Holmwood School
Holmwood School is an academy converter in Milton Keynes for pupils aged 2 to 7. It has 201 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Holmwood School is Good, from an inspection in June 2018 of its predecessor, Holmwood School.
Ofsted inspection: May 2024.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 2-7 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Kensington Drive Great Holm Milton Keynes Buckinghamshire MK8 9AB |
| Reference Number | 147381 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 201 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 54.23%
Girls: 45.77% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 17.1% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 28.4% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 26.9 |
| Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher | 25.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | 20 | 44 |
| 2 | 35 | 24 | 59 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 27.4% |
| Indian | 12.4% |
| White, Other | 11.4% |
| Asian, Other | 10.9% |
| African | 10% |
| Pakistani | 8.5% |
| Mixed, Other | 5% |
| White & Asian | 3% |
| Chinese | 2% |
| White & Black (African) | 2% |
| Unclassified | 1.5% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 1% |
This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Holmwood School, inspected in June 2018.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 26 Mar 2024 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 26 Mar 2024 | School inspection |
| 04 Oct 2019 | Academy conversion letter |
| 26 Jun 2018 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as Holmwood School | |
| 26 Apr 2016 | Full inspection: |
| 28 Mar 2014 | Interim assessment |
| 16 May 2011 | Full inspection: |
| 25 Sep 2007 | Full inspection: |
| 09 Dec 2002 | Full inspection |
Reception admissions, 2026 entry
Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment
| Number of Applications | Number of Offers | |
| First Preference | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Second Preference | 29 | 0 |
| Third Preference | 17 | 1 |
| From another Local Authority | 0 | 0 |
Previous years
Sample
UnlockPlaces and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 Holmwood School had 169 pupils for 180 places. 11 places (6.1%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “South West Primary” planning area
Milton Keynes counted 625 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 505 in 2029–30, down 19%.
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 175 | 180 | 180 | 180 | 180 |
| Pupils | 146 | 165 | 159 | 169 | 169 |
| Unfilled | 16.6% | 8.3% | 11.7% | 6.1% | 6.1% |
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 Holmwood School attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 12.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 1.4% | 4.3% | 4.6% | 3.4% | 4.4% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.8% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Severely absent pupils | 4.7% | 1.6% | 0.9% | 0.0% | 0.8% |
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 Holmwood School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 Holmwood School had 21.7 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 25.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 11.3 | 11.1 | 10.9 | 10.8 | 9.7 | 9.4 | 8.8 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 22.5% | 60.3% | 8.0% | 23.9% | 0.0% | 25.3% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | – | 55.6% | 72.7% | 66.7% | 77.8% | 63.6% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | – | 4.0 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 1.2 | 3.2 | – |
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, 22.9% of pupils at Holmwood School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Speech, language and communication needs | 19 | 1 |
| No specialist assessment of need | 11 | 0 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 6 | 4 |
| Social, emotional and mental health | 5 | 1 |
| Hearing impairment | 2 | 0 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 2 | 0 |
| Other difficulty or disability | 1 | 0 |
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 Holmwood School received £7,239 and spent £6,859 for each of its 196 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £232,000 (-£1,181 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
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | -£84,000 | -£192,000 | -£216,000 | -£288,000 | -£232,000 |
| per pupil | -£467 | -£1,007 | -£1,166 | -£1,449 | -£1,181 |
| In-year balance | £53,000 | -£43,000 | -£37,000 | -£14,000 | £74,000 |
| per pupil | £295 | -£225 | -£200 | -£72 | £379 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
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|
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|
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Watling Primary School
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|
Summerfield School
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|
Fairfields Primary School
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|
Greenleys Junior School
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Greenleys First School
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Bushfield School
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|
Caroline Haslett Primary School
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Germander Park School
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|
St Mary Magdalene Catholic Primary School
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1.79 miles |
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Long Meadow School
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| Name | Distance |
|
Denbigh School
Burchard Crescent, Shenley Church End, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK5 6EX |
0.84 miles |
|
Watling Academy
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1.08 miles |
|
Redwood Park School
20 Redland Drive, Milton Keynes, MK5 8HD |
1.14 miles |
|
The Hazeley Academy
Emperor Drive, Hazeley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8 0PT |
1.29 miles |
|
The Woodlands School
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1.36 miles |
|
Oakhill Secure Training Centre
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1.5 miles |
|
The Radcliffe School
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1.93 miles |
|
Shenley Brook End School
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2.02 miles |
|
Stantonbury School
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2.03 miles |
|
St Paul's Catholic School
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2.03 miles |
|
Milton Keynes College
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|
The Milton Keynes Academy
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Willow Park School
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|
Slated Row School
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2.2 miles |
|
The Webber Independent School
|
2.24 miles |
|
Stephenson Academy
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|
The Redway School
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Romans Field School
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|
Cambian Bletchley Park School
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3.25 miles |
|
White Spire School
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3.26 miles |
All schools in Milton Keynes · Milton Keynes local authority: places and applications
Holmwood School is part of Inspiring Futures Through Learning, which runs 22 schools. The nearest others:
- Two Mile Ash School Milton Keynes
- Ashbrook School Milton Keynes
- Whitehouse Primary School Milton Keynes
- Fairfields Primary School Milton Keynes
- New Chapter Primary School Milton Keynes
- St Mary and St Giles Church of England School Milton Keynes
- Rickley Park Primary School Bletchley
- Chestnuts Primary School Milton Keynes
- Portfields Primary School Newport Pagnell
- Heronshill School and Nursery Milton Keynes
What is Holmwood School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for Holmwood School is Good, from an inspection in June 2018 of its predecessor, Holmwood School.
When was Holmwood School last inspected by Ofsted?
Holmwood School was last inspected in May 2024.
How many pupils does Holmwood School have?
Holmwood School has 201 pupils on roll.
What age range does Holmwood School cover?
Holmwood School for pupils aged 2 to 7.
Where is Holmwood School?
Holmwood School is at Kensington Drive, Great Holm, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK8 9AB.