Knavesmire Primary School

Knavesmire Primary School has demonstrated outstanding overall effectiveness in its first inspection since joining the South Bank multi-academy trust. The school provides a remarkable educational experience characterized by a rich curriculum that is both engaging and well-structured, leading to exceptional academic achievement among its pupils. Leaders at the school maintain high expectations and promote a culture of curiosity and respect, equipping students not only academically but also socially and emotionally for their future education.

Strengths

• Exceptional academic achievement across all year groups
• Highly ambitious leadership that fosters pupil engagement
• Well-structured phonics and reading programs
• Strong focus on personal development and wellbeing
• Effective support for pupils with SEND
• Rich curriculum experiences that ignite curiosity
• Positive school culture that encourages respect and collaboration

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 Knavesmire Primary School attended 96.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.6% 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 Knavesmire 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 Knavesmire Primary School had 23.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.2% 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, 8.3% of pupils at Knavesmire Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% 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 Knavesmire Primary School received £6,004 and spent £6,059 for each of its 487 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £117,000 (£240 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Excel Learning Trust, income was £7,165 and spending £7,076 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 York · York local authority: places and applications

Knavesmire Primary School is part of Excel Learning Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Millthorpe School York
• Scarcroft Primary School York
• York High School York
• Woodthorpe Primary School York
• Carr Junior School York

What is Knavesmire Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Knavesmire Primary School is Outstanding, from an inspection in November 2022.

When was Knavesmire Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Knavesmire Primary School was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Knavesmire Primary School have?

Knavesmire Primary School has 484 pupils on roll.

What age range does Knavesmire Primary School cover?

Knavesmire Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 84% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Knavesmire Primary School?

Knavesmire Primary School is at Trafalgar Street, York, North Yorkshire, YO23 1HY.