Hurst Knoll St James' Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 May 2026

Staff at this school fully understand pupils’ backgrounds and circumstances. Pupils get the support they need to attend regularly, overcome barriers to learning and join in with school life. Pupils have a real sense of belonging. They feel well cared for and understood. Pupils and children in the early years benefit from clear expectations and helpful routines. Staff support pupils to understand the school’s rules. Pupils are usually respectful, safe and kind. Pupils are well supported to understand how to make good choices. When needed, staff address more challenging behaviour effectively, including bullying. Pupils are helped to develop important social skills. Staff encourage pupils to interact positively with each other. Pupils practise and develop these traits daily through high-quality outdoor play and learning opportunities. These activities foster pupils' good manners and develop their ability to cooperate well with others. Pupils’ enjoyment of learning is mixed. Children in the early years benefit from high-quality interactions with staff. As a result, they learn and develop well. Pupils across Years 1 to 6 have inconsistent experiences in lessons. This hampers some pupils' progress from their starting points. While many pupils are well equipped for their next steps, some are not. Pupils are well supported to get involved in the wider life of the school. They enjoy developing their talents across a range of sporting and performing arts clubs. They are encouraged to develop their sense of adventure and independence through camping and residential opportunities. Pupils enjoy positive and supportive relationships with staff. They trust staff to look after them. They talk to staff when they feel worried. Staff support pupils well. Pupils feel safe in school.

What the school should improve

• In those subjects where the curriculum content is not set out, leaders should carefully identify and order the knowledge that pupils should learn so that they can build their knowledge securely over time.
• Leaders should ensure that staff use the information from their checks on learning to match activities to pupils' needs so that they can progress well through the curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure that the additional support that staff provide for pupils in lessons consistently and precisely helps pupils overcome the specific barriers to learning that they face.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)