Elmhurst School

Elmhurst School is a larger-than-average primary in the Great Learners Trust, serving a community with above-average disadvantage. Inspectors found a caring, inclusive school where pupils feel safe, behave well and value the 'family feel'. Safeguarding is met, and attendance, while historically a concern, is improving rapidly and is now close to national averages. Leadership is well informed, governance and trust support are effective, and inclusion, early years, personal development and the wider curriculum are all strengths. Pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum, strong early reading and phonics, and good support for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils. The main area for improvement is achievement. Pupils' results at the end of Year 6 have been variable and declined in 2025; reading and mathematics are below national averages, and combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes are also below. Disadvantaged pupils perform broadly in line with national averages for disadvantaged pupils, and pupils with SEND typically progress well from their starting points, but the gap between disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils nationally remains wide. Some pupils do not always develop a secure understanding across subjects, and teaching challenge, feedback and opportunities to deepen learning are not yet consistent. Leaders know the school well and have clear priorities. The trust provides support and challenge, staff are well supported and parents are positive. Next steps focus on sustaining improvements in key stage 2 attainment and ensuring the ambitious curriculum is implemented consistently, with better adaptation and challenge so that gaps close and pupils deepen their understanding.

Strengths

• Caring, inclusive community where pupils feel safe and have a strong sense of belonging
• Strong leadership that knows the school and its community well and sets clear priorities
• Effective governance and trust support, providing both support and challenge
• Ambitious, well-designed curriculum with clear progression and golden threads
• Well-structured early reading and phonics with targeted support for pupils who need to catch up
• Effective SEND provision with inclusion central to decision-making
• Strong support for disadvantaged pupils, using additional funding effectively
• Calm and purposeful start to the day, with positive behaviour and respectful relationships
• Bullying and discriminatory behaviour are rare and dealt with swiftly
• Attendance is rapidly improving and is now close to national averages
• High-quality early years provision that prepares children well for Year 1
• Comprehensive personal development and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities
• Pupils take on leadership roles and develop as active citizens
• Staff feel well supported, with a well-planned programme of professional learning
• Parents and carers are very positive about the school
• Pupils are well prepared for transition to secondary school

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' achievement in national examinations at the end of Year 6 has been variable and declined in 2025
• Reading and mathematics outcomes at key stage 2 are below national averages
• Combined reading, writing and mathematics outcomes are below national averages
• The gap between disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils nationally remains wide
• Some pupils do not always demonstrate a secure understanding of what they have learned across subjects
• Teaching challenge and feedback are not consistently effective across all classes and subjects
• Pupils are not always given the opportunity to deepen their learning further
• Persistent absence remains above the national average, although it is improving
• Improvements in key stage 2 attainment need to be sustained over time
• Curriculum implementation and teacher adaptation need to be more consistent

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 Elmhurst School attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 19.9% 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, 2.5% of pupils at Elmhurst 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 Elmhurst School had 20.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.4% 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, 13.5% of pupils at Elmhurst School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.1% 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 Elmhurst School received £6,726 and spent £6,706 for each of its 454 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £275,000 (£607 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Great Learners Trust, income was £6,935 and spending £6,916 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 Aylesbury · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

Elmhurst School is part of Great Learners Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Bearbrook Combined School Aylesbury
• Bedgrove Junior School Aylesbury
• Great Kimble Church of England School Aylesbury
• Princes Risborough Primary School Princes Risborough
• Prestwood Infant School Great Missenden
• Prestwood Junior School Great Missenden
• Great Missenden CofE Combined School Great Missenden
• West Wycombe School High Wycombe
• Manor Farm Junior School High Wycombe
• Wooburn Green Primary School High Wycombe

What is Elmhurst School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Elmhurst School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Elmhurst School last inspected by Ofsted?

Elmhurst School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Elmhurst School have?

Elmhurst School has 468 pupils on roll.

What age range does Elmhurst School cover?

Elmhurst School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Elmhurst School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 47% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Elmhurst School?

Elmhurst School is at Dunsham Lane, Elmhurst School, Dunsham Lane, Aylesbury, Hp20 2db, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP20 2DB.