Rucstall Primary School, Basingstoke
Rucstall Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Basingstoke. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 2nd-highest of the 27 schools in Basingstoke with published results, and 749th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hampshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Rucstall Primary School in detail
Rucstall Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to the community of Rucstall Primary School. We are pleased to be part of an environment where everyone is dedicated to ensuring our children thrive. At Rucstall, we hold the belief that every child should not only strive for academic excellence but also cultivate a genuine passion for learning and an enduring curiosity."
The school runs after-school care.
Coming up: an admissions event on Friday 13 November 2026, an open day on Friday 13 November 2026 at 9.15am, an open day on Wednesday 18 November 2026 and an open day on Tuesday 24 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Hampshire
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 90% of Year 6 pupils at Rucstall Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 97% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 75% in Hampshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results were similar in 2024 (85% in reading, 100% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Rucstall Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 40 families put Rucstall Primary School as their first choice and 100 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 10 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Rucstall Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Rucstall Primary School are Fairfields Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 79% reading, 64% maths); St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (0.9 miles, Good, 78% reading, 89% maths); South View Junior School (1.2 miles, Good, 63% reading, 85% maths); and Kings Furlong Infant School and Nursery (1.2 miles).
Rucstall Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
Fairfields Primary SchoolSt John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary SchoolSouth View Junior SchoolKings Furlong Infant School and Nursery
Who goes there
35.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (59%), Asian (14%) and Mixed (9%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Basingstoke Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Gainsborough Road (se-bound), 260 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 215 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hampshire (72), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Rucstall Primary School issued 17 suspensions, 8.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Rucstall Primary School are The Costello School (0.4 miles) and Cranbourne (1.2 miles).
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; 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its June 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
17.2%
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 improved from 85% to 90% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 97% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.1
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
29.0
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Rucstall Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Rucstall Primary School.
- SCL @ Rucstall PrimaryAt the school · Not yet graded
- CM Sports After School ClubAt the school · Not yet graded
- JG Tennis at Basingstoke Tennis Centre530m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Rucstall Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Rucstall Primary School is in Hampshire; for families living there:
Apply to Hampshire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 13 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
1 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 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 Rucstall Primary School
Will you get a place at Rucstall Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Rucstall Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Rucstall Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Rucstall Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hampshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Rucstall Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hampshire 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
98%
Near capacity
205 pupils
210 places
5 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Basingstoke
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Basingstoke
Across Hampshire council
Places available
15,642
Applications
12,982
Got 1st preference
93.4%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Hampshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
33
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
21.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
204
Total Pupils
100
Boys
104
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
20.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,437
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,435
Per pupil
£1245k
Total funding
£61k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
11.6%
Persistent absence
189
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
Rucstall Primary School
Questions parents ask about Rucstall Primary School
What are SATs results like at Rucstall Primary School?
Of the pupils at Rucstall Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 90% reached the expected standard in reading and 97% did so in maths.
What is Rucstall Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Rucstall Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in June 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2017 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Rucstall Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Rucstall Primary School is oversubscribed, Hampshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Rucstall Primary School?
Rucstall Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Rucstall Primary School?
Classes at Rucstall Primary School average 29.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Rucstall Primary School?
Rucstall Primary School has around 204 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Rucstall Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Rucstall Primary School in 2024/25. 11.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Rucstall Primary School?
Apply through Hampshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Rucstall 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 Rucstall Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs at the school: SCL @ Rucstall Primary (registered, not yet graded) and CM Sports After School Club (registered, not yet graded). There is another within a kilometre. The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Rucstall Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 13 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 1 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 Hampshire is 9 (the median across 617 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Rucstall Primary School?
Rucstall Primary School is at Holbein Close, Black Dam, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG21 3EX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)