Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy

Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy is performing well, achieving a rating of 'Good' overall, despite previously being rated 'Outstanding'. The school has successfully maintained a nurturing environment where pupils feel welcomed and thrive. The curriculum is well-structured, supporting pupils' academic development and personal growth. Notably, the school's commitment to values like perseverance and compassion helps in instilling a sense of moral purpose among pupils. Parents affirm the positive atmosphere, with many praising the school's family ethos and the transformative effects on students, particularly those with special educational needs or challenging backgrounds. However, the report highlights that the ambitious curriculum is not consistently realized in practice, as teaching occasionally lacks adaptability to pupils' prior learning. This inconsistency affects the retention of knowledge and the ability to connect past learning with current studies. The school is currently navigating a higher-than-average turnover of pupils, which can influence overall learning outcomes. The inspection recognized the effectiveness of the school's leadership and its focus on improvement, particularly in addressing post-pandemic challenges and enhancing support for those with SEND.

Strengths

• Outstanding behavior and attitudes among pupils
• Nurturing and supportive school environment
• Effective early reading instruction and phonics
• Well-structured and systematically reviewed curriculum
• Strong emphasis on personal development and moral values
• Proficient strategies for supporting pupils with SEND

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching sometimes does not adequately consider pupils' prior knowledge
• Pupils struggle to recall and connect previous learning effectively

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 Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy attended 94.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.5% 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 Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy 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 Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy had 16.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.9% 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, 28.7% of pupils at Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 10.1% 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 2024–25 Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy received £6,828 and spent £6,859 for each of its 128 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £109,000 (£852 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Ashley Hill Multi Academy Trust, income was £7,364 and spending £7,180 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Reading · Windsor and Maidenhead local authority: places and applications

Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy is part of Ashley Hill Multi Academy Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• White Waltham CofE Academy Maidenhead
• Bisham Church of England Academy Marlow

What is Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy is Good, from an inspection in July 2024.

When was Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy last inspected by Ofsted?

Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy was last inspected in July 2024.

How many pupils does Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy have?

Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy has 129 pupils on roll.

What age range does Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy cover?

Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy for pupils aged 5 to 11.

What are Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 60% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy?

Knowl Hill Church of England Primary Academy is at Bath Road, Knowl Hill, Reading, Berkshire, RG10 9UX.