Herringthorpe Junior School

About Herringthorpe Junior School

Herringthorpe Junior School is a state primary for children aged 7 to 11 in Rotherham, and it is running very close to full capacity with 352 pupils against a school capacity of 360. That near-full roll is a practical signal of local demand, and the school’s intake reflects a community with above-average economic disadvantage: 32.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is notably higher than the national primary average. The school is non-denominational and mixed, so it draws from a broad cross-section of the local area. Despite the high FSM figure, the school is clearly a popular choice among Rotherham families, and its position in the local authority rankings — 7th out of 84 primary schools — suggests it is seen as a strong academic option. The headteacher, Mandy Adams, leads a school that has held an Outstanding Ofsted rating since at least 2014, and its most recent graded inspection in February 2025 reaffirmed that standard across every category judged.

Academically, Herringthorpe’s Key Stage 2 results are well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 assessments, 80% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Rotherham LA average of 60%. Reading was a particular strength, with 95% of pupils meeting the expected standard and 49% reaching the higher standard. In maths, 89% hit the expected level and 25% achieved the higher standard, while writing saw 86% at expected and 19% at higher. The average scaled scores were 109 in reading and 106 in maths, both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. Nationally, the school ranks in the top 12% of all primaries for the combined expected standard metric, and within Yorkshire and the Humber it sits in the top 10%. The Ofsted inspection gave top marks — grade 1 — for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, art studios, a gymnasium, playing fields, a forest school and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, cricket, dance, cross country, gymnastics, football and tennis, while clubs extend to drama, art, book club, gardening, film club and coding. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists SEND provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive: 100% of respondents to the Ofsted Parent View survey said they would recommend the school, and in every question about happiness, safety, behaviour and support, the combined agree and strongly agree responses were either 100% or very close to it. This is a school that suits families looking for consistently high academic outcomes in a well-run, inclusive setting, and its near-capacity roll suggests it is worth getting on the admissions list early.

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