Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy

About Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy

Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy is a small primary school in Hyndburn that parents clearly want to get into. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 22 applications for just 13 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.69. Of those, 11 first-preference families were offered a spot, meaning a good number of local parents have this as their top choice. The school is a Church of England state primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 5 to 11, with a current roll of 162 children against a capacity of 210. That leaves some room, but the oversubscription figures suggest demand is strong. Headteacher Andrea Gray leads a school where 30.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average, and the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2017 rated it Good overall, with Good marks for early years provision, leadership and management, and overall effectiveness.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show a mixed picture. Just 43% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Lancashire local authority average of 60%. That places Knuzden 22nd out of 31 primary schools in Hyndburn, and in the bottom half nationally. However, individual subject results are stronger: 68% reached the expected standard in both reading and writing, and 46% in maths. Reading scores averaged 104 and maths 100, both close to the national benchmark of 100. At the higher standard, 25% achieved greater depth in reading and 14% in writing, though only 4% did so across all three subjects. The school has held a Good Ofsted rating across both its recent inspections, with the 2013 inspection also rating it Good overall, so there is consistency in leadership and behaviour, even if exam outcomes lag behind the local average.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, forest school, gymnasium, outdoor playground, chapel, and dedicated art and music rooms. Sports provision covers athletics, netball, dance, rounders, cricket, tennis and swimming, while clubs include art, coding and eco club. For SEND, the school supports pupils with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families who value a Church of England ethos and a small, community-focused setting, but who are realistic about academic outcomes being below the local average. Parents should be aware that while the school is oversubscribed, it is not among the highest-performing in the area academically, and the high FSM percentage suggests it serves a relatively disadvantaged catchment.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Knuzden St Oswald's Church of England Primary Academy

Helpful Guides for Parents