptly.
• In some subjects, pupils do not apply spelling, writing or subject vocabulary accurately.
• Staff do not always check pupils’ understanding carefully enough or correct gaps promptly.
• Some pupils do not build new knowledge as securely as they could across all subjects.
• Attendance remains lower for a small number of pupils, including some disadvantaged pupils.
• Communication with some parents is inconsistent and relationships need strengthening.
• Improvement in behaviour and learning consistency is not yet embedded.

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 Pirton School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 11.2% 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, 1.5% of pupils at Pirton 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 Pirton School had 16.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 39.5% 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, 22.8% of pupils at Pirton School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.1% 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 Pirton School received £7,787 and spent £8,329 for each of its 136 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £90,000 (£662 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 Hitchin · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Pirton School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pirton School is Expected standard, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Pirton School last inspected by Ofsted?

Pirton School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Pirton School have?

Pirton School has 136 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pirton School cover?

Pirton School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Pirton School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 65% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Pirton School?

Pirton School is at High Street, Pirton, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 3PS.