Almond Hill Junior School

About Almond Hill Junior School

Almond Hill Junior School’s headline KS2 results sit just below the Hertfordshire local authority average, but the gap is narrow. The school achieved 62% of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, against a county average of 64%. That two-point difference places it 193rd out of 401 primary schools in Hertfordshire, squarely in the middle of the pack. Within Stevenage, however, the picture is stronger: it ranks 5th out of 19 schools, suggesting it performs well relative to its immediate neighbours. The school’s average scaled scores in reading (105) and maths (103) both exceed the national benchmark of 100, which is a positive sign. Where it falls short is at the higher standard: only 6% of pupils achieved the combined higher threshold, a low figure that pulls down its overall profile. The school has held a Good Ofsted rating since its graded inspection in March 2016, and that was confirmed as remaining Good in an ungraded inspection in May 2021.

Academically, Almond Hill is a reliable but not high-flying school. Its 62% combined expected standard is close to the LA norm, and the breakdown shows reading and writing both at 72% expected, while maths lags slightly at 69%. The higher standard figures are mixed: 22% of pupils reached the higher bar in reading and 17% in maths, but only 7% did so in writing. The school’s national ranking of 7,072 out of 13,686 puts it in the bottom half of all primary schools, though its regional percentile of 47.3 in the East of England is almost exactly average. The 22.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals is above the national average, which may partly explain the modest headline outcomes. Ofsted’s 2021 report praised leadership and management as Good, and behaviour and attitudes were also judged positively, though specific grades for those categories were not published in the data. For parents prioritising academic outcomes, this school offers solid, middle-of-the-road performance rather than exceptional results.

The school is well-equipped for a junior school of 342 pupils, with a library, ICT suite, music rooms, a sensory room and even a chapel. Sports provision includes cricket, tennis, swimming and athletics, and clubs cover book club, science club and gardening. SEND support is comprehensive, covering eight categories from dyslexia to autistic spectrum disorder, which will appeal to families with children who need additional help. Admissions are tight: the school is at 342 pupils against a capacity of 360, so it is nearly full but not oversubscribed to the point of being impossible to get into. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School, just 0.7 km away, but that is an infant school, not a direct competitor for the 7-11 age range. Almond Hill suits families in Stevenage who want a stable, well-run local school with decent facilities and strong SEND support, rather than a high-flying academic powerhouse.

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