Heddington Church of England Primary School

Heddington Church of England Primary School is a small voluntary-aided church primary school that provides a highly inclusive and nurturing environment. Pupils are happy, safe and exceptionally well behaved, and they are proud of their school. The school has high expectations and pupils achieve well, with early reading and phonics standing out as particular strengths. Children get a strong start in the early years, and personal development and behaviour are outstanding, supported by rich wider opportunities in music, drama, sport and clubs, strong pastoral care and effective safeguarding. Leadership is good, and governors know the school well and hold leaders to account. The previous inspection also judged the school good, and this graded inspection did not result in an overall effectiveness grade under the current framework. The main area for improvement is assessment in some foundation subjects. Checks on what pupils know and remember are not fully established across all subjects, so some gaps in pupils’ knowledge remain, including for children in the early years. This means pupils do not always remember some of the most important knowledge they need for later learning.

Strengths

• Warm and nurturing relationships between staff and pupils
• Highly inclusive culture that considers every pupil
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and exceptional politeness
• High expectations with pupils keen to learn and achieve well
• Swift, thorough and effective improvements to the curriculum
• Strong phonics and early reading teaching with books matched to pupils’ knowledge
• Quick identification of SEND and effective support from external agencies
• Outstanding wider development through music, drama, sport and clubs
• Strong pastoral support for pupils and families
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Governors with detailed knowledge who hold leaders to account
• Outstanding early years provision that prepares children well for Year 1

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment systems are not fully established in some foundation subjects
• Gaps remain in pupils’ knowledge in some curriculum areas, including in early years
• Pupils do not always remember key knowledge needed for later learning

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 Heddington Church of England Primary School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.0% 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 Heddington Church of England 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 Heddington Church of England Primary School had 15.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.8% 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, 18.7% of pupils at Heddington Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.7% 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 Heddington Church of England Primary School received £9,487 and spent £9,422 for each of its 75 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £0 (-£1 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 Calne · Wiltshire local authority: places and applications

What is Heddington Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Heddington Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Heddington Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Heddington Church of England Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Heddington Church of England Primary School have?

Heddington Church of England Primary School has 75 pupils on roll.

What age range does Heddington Church of England Primary School cover?

Heddington Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Heddington Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Heddington Church of England Primary School?

Heddington Church of England Primary School is at Church Road, Heddington, Heddington Primary School, Calne, Wiltshire, SN11 0PJ.