Hurstbourne Tarrant Church of England Primary School

About Hurstbourne Tarrant Church of England Primary School

Hurstbourne Tarrant Church of England Primary School is a small village primary in Test Valley, Hampshire, currently teaching 96 pupils against a capacity of 109. That leaves a little breathing room, but the school is clearly in demand: for its 15 Reception places in 2025/26, it received 28 applications, with all 15 first-preference families offered a spot. That oversubscription ratio of 1.87 tells you this is a school local families actively want. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 8.3%, which is below the national average for primary schools and reflects the largely rural, less deprived catchment you'd expect in this part of Hampshire. The school has a Church of England character, though it's a state-funded primary open to all. Headteacher Gareth Dee leads a mixed-gender, non-selective intake from ages 4 to 11, with no nursery or sixth form provision.

Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2025 rated it Good across the board, including early years provision, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership. That's a step down from its previous Outstanding rating in 2015, but the inspectors judged the school to be in good health. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 tests, 45% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Hampshire local authority average of 61%. However, reading was a relative strength: 73% met the expected standard and 36% achieved a higher score, with an average scaled score of 108. Maths was weaker, with 55% at expected and an average score of 101. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom half on this combined measure, sitting at the 85th percentile in the South East region. There's no progress score data available to show how pupils perform relative to their starting points.

The school offers a decent range of facilities for its size, including a sensory room, music rooms, an ICT suite and a chapel. Sports provision covers football, cricket, athletics, tennis and swimming, while clubs include gardening, eco club, drama and choir. SEND support is listed for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 52 families were overwhelmingly positive: 98% agreed or strongly agreed their child is happy, and 97% felt their child is safe. 88% would recommend the school to other parents. This is a small, community-focused primary where demand outstrips supply, and where reading outcomes are notably stronger than maths. It will particularly suit families looking for a village school with strong pastoral care and a clear Church of England identity, though the academic results are below the local average.

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