Hillsborough Primary School

About Hillsborough Primary School

Hillsborough Primary School is a state-funded, mixed primary school in the Sheffield local authority, serving children from age 3 to 11. It currently has 349 pupils against a capacity of 420, and a notably high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 48%. In Sheffield’s primary school rankings, Hillsborough sits 20th out of 106 schools, placing it comfortably in the top 20% of the authority. The top-performing peers in the area include Dobcroft Junior School, Totley Primary School, and Angram Bank Primary School, all of which score higher on the same ranking metric. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Malin Bridge Primary School, just 1.1 km away. Hillsborough itself holds a Good rating from its most recent inspection in 2022, a grade it has maintained consistently across both its 2015 and 2022 inspections, with every assessed category — including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership — rated Good.

Academically, Hillsborough performs well above the local authority average at Key Stage 2. In the 2023/24 results, 71% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with a Sheffield LA average of 57%. Reading scores were particularly strong, with an average scaled score of 108 and 39% of pupils achieving the higher standard. Maths followed with an average score of 104 and 24% reaching the higher standard. Writing was the weakest area, with 73% at expected and just 10% at the higher level. Nationally, the school ranks in the top 29% of all primary schools on the combined expected standard metric, and in the top 26% within Yorkshire and the Humber. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it’s not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the raw outcomes are solid.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, dining hall, forest school, and even a chapel. Sports provision covers football, tennis, gymnastics, netball, athletics, and cricket, while clubs extend to drama, science, coding, gardening, eco club, and choir. Hillsborough is oversubscribed: for 2025/26, there were 75 applications for 35 places, with 33 first-preference offers made. The school also provides nursery provision and has a wide SEND offer, supporting moderate and severe learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive — 100% of respondents would recommend the school, and strong majorities agreed or strongly agreed that children are happy, safe, and well supported. This is a school that suits families looking for a well-regarded, inclusive primary with strong academic outcomes and a clear community feel, particularly those who value outdoor learning and a wide range of extracurricular activities.

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