Knavesmire Primary School, York
Knavesmire Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in York, part of Excel Learning Trust. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2022. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 17th-highest of the 93 schools in York with published results, and 1,757th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 102% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2022)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to York (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Knavesmire Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Knavesmire Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 89% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 74% in York and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 94% in reading and 95% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Knavesmire Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 60 families put Knavesmire Primary School as their first choice and 142 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Knavesmire Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Knavesmire Primary School are Scarcroft Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 79% reading, 81% maths); St George's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy (0.8 miles, Good, 86% reading, 83% maths); Fishergate Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 76% reading, 69% maths); and St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 63% reading, 71% maths).
Knavesmire Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Scarcroft Primary SchoolSt George's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary AcademyFishergate Primary SchoolSt Paul's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
The trust
Knavesmire Primary School is one of 6 schools run by Excel Learning Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
Who goes there
7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 40 pupils (8.3%) received SEN support and 12 (2.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Main Entrance, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Knavesmire Primary School (outside), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Knavesmire Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 8th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 393 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 York (175), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Knavesmire Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Knavesmire Primary School are Millthorpe School (0.3 miles), All Saints Catholic School York (0.5 miles), Fulford School (1.1 miles) and York High School (1.7 miles).
Millthorpe SchoolAll Saints Catholic School YorkFulford SchoolYork High School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its October 2022 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
7.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 94% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 95% to 89% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 94% to 87% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.9
Avg class size
30.3
Infant (KS1)
31.1
KS2
15
Total classes
8 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Knavesmire Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Knavesmire Primary School.
- Stagecoach York 2530m away · Not yet graded
- ART CAMP @ Scarcroft950m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Knavesmire Primary School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see York's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Knavesmire Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Knavesmire Primary School is in York; for families living there:
- York's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy - 4 to 16
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 13
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
6 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 York is 12.5 (the median across 74 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
Your chances of a place at Knavesmire Primary School
Will you get a place at Knavesmire Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Knavesmire Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Knavesmire Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Knavesmire Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from York, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Knavesmire Primary School for 2017 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in York got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
102%
Over capacity
430 pupils
420 places
10 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - York
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for York
Across York council
Places available
1,891
Applications
1,553
Got 1st preference
94.1%
Got preferred school
99.2%
All primary applications across York council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(2)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
40
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
10.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
484
Total Pupils
240
Boys
244
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
24
Teachers
20.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£53,245
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£4,955
Per pupil
£2288k
Total funding
£52k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.3%
Overall absence
5.6%
Persistent absence
377
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
Knavesmire Primary School
Questions parents ask about Knavesmire Primary School
What are SATs results like at Knavesmire Primary School?
Of the pupils at Knavesmire Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 89% did so in maths.
What is Knavesmire Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Knavesmire Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2022.
What is the catchment area for Knavesmire Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Knavesmire Primary School is oversubscribed, York allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Knavesmire Primary School?
Knavesmire Primary School was full in 2025, at 102% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Knavesmire Primary School?
Classes at Knavesmire Primary School average 30.9 pupils (2025/26). 8 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Knavesmire Primary School?
Knavesmire Primary School has around 484 pupils on roll. 7% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Knavesmire Primary School?
3.3% of sessions were missed at Knavesmire Primary School in 2024/25. 5.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Knavesmire Primary School?
Apply through York's coordinated admissions process, naming Knavesmire Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Knavesmire Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Knavesmire Primary School: Stagecoach York 2 (530m away, registered, not yet graded) and ART CAMP @ Scarcroft (950m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Knavesmire Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 13 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 6 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 York is 12.5 (the median across 74 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Knavesmire Primary School?
Knavesmire Primary School is at Trafalgar Street, York, North Yorkshire, YO23 1HY.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)