Knowles Primary School

Knowles Primary School has shown significant improvement since its last inspection, now achieving a good overall rating. The school excels in leadership, management, personal development, and early years provision, all rated as outstanding. The headteacher, Sarah Rice, and the dedicated staff have fostered an inclusive and supportive environment where pupils thrive academically and socially. High expectations for student performance, a well-structured curriculum, and effective support for pupils with special educational needs contribute to a positive learning atmosphere.

Strengths

• High expectations for every pupil's potential.
• Exceptional personal development curriculum.
• Outstanding leadership and management.
• Inclusive environment with strong relationships.
• Effective early years provision.
• Rigorous support for reading development.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent addressing of pupils' misconceptions by some staff.
• Difficulty in pupils recalling important learning over time.

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 Knowles Primary School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.4% 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, 2.0% of pupils at Knowles 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 Knowles Primary School had 19.8 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, 15.2% of pupils at Knowles 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 Knowles Primary School received £6,602 and spent £6,720 for each of its 348 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £34,000 (£97 per pupil).

Across all 13 schools of Tove Learning Trust, income was £7,790 and spending £7,801 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.

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All schools in Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications

Knowles Primary School is part of Tove Learning Trust, which runs 14 schools. The nearest others:

• Lord Grey Academy Milton Keynes
• Water Hall Primary School Milton Keynes
• Stantonbury School Milton Keynes
• Elizabeth Woodville School Milton Keynes
• Roade Village Academy Roade
• Sponne School Towcester
• Wootton Primary School Northampton
• Whitefriars Primary School Rushden
• Rushden Academy Rushden
• Huxlow Academy Irthlingborough

What is Knowles Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Knowles Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2023.

When was Knowles Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Knowles Primary School was last inspected in November 2023.

How many pupils does Knowles Primary School have?

Knowles Primary School has 356 pupils on roll.

What age range does Knowles Primary School cover?

Knowles Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Knowles Primary School?

Knowles Primary School is at Queensway, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK2 2HB.