Knebworth Primary and Nursery School

About Knebworth Primary and Nursery School

Knebworth Primary and Nursery School sits within Hertfordshire’s large primary landscape, where it ranks 22nd out of 38 schools in the North Hertfordshire local authority area, placing it in the top half of its immediate peers. The school’s ranking score of 66 puts it behind the three top-performing local primaries — Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harvey Road Primary School, and The Russell School — but ahead of many others in the district. Nationally, it sits at 5,864th out of 13,686 primary schools, a solid mid-table position. The school is a mixed, non-religious state primary for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It currently has 404 pupils against a capacity of 430, and 9.8% of its pupils are eligible for free school meals, slightly below the national average. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in 2023, confirmed that the school remains Good, a rating it has held consistently across its previous graded inspections.

Academically, Knebworth performs broadly in line with local averages. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 66% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, just above the Hertfordshire local authority average of 64%. Reading and maths scores were solid, with average scaled scores of 106 and 105 respectively. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in all three subjects was 8%, while 25% achieved higher in maths, 31% in reading, and 22% in writing. In maths, 85% of pupils met the expected standard, and 83% did so in reading, with writing close behind at 81%. The school does not publish progress scores for reading, writing or maths, so it is not possible to compare pupil progress directly with other schools. However, the attainment figures suggest a consistent, if not exceptional, performance that matches the local picture. The school has no sixth form, as is typical for a primary, and its nursery provision means children can join from age three.

The school offers a practical range of facilities including an ICT suite, library, playing fields, outdoor playground, dining hall, and a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, cricket, athletics, and tennis, while extracurricular clubs include book club, art club, gardening, drama, and science club. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties. Admissions for the 2025/26 year show the school is oversubscribed: 102 applications were received for 55 places, with 50 first-preference offers made from 50 first-preference applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.85. This suggests strong local demand, and families living closest to the school will likely have the best chance of securing a place. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Aston St Mary's Church of England Aided Primary School, 3.6 km away, for those considering alternatives.

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