William Ransom Primary School

William Ransom Primary is a caring and happy school where pupils feel settled and behave well. The curriculum is well structured and teachers generally deliver it confidently, helping pupils build knowledge over time; reading and early years provision are particular strengths, and pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs and personal-development opportunities. Safeguarding is effective and attendance is well managed. The main weaknesses lie in the quality of education and leadership and management. The central concern is SEND: leaders do not have sufficiently clear oversight, pupils' needs are not identified precisely, and curriculum adaptations and checks on learning are not robust enough, so pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. Extra support for pupils with gaps in knowledge is also inconsistent and not always effective. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first section 5 inspection since 2014, when it was judged outstanding; under current arrangements no overall effectiveness grade is awarded. Inspectors also noted recent leadership changes, including the headteacher's appointment in September 2023.

Strengths

• Caring and happy school with warm staff-pupil relationships
• Pupils behave well and disruption in lessons is rare
• Clear behaviour expectations are consistently upheld
• Well-structured curriculum helps pupils build knowledge over time
• Teachers typically deliver curriculum content confidently
• Strong early reading provision with prompt extra support
• Most pupils become confident and fluent readers
• Early years provision is effective, with clear routines and a language-rich environment
• Personal development includes adapted PSHE and local risk awareness
• Wide range of clubs and high-quality books available
• Attendance is prioritised and managed securely
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Leaders lack clear strategic oversight of pupils with SEND
• Staff do not identify pupils' individual SEND needs precisely enough
• Systems to check the learning of pupils with SEND are not always robust
• Curriculum adaptations for pupils with SEND are not effective enough
• Pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could
• Support programmes for pupils with gaps in knowledge are not always effective
• Not all pupils receive the right support at the right time
• Leadership and management lack clear systems and processes

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 William Ransom Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.6% 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, 0.2% of pupils at William Ransom 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 William Ransom Primary School had 25.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.5% 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, 11.7% of pupils at William Ransom Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% 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 William Ransom Primary School received £6,850 and spent £6,828 for each of its 419 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £167,000 (£397 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 William Ransom Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for William Ransom Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was William Ransom Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

William Ransom Primary School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does William Ransom Primary School have?

William Ransom Primary School has 419 pupils on roll.

What age range does William Ransom Primary School cover?

William Ransom Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is William Ransom Primary School?

William Ransom Primary School is at Stuart Drive, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 9QB.