Houghton-on-the-Hill Church of England Primary School

About Houghton-on-the-Hill Church of England Primary School

Parents considering Houghton-on-the-Hill Church of England Primary School will find a school that is clearly popular with local families. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 76 applications for just 28 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.71, meaning nearly three families applied for every spot. Of those, 25 were first-preference applications, and 25 first-preference offers were made, suggesting that almost all families who put it first got a place. The school has a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has held across both its most recent inspections, with leadership and management also rated Good. The early years provision was marked as Requires Improvement in the 2022 ungraded inspection, though the overall judgement remained that the school continues to be Good. With 208 pupils on roll, it is close to its capacity of 210, and 7.7 per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined was 50 per cent, which is below the Leicestershire local authority average of 62 per cent. In the Harborough local authority ranking, the school sits at 28th out of 32 primary schools, placing it in the bottom half nationally. Looking at individual subjects, 82 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, with an average score of 107, and 75 per cent did so in maths, with an average score of 106. Writing was lower, with 68 per cent reaching the expected standard. At the higher standard, 7 per cent of pupils achieved the higher benchmark across all three subjects, with 25 per cent reaching that level in reading and 39 per cent in maths. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is difficult to assess how much value the school adds relative to starting points.

The school offers a range of facilities including a dining hall, outdoor playground, ICT suite, library and a chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, tennis, football, rounders and swimming, while clubs include art, drama and gardening. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists specific provisions for dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication difficulties, and hearing impairment. The school is a Church of England primary, so it will suit families who value a faith-based setting, though the data does not specify any particular admissions criteria beyond the oversubscription figures. With no nursery provision and no sixth form, it is a straightforward primary school for children aged 4 to 11. Given its popularity and Good Ofsted rating, it is a strong local choice, though the below-average KS2 results mean parents focused on top academic outcomes may want to compare it with higher-performing peers in the area.

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