Willow Primary School

Willow Primary School is performing well overall, achieving a good rating in all areas of inspection. The school has recently undergone significant changes which have positively impacted pupils' lives. Staff and leaders embody the school's values, promoting a calm and respectful atmosphere, which contributes to pupils feeling safe and supported. The school offers an ambitious curriculum and effective reading programs, with strong support structures in place for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Strengths

• Ambitious curriculum that engages pupils
• Strong support for SEND pupils
• Effective reading programs fostering a love for reading
• Calm and orderly environment
• Positive relationships built on respect and care
• Extensive leadership opportunities for pupils
• Strong moral compass among pupils
• Good early years provision setting a solid foundation

Areas for Improvement

• Lesson structures not used effectively to recap and embed knowledge

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 Willow Primary School attended 96.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 7.1% 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 Willow 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 Willow Primary School had 27.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 31.2% 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, 14.1% of pupils at Willow Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 Willow Primary School received £5,963 and spent £5,767 for each of its 418 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £116,000 (£277 per pupil).

Across all 10 schools of Exceed Learning Partnership, income was £7,056 and spending £6,961 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 Doncaster · Doncaster local authority: places and applications

Willow Primary School is part of Exceed Learning Partnership, which runs 10 schools. The nearest others:

• Carr Lodge Academy Doncaster
• Hall Cross Academy Doncaster
• Sandringham Primary School Doncaster
• The Mallard Academy Doncaster
• Bentley High Street Primary School Doncaster
• Edlington Victoria Academy Doncaster
• Rosedale Primary School Doncaster
• Hill Top Academy Doncaster
• Sheep Dip Lane Academy Doncaster

What is Willow Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Willow Primary School is Good, from an inspection in December 2022.

When was Willow Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Willow Primary School was last inspected in December 2022.

How many pupils does Willow Primary School have?

Willow Primary School has 417 pupils on roll.

What age range does Willow Primary School cover?

Willow Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

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

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Willow Primary School?

Willow Primary School is at Alston Road, Bessacarr, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN4 7EZ.