Hilltop Junior School

Overall, Hilltop Junior School is a welcoming and inclusive school that is performing at expected standards across most areas, with inclusion judged particularly strong. The school is part of the HEARTS Academy Trust and has seen significant leadership changes since its last inspection, including a new headteacher in March 2025. Leaders have a clear vision and are well supported by the trust and local advisory board. Pupils are safe, feel a strong sense of belonging, and achieve well, especially in reading and writing, where outcomes are consistently above national averages. Disadvantaged pupils also perform well, and pupils with SEND make appropriate progress. The curriculum is broad, ambitious and well sequenced, and teaching is effective, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Attendance is strong and persistent absence is low. Pupils generally behave well and enjoy positive relationships, though behaviour at social times is not always as strong and a minority of pupils need more support with self-discipline. The main areas for development are strengthening communication and trust with parents, improving behaviour and self-discipline at social times, and ensuring teachers consistently correct errors in written work. Safeguarding standards are met, and staff are positive about leadership and their professional development.

Strengths

• Highly inclusive culture with early identification of additional needs
• Tailored support plans help pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers
• Strong use of pupil premium funding to broaden disadvantaged pupils' experiences
• Reading and writing outcomes consistently above national averages
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve better than their peers nationally in reading and writing
• Pupils with SEND and other additional needs make appropriate progress
• Effective systems secure high attendance and low persistent absence
• Broad, ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum tailored to pupils' needs
• Teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is effective
• Pupils develop strong vocabulary and oracy skills
• Pupils feel safe, valued and have a strong sense of belonging
• Thoughtful personal development programme and wide enrichment offer
• Staff are positive about leadership, workload and wellbeing
• Trust and local advisory board provide effective challenge and support

Areas for Improvement

• Some parents and carers lack confidence in leaders and communication with parents needs improvement
• Pupils' conduct at social times sometimes falls short of expectations and is not consistently challenged
• A minority of pupils struggle to consistently demonstrate self-discipline and dedication to learning in lessons
• Errors in pupils' written work are not always consistently corrected

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 Hilltop Junior School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.8% 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, 1.1% of pupils at Hilltop Junior 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 Hilltop Junior School had 18.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 40.2% 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, 12.8% of pupils at Hilltop Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.9% 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 Hilltop Junior School received £8,095 and spent £7,705 for each of its 360 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £507,000 (£1,407 per pupil).

Across all 6 schools of Hearts Academy Trust, income was £9,105 and spending £8,802 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 Wickford · Essex local authority: places and applications

Hilltop Junior School is part of Hearts Academy Trust, which runs 6 schools. The nearest others:

• Hilltop Infant School Wickford
• The Wickford Church of England School Wickford
• Briscoe Primary School & Nursery Basildon
• Waterman Primary School Rochford
• Stambridge Primary School Rochford

What is Hilltop Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hilltop Junior School is Expected standard, from an inspection in September 2026.

When was Hilltop Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hilltop Junior School was last inspected in September 2026.

How many pupils does Hilltop Junior School have?

Hilltop Junior School has 352 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hilltop Junior School cover?

Hilltop Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Hilltop Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 67% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hilltop Junior School?

Hilltop Junior School is at Hill Avenue, Wickford, Essex, SS11 8LT.