Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School

Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School is a larger-than-average Church of England primary where safeguarding is effective and inclusion is a clear strength. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, especially the most vulnerable, and staff identify needs quickly. Pupils with SEND, disadvantaged pupils, service family pupils and those known to social care make positive progress from their starting points, and attendance is high. Pupils behave well, feel safe and are proud of their school, and pastoral care is a notable strength. The school's curriculum, teaching, early years, leadership and personal development are generally secure. Teaching has improved rapidly in reading, writing and mathematics, and early reading and phonics are taught well. Governors and leaders know the school well, staff feel supported, and parents are overwhelmingly positive. However, achievement is the main concern: by the end of key stage 2, too many pupils do not reach expected standards, particularly in writing, and published outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are below national averages. Disadvantaged pupils also have lower outcomes than national averages, though their progress from starting points is positive. Assessment and curriculum delivery need sharper attention. In writing and some wider curriculum subjects, checks on pupils' understanding are not consistently effective, so misconceptions and gaps are not always addressed. Learning in some wider subjects does not build over time, and some lesson activities are not designed well enough to build on what pupils know. Leaders have already recognised these issues and taken action, with signs of improvement, but the impact is not yet consistent across the full curriculum or by the end of key stage 2.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive school with expert support for pupils with SEND and vulnerable groups.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding and alternative provision effectively to support disadvantaged pupils.
• Vulnerable pupils make strong progress from their starting points in learning and wellbeing.
• Attendance is high, including for vulnerable groups, due to targeted support and close work with families.
• Behaviour is well managed through consistent policy and positive relationships; bullying is rare.
• Early years curriculum is well sequenced, well resourced and supports children's independence and confidence.
• Phonics teaching is clear and helps early readers secure foundational skills.
• Pastoral care is a strength; pupils feel safe and know staff will help them.
• Pupils are polite, respectful and proud of their school; they value roles and responsibilities.
• Personal development programme is broad, responsive and promotes British values and wellbeing.
• Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of strengths and priorities and support and challenge effectively.
• Staff value leaders' attention to workload and wellbeing; parents are overwhelmingly supportive.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open and positive culture of safeguarding.

Areas for Improvement

• End of key stage 2 achievement is too low in reading, writing and mathematics, particularly writing.
• Published outcomes are inconsistent and below national averages over time.
• Disadvantaged pupils' outcomes at the expected standard remain below national averages.
• Assessment is not used consistently in writing and some wider curriculum subjects.
• Staff do not always check pupils' understanding effectively, so misconceptions and gaps persist.
• Learning in wider curriculum subjects does not build over time as well as it should.
• Some lesson activities are not designed well enough to build on prior knowledge and maximise learning.
• Too many pupils leave key stage 2 not fully prepared for the next stage of education.
• Improvements in teaching have not yet had the intended impact on achievement across all subjects.
• Lesson activity choices, including in early years, are not always designed effectively to maximise 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 Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.2% 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, 1.6% of pupils at Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided 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 Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School had 23.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 38.7% 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, 12.5% of pupils at Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School received £6,722 and spent £6,552 for each of its 359 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £23,000 (£64 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).

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All schools in Andover · Hampshire local authority: places and applications

What is Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School have?

Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School has 359 pupils on roll.

What age range does Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School cover?

Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 45% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School?

Pilgrims' Cross CofE Aided Primary School is at Picket Twenty Way, Picket Twenty, Picket Twenty Way, Andover, Hampshire, SP11 6TY.