Ecchinswell and Sydmonton Church of England Primary School

About Ecchinswell and Sydmonton Church of England Primary School

Ecchinswell and Sydmonton Church of England Primary School is a small state primary in Hampshire, serving just 47 pupils from ages 4 to 11. It sits within the Basingstoke and Deane borough, one of 425 primary schools across the local authority. Among its peers in Hampshire, the school is outranked by three top-performing neighbours: Preston Candover Church of England Primary School, Our Lady and St Joseph Catholic Primary School, and St Faith's Church of England Primary School. With a capacity of 105, the school is significantly under-enrolled, which may reflect its rural location or the preferences of local families. The headteacher, Alison Story-Scrivens, leads a Church of England school that has held a Good rating from Ofsted across both its most recent inspections, in 2023 and previously in 2013. The school’s religious character is woven into its facilities, which include a chapel, and it serves a community where 36.2 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average.

Academically, the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2023 rated every category as Good, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The inspection report noted that pupils achieve well and that the curriculum is broad and ambitious. However, specific exam results such as Key Stage 2 SATs scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to compare the school’s performance directly against the Hampshire local authority average of 61 per cent achieving the expected standard. The school has no sixth form, as it is a primary-only setting, and does not offer nursery provision. The consistency of its Good rating over a decade suggests stable leadership and teaching quality, though the small cohort size means results can fluctuate more than in larger schools.

The school offers a range of facilities including an ICT suite, art studios, a gymnasium, a library, a sensory room, and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, tennis, gymnastics, cricket, athletics, rounders, and cross country, while clubs include science club, coding, and chess. For pupils with additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. With only 47 pupils against a capacity of 105, the school is unlikely to be oversubscribed, making it a practical option for families seeking a small, rural Church of England primary with strong pastoral support and a broad range of activities, particularly those with children who may benefit from a more individualised learning environment.

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