Howden Junior School

Howden Junior School is performing securely at the expected standard overall, with safeguarding requirements met. Inspectors found pupils achieving well, positive attitudes and behaviour, strong attendance, and an inclusive culture. The school has experienced significant leadership change since the predecessor school’s last inspection, including a headteacher appointed in April 2025 and an assistant headteacher appointed in September 2025, and it is part of The Education Alliance trust. The school’s notable strengths include its provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, reading achievement, pastoral support and personal development. Pupils enjoy school, attendance is consistently above national averages, and behaviour is typically respectful with few disruptions. Leaders have developed an engaging curriculum and effective governance, and they are reflective about further improvements. There are still areas to address. Some disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND do not have gaps in knowledge identified and addressed quickly enough, partly because not all staff have had sufficient training in adapting tasks and teaching. Outcomes in the Year 4 multiplication tables check have been significantly below national averages over time, and writing outcomes, especially for disadvantaged pupils, remain below national averages. Leaders’ next steps rightly focus on embedding gap-identification processes and ensuring high-quality professional development reaches all staff.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well overall and are well prepared for their next stage of education.
• Provision for pupils with SEND is particularly noteworthy, with swift identification and bespoke support.
• Reading achievement is a notable strength, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Attendance is consistently above national averages, and persistent absence is lower than nationally.
• Behaviour is typically positive and respectful, with few disruptions and effective pastoral support.
• Leaders have built an engaging curriculum with memorable learning experiences.
• Personal development is strong, with rich enrichment, pupil voice and pupil responsibilities.
• Governance and trust oversight are effective, and leaders are reflective and open to challenge.
• Leaders promote staff wellbeing and consider workload when making improvements.
• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.

Areas for Improvement

• Some disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND do not have gaps in reading, writing or mathematics addressed quickly enough.
• Some staff have not had sufficient training to adapt tasks and teaching precisely to pupils’ needs.
• Outcomes in the Year 4 multiplication tables check have been significantly below national averages over time.
• Writing outcomes, especially for disadvantaged pupils, remain below national averages.
• Professional development is not yet accessed by all staff to build whole-school expertise in adapting 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 Howden Junior School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.4% 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, 4.0% of pupils at Howden Junior 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 Howden Junior School had 23.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 23.1% 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, 10.9% of pupils at Howden Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.5% 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 Howden Junior School received £6,327 and spent £6,891 for each of its 224 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £10,000 (£46 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of The Education Alliance, income was £7,594 and spending £7,673 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 Goole · East Riding of Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

Howden Junior School is part of The Education Alliance, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Howden Church of England Infant School Howden
• The Snaith School Goole
• North Cave Church of England Primary School Brough
• Hunsley Primary Brough
• South Hunsley School and Sixth Form College North Ferriby
• Wilberfoss Church of England Primary School York
• Naburn Church of England Primary School York
• Beverley Minster CE Primary School Beverley
• Malet Lambert Hull
• Driffield School and Sixth Form Driffield

What is Howden Junior School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Howden Junior School is Expected standard, from an inspection in January 2026.

When was Howden Junior School last inspected by Ofsted?

Howden Junior School was last inspected in January 2026.

How many pupils does Howden Junior School have?

Howden Junior School has 229 pupils on roll.

What age range does Howden Junior School cover?

Howden Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.

What are Howden Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Howden Junior School?

Howden Junior School is at Hailgate, Howden, Goole, DN14 7SL.