Highfield Farm Primary School

Highfield Farm Primary School is performing at an expected standard overall, with notable strengths in fostering an inclusive environment and ensuring a strong culture of safeguarding. The leadership has established a nurturing atmosphere where every pupil feels welcome, and pastoral support is of high quality. However, there are concerns regarding the overall achievement of pupils, particularly in writing and areas like phonics and mathematics, where historic gaps in knowledge are not closing quickly. Despite some positive parental feedback, the school faces ongoing challenges, especially with attendance and the consistency of teaching, which impacts learning outcomes.

Strengths

• Strong culture of safeguarding that makes pupils feel safe.
• Deeply inclusive atmosphere where every pupil feels welcomed.
• Regular training contributes to staff expertise in handling diverse needs.
• Focus on personal development through a well-sequenced health education curriculum.
• Wide range of extra-curricular clubs that foster pupil engagement.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent academic achievements, particularly in writing.
• Low rates of attendance impacting pupils' learning.
• Variable quality of teaching leading to inconsistent learning experiences.
• Historic gaps in knowledge not being closed quickly enough.

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 Highfield Farm Primary School attended 92.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 21.6% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Highfield Farm 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 Highfield Farm Primary School had 19.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 34.2% of pupils at Highfield Farm Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 10.5% 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 Highfield Farm Primary School received £10,023 and spent £9,692 for each of its 84 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £2,000 (£26 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of James Montgomery Academy Trust, income was £6,982 and spending £6,835 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 Rotherham · Rotherham local authority: places and applications

Highfield Farm Primary School is part of James Montgomery Academy Trust, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• Brampton Ellis CofE Primary School Rotherham
• Wath Church of England Primary School Rotherham
• Wath Central Primary School Rotherham
• Brampton Cortonwood Infant School Barnsley
• Wath Victoria Primary School Rotherham
• Mexborough St John the Baptist CofE Primary School Mexborough
• St Ann's Primary School Rotherham
• Ferham Primary School Rotherham
• Meadow View Primary School Rotherham
• Hooton Pagnell All Saints Church of England Primary School Doncaster

What is Highfield Farm Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Highfield Farm Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in May 2026.

When was Highfield Farm Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Highfield Farm Primary School was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Highfield Farm Primary School have?

Highfield Farm Primary School has 76 pupils on roll.

What age range does Highfield Farm Primary School cover?

Highfield Farm Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 42% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Highfield Farm Primary School?

Highfield Farm Primary School is at Stokewell Road, Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S63 6NF.