Princes Risborough Primary School

About Princes Risborough Primary School

If you're a parent weighing up Princes Risborough Primary School, the numbers suggest a school that local families are keen to get into. For the 2025/26 reception intake, the school was oversubscribed, receiving 67 applications for 30 places — an oversubscription ratio of 2.23. Of those, 33 families put it as their first preference, and 29 of those were offered a place. That level of demand is a strong signal from the community. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2023, rated it Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This is a notable improvement from its previous inspection in 2019, when it was rated Requires Improvement across the board. The headteacher, Amy Howlett, has clearly driven meaningful change.

Academically, Princes Risborough Primary is performing well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 78% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared to the Buckinghamshire average of 64%. That places the school 22nd out of 137 primary schools in the county, putting it in the top 25% nationally. Looking at individual subjects, 89% reached the expected standard in reading, 81% in maths and 81% in writing. At the higher standard, 37% achieved it in reading, 30% in maths and 15% in writing and the combined measure. Average scaled scores were 107 in reading and 106 in maths. The school doesn't have a sixth form, as it's a primary, but its strong KS2 outcomes set pupils up well for the next stage.

The school caters for children from age 2, with nursery provision on site, and has a capacity of 210 but currently houses 225 pupils, reflecting its popularity. Facilities include a library, outdoor playground, playing fields, dining hall, forest school and a chapel. Sports on offer include tennis, cricket, netball and cross country, and there are clubs such as book club, science club and gardening. For families with children who have additional needs, the school has a SEN unit and provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health support. With 27.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a diverse intake. It's a good fit for families who want a well-regarded local primary with strong academic results and a clear upward trajectory.

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