Cunningham Hill Junior School

Cunningham Hill Junior School has demonstrated outstanding performance across all areas in its recent inspection. The school fosters an environment where pupils are happy, engaged, and challenged to achieve their best, supported by a strong and effective leadership team. The curriculum is ambitious and well-sequenced, allowing students to build on their knowledge and develop a love for learning, particularly in reading where they receive significant support. Staff members are committed to the well-being of both pupils and colleagues, creating a collaborative and stable community.

Strengths

• Exceptional quality of education across the curriculum
• Outstanding behaviour and attitudes among pupils
• Strong leadership and commitment to staff and pupil well-being
• Effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• High standards of reading achievement and love for literature
• Vibrant extra-curricular activities that promote skill development

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 Cunningham Hill Junior School attended 96.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.9% 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 Cunningham Hill Junior 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 Cunningham Hill Junior School had 18.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.4% 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, 18.6% of pupils at Cunningham Hill Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.8% 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 Cunningham Hill Junior School received £7,614 and spent £7,737 for each of its 236 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £213,000 (£900 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 St Albans · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Cunningham Hill Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Cunningham Hill Junior School is Outstanding, from an inspection in June 2024.

When was Cunningham Hill Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Cunningham Hill Junior School was last inspected in June 2024.

How many pupils does Cunningham Hill Junior School have?

Cunningham Hill Junior School has 236 pupils on roll.

What age range does Cunningham Hill Junior School cover?

Cunningham Hill Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Cunningham Hill Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Cunningham Hill Junior School?

Cunningham Hill Junior School is at Cell Barnes Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 5QJ.