Carter Knowle Junior School

About Carter Knowle Junior School

Carter Knowle Junior School is a state primary for children aged 7 to 11 in Sheffield, and it’s running almost exactly at capacity — 239 pupils against a school capacity of 240. That near-full roll suggests a school that local families are actively choosing, and the numbers back that up: 16.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is well below the national average for primary schools, indicating a relatively less disadvantaged intake than many schools in the area. The school is mixed and non-religious, so it draws from a broad local catchment. Demand looks healthy, though the data doesn’t include specific admission oversubscription figures. What’s clear is that Carter Knowle is a popular, stable junior school in Sheffield, with headteacher Lucy Atherton at the helm. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, confirmed that standards are being maintained at Good — a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2019, when it was rated Requires Improvement. That turnaround is a strong signal of effective leadership.

Academically, Carter Knowle performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 tests, 75% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Sheffield LA average of just 57%. That puts the school 14th out of 106 primary schools in the local authority, comfortably in the top 25% nationally. Looking at individual subjects, reading scores are particularly strong: 87% of pupils hit the expected standard, with an average scaled score of 108, and 35% reached the higher standard. Maths is solid too, with 82% at expected and an average score of 106. Writing and maths both saw 33% of pupils achieve the higher standard. Progress scores aren’t available in the data, so we can’t say how much value the school adds relative to starting points, but the raw outcomes are clearly above the local norm. The Ofsted breakdown from the 2024 ungraded inspection rated all key areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management — as Good.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive. In the Parent View survey covering September 2024 to September 2025, 91% of the 65 respondents would recommend the school. 95% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy, and 100% felt their child is safe. Behaviour is seen as a real strength — 99% agreed the school ensures good behaviour. The school offers a decent range of facilities including a library, sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms and even a chapel, plus playing fields. Sports include gymnastics, netball, swimming, tennis and football, and there are clubs for drama, choir, gardening, book club and chess. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language issues, and autistic spectrum disorder. However, the Parent View data on SEND support is more mixed: 73% of parents agreed or strongly agreed that SEND children get the support they need, but 26% disagreed, which is worth noting. For families looking for a strong academic junior school in Sheffield with good behaviour and happy pupils, Carter Knowle is a solid choice, especially given its recent improvement trajectory.

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