Hurst Knoll St James' Church of England Primary School, Ashton-under-Lyne
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 4 months agoReport card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
The school excels at creating an inclusive, supportive environment where all pupils feel valued and safe. Recent leadership improvements have strengthened pastoral care and attendance, with particular strength in supporting pupils with special educational needs through specialist staff in 'The Hub'. Staff demonstrate genuine care for pupils' wellbeing and use the school's core values of hope, kindness, trust, justice and forgiveness to guide all interactions.
Key Strengths
- Strong safeguarding culture with open communication and effective pastoral support
- Effective inclusion and additional support for pupils with special educational needs through 'The Hub'
- Well-embedded behaviour expectations through the 'UNITE' rules with improving pupil attendance
- Recent improvements in early years provision with calm, purposeful learning environment
- Strong leadership team with clear vision and supportive governing body
Areas for Improvement
- Pupils' knowledge in handwriting, grammar, punctuation and spelling develops too slowly, affecting writing quality
- Mathematical facts and calculation methods are variable across pupils
- Some curriculum content is not clearly set out in all subjects, affecting knowledge building
- Inconsistent teaching practice - some staff do not consistently check pupils' prior knowledge before moving learning forward
- Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics remains below national averages, particularly for disadvantaged pupils
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture where all legal requirements are fulfilled and pupils are made safer and feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
visits from police and fire service
Hurst Knoll St James' Church of England Primary School is working to strengthen its curriculum and teaching following recent leadership restructuring. The school has made good progress in inclusion, attendance and behaviour, but pupils' achievement in core subjects needs further improvement.
At a Glance
57.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 63%. Maths has improved from 38% to 53%. Writing has remained stable at around 57%.
Class Sizes
27.9
Avg class size
27.7
Infant (KS1)
28.0
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
89%
Available places
187 pupils
210 capacity
23 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Ashton-under-Lyne
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Ashton-under-Lyne
Admissions Demand - Tameside
Places available
3,065
Applications
2,347
Got 1st preference
95.4%
Got preferred school
99.0%
Primary admissions across Tameside (2025/26)
Inspection History(7)
House Prices
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SEN Provision
How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.
Pupil Demographics
The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.
Teachers & Staff
Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.50513%
Overall absence
16.66667%
Persistent absence
186
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Hurst Knoll St James' Church of England Primary School
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