Knowsley Junior School, Oldham

Ofsted's report card from its 23 June 2026 inspection grades Knowsley Junior School on 6 areas: 5 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Typically, most Year 6 pupils attain well in the national reading, writing and mathematics tests and assessments."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Typically, pupils attend school regularly."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have established a welcoming school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have created a nurturing environment that supports pupils' wellbeing."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Leaders have a broad understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Building on recent gains, leaders should ensure that they have a more effective oversight of the systems and processes within the school, such as the recording of behaviour incidents, so that they can taken action as required and check the impact of school improvement priorities"; "Leaders should ensure that they extend staff's professional development programme, so that it is closely aligned to school improvement priorities and further develops staff's expertise to deliver the curriculum"; "Governors should build on the positive steps that they have taken to hold leaders to account by further developing their expertise so that they can offer leaders informed support and challenge"; "Leaders should further develop pupils' basic skills in number and grammar so that pupils achieve as well in these areas as in other subjects".

In 2025, 80% of Year 6 pupils at Knowsley Junior School reached the expected standard in reading and 71% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 73% and 74% in Oldham and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 79% in reading and 79% in maths in 2024.

Across Oldham, 92% 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 Oldham lodged 117 appeals against primary school offers; 93 reached a hearing and 8 succeeded (8.6% of those heard).

The nearest other state primary schools to Knowsley Junior School are Springhead Infant and Nursery School (0.2 miles, Good); St Edwards Roman Catholic Primary, a Voluntary Academy (0.6 miles, 73% reading, 76% maths); Hey-with-Zion Primary School (0.6 miles, 73% reading, 88% maths); and St Anne's CofE Lydgate Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 94% reading, 94% maths).

Knowsley Junior School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.

Knowsley Junior School is one of 3 schools run by Dovestone Learning Partnership, an academy trust.

31% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (57%), Asian (26%) and Mixed (12%).

In 2026, 15 pupils (6.9%) received SEN support and 7 (3.2%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.

The nearest railway station is Greenfield Rail Station, about 1.8 miles away in a straight line.

8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Heywood Lane (nw-bound), 240 metres away.

In 2024/25, Knowsley Junior School issued 4 suspensions, 1.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.