Heronshaw School

Heronshaw School has been inspected for the first time since converting to an academy and has received a good overall effectiveness rating. The school excels in behavior and attitudes, and offers an outstanding personal development program. Leaders are dedicated to ensuring a broad and rich curriculum that nurtures both academic success and personal growth, making students feel safe and valued. However, challenges persist in attendance, particularly among vulnerable pupils, and there are inconsistencies in the implementation of the curriculum in certain subjects.

Strengths

• Exceptional behavior and attitude from pupils
• Outstanding personal development opportunities
• Strong academic performance linked with personal skills
• High expectations set by leaders for all pupils
• Effective safeguarding practices
• Supportive school environment with extensive extra-curricular activities

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent teaching of geography curriculum components
• Inadequate oversight of SEND provision by leaders and trustees
• Some pupils remain persistently absent, impacting their learning

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 Heronshaw School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.7% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Heronshaw 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 Heronshaw School had 29.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 52.4% 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, 14.9% of pupils at Heronshaw School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.2% 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 Heronshaw School received £7,698 and spent £6,783 for each of its 196 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £872,000 (£4,451 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of Inspiring Futures Through Learning, income was £6,729 and spending £6,481 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 Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications

Heronshaw School is part of Inspiring Futures Through Learning, which runs 22 schools. The nearest others:

• Heronsgate School Milton Keynes
• Heronshill School and Nursery Milton Keynes
• Glebe Farm School Milton Keynes
• New Chapter Primary School Milton Keynes
• St Mary's Wavendon CofE Primary Milton Keynes
• Brooklands Farm Primary School Milton Keynes
• Rickley Park Primary School Bletchley
• Chestnuts Primary School Milton Keynes
• Holmwood School Milton Keynes
• Two Mile Ash School Milton Keynes

What is Heronshaw School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Heronshaw School is Good, from an inspection in January 2023.

When was Heronshaw School last inspected by Ofsted?

Heronshaw School was last inspected in January 2023.

How many pupils does Heronshaw School have?

Heronshaw School has 161 pupils on roll.

What age range does Heronshaw School cover?

Heronshaw School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Heronshaw School?

Heronshaw School is at Lichfield Down, Walnut Tree, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK7 7PG.