Cunningham Hill Junior School, St Albans
Cunningham Hill Junior School is a primary school for pupils aged 7 to 11 in St Albans. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 32 schools in St Albans with published results, and 941st of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Capacity
- 99% full
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Cunningham Hill Junior School in detail
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at Cunningham Hill Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 92% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 98% in reading and 97% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Cunningham Hill Junior School
Across Hertfordshire, 89% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2026, families in Hertfordshire lodged 319 appeals against primary school offers; 155 reached a hearing and 21 succeeded (13.5% of those heard).
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Cunningham Hill Junior School are Cunningham Hill Infant School (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding); Camp Primary and Nursery School (0.3 miles, Good, 93% reading, 86% maths); Windermere Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 85% reading, 70% maths); and St Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery (0.4 miles).
Cunningham Hill Junior School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Cunningham Hill Infant SchoolCamp Primary and Nursery SchoolWindermere Primary SchoolSt Alban & St Stephen Catholic Primary School & Nursery
Who goes there
11.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 42.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (39%), Asian (23%) and Mixed (15%).
Staffing
Cunningham Hill Junior School had 18 teachers in 2026, one for every 13 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Albans City Rail Station, about 1090 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Wingate Way (opposite), 40 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 252 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
Cunningham Hill Junior School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Cunningham Hill Junior School are Samuel Ryder Academy (0.4 miles), Verulam School (0.8 miles), Loreto College (0.9 miles) and Beaumont School (1 mile).
Samuel Ryder AcademyVerulam SchoolLoreto CollegeBeaumont School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its April 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
11.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 98% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 97% to 92% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 90% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
29.4
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Cunningham Hill Junior School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Cunningham Hill Junior School.
- Stagecoach St. AlbansAt the school · Not yet graded
- Fun Fest St Albans770m away · Not yet graded
- Brain Up Abacus (St Albans)890m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Cunningham Hill Junior School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Cunningham Hill Junior School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Cunningham Hill Junior School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
238 pupils
240 places
2 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - St Albans
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Albans
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
14,776
Applications
12,543
Got 1st preference
89.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
9
EHC Plans
22.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
236
Total Pupils
123
Boys
113
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
18
Teachers
13.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,147
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,420
Per pupil
£1404k
Total funding
£48k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.0%
Overall absence
4.9%
Persistent absence
243
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Cunningham Hill Junior School
What are SATs results like at Cunningham Hill Junior School?
Of the pupils at Cunningham Hill Junior School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 92% did so in maths.
What is Cunningham Hill Junior School's Ofsted rating?
Cunningham Hill Junior School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2024.
What is the catchment area for Cunningham Hill Junior School?
No fixed boundary. When Cunningham Hill Junior School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Cunningham Hill Junior School?
Cunningham Hill Junior School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Cunningham Hill Junior School?
Classes at Cunningham Hill Junior School average 29.4 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Cunningham Hill Junior School?
Cunningham Hill Junior School has around 236 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Cunningham Hill Junior School?
4% of sessions were missed at Cunningham Hill Junior School in 2024/25. 4.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Cunningham Hill Junior School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Cunningham Hill Junior School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Cunningham Hill Junior School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Stagecoach St. Albans (registered, not yet graded). There are 2 more within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Cunningham Hill Junior School's term dates?
Cunningham Hill Junior School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Cunningham Hill Junior School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 2 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Cunningham Hill Junior School?
Cunningham Hill Junior School is at Cell Barnes Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 5QJ.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)