Whitehill Junior School

Whitehill Junior School is performing well and has maintained its status as a good school since its last inspection in June 2017. The school exhibits a strong commitment to pupil growth, demonstrated by a well-structured curriculum that effectively engages students in their learning. Teachers are skilled and utilize their expertise to ensure that pupils understand new concepts thoroughly, leading to high-quality work and an enthusiastic approach to learning from the pupils. The supportive environment fosters exemplary behavior and promotes positive social interactions among students.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a happy and purposeful learning environment.
• The curriculum is aspirational and well-designed to promote knowledge retention.
• Teachers demonstrate strong expertise and employ effective teaching strategies.
• Pupils in need of additional reading support receive timely and effective help.
• High-quality individual support is provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Pupils engage enthusiastically in a wide range of extracurricular activities.

Areas for Improvement

• The use of assessment in some foundation subjects is not as effective as in English and mathematics.

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 Whitehill Junior School attended 96.9% 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 Whitehill 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 Whitehill Junior School had 19.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 7.4% 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, 10.8% of pupils at Whitehill Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.2% 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 Whitehill Junior School received £6,244 and spent £6,380 for each of its 241 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £93,000 (£386 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 Whitehill Junior School's Ofsted rating?

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

When was Whitehill Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Whitehill Junior School was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Whitehill Junior School have?

Whitehill Junior School has 241 pupils on roll.

What age range does Whitehill Junior School cover?

Whitehill Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

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

In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Whitehill Junior School?

Whitehill Junior School is at Whitehill Road, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 9HT.