Knowle Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 20 January 2026

At Knowle Primary School, there is a shared belief that 'every child matters and every moment counts'. This is demonstrated through the school's caring and nurturing approach, and the high ambition that leaders and staff hold for all pupils. This inspires pupils' confidence in themselves. Children in the early years get off to a flying start. Parents and carers describe how their children thrive in this setting, quickly developing their language and communication skills. This creates the strong foundations for future success. Staff get to know pupils well. They understand any barriers to learning they may have, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and take effective steps to reduce these. Typically, teaching across the curriculum is of a high quality. As a result, pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, achieve well in their learning. This is reflected in the school's published outcomes. The school has selected inspirational figures for class names, such as Kusama and Dahl, which supports the aspirational environment. There is a school uniform shop, which ensures that all pupils can own and wear the school uniform with pride. Pupils feel happy at school. They have a strong sense of belonging and develop positive relationships with staff and their peers. Pupils are well mannered and respectful. Most pupils now attend school more regularly. However, some are still absent too often. Pupils feel incredibly safe in school. They trust staff to deal with any incidents, including bullying, quickly and effectively. Pupils have a confident understanding of online risks and how to stay safe within the community. They enjoy the broad range of extra-curricular clubs, such as badminton, book club, football and play dough club. Pupils also benefit from experiences such as visits to museums and sailing trips. These develop their wider knowledge beyond school, and help to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue to develop the school’s positive work around improving pupils’ attendance, so that pupil absence from school continues to reduce. • Leaders should ensure that staff identify gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge with more consistency, particularly in handwriting and number formation, model their high expectations and provide frequent opportunities for practice, so that these gaps close quickly. • Leaders should support pupils to further deepen the knowledge they learn from the personal development curriculum and to retain this knowledge successfully over time.

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