Knavesmire Primary School

York · YO23 1HY

General information Primary School · 2-11 years Who goes here 484 pupils, 7.5% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted: Outstanding

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN 8.3% on SEN support Behaviour 3.3% absence rate Staff 11.4% turnover Financials £5,653 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Knavesmire Primary School

General Information

Address: Trafalgar Street, York, YO23 1HY – View on map
Phone: 01904806545
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mr Adam Cooper
Age range: 2-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 60 families put it first for 60 places – 10 for every 10 places. 98% of them were offered a place. 1 of the 60 places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 13 · 2025 11 · 2026 10
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

484 pupils out of 420 places At or near capacity

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 33
% eligible for free school meals: 7.5%
Pupil mix: 4 in 10 (more mixed than the York average)
English as an additional language: 14% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 11.4% a year (York 13.2%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 30% moved to another school, 70% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across York: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 1 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 4 (0.3 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 4 (0.3 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in York, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 3.3%
Persistently absent pupils: 5.6%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision

SEN Unit and Resourced Provision

Most mainstream schools don't have a dedicated SEN Unit or Resourced Provision - it isn't a mark against a school that doesn't, just a different kind of setup than one that does.

Pupils on SEN Support: 8.3%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 2.5%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Social, emotional and mental health: 17 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 9 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 5 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 4 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 3 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Social, emotional and mental health: 4 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 3 pupils
Specific learning difficulty: 2 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 2 pupils
Physical disability: 1 pupil

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Outstanding 2022 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 84% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 21% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 21 percentage points above the York average (63%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Well above (3-year average 86% against an expected 64%)
3-year average (expected standard): 86%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 90% · Writing 87% · Maths 89% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 89%
Average test scores: reading 109, maths 108
Based on: 62 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolYork averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was 21 percentage points above the York average (63%).

Year 6 SATs: 3rd of 47 junior and primary schools in the area

#1Skelton Primary School100%
#2Ralph Butterfield Primary School86%
#3Knavesmire Primary School84%
#4Dunnington Church of England Primary School80%
=5Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School78%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Skelton Primary School100%
#2Ralph Butterfield Primary School86%
#3Knavesmire Primary School84%
#4Dunnington Church of England Primary School80%
=5Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School78%
=5Wigginton Primary School78%
=7Hempland Primary School77%
=7Lord Deramore's Primary School77%
=9Scarcroft Primary School75%
=9St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy75%
=11Archbishop of York's CofE Junior School, Bishopthorpe73%
=11Badger Hill Primary Academy73%
=11St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School73%
=14St George's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy72%
=14St Oswald's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School72%
#16Elvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School71%
#17Dringhouses Primary School70%
#18Woodthorpe Primary School69%
#19Wheldrake with Thorganby Church of England Primary School68%
#20Poppleton Ousebank Primary School67%
#21Headlands Primary School66%
=22Park Grove Primary Academy65%
=22Stockton-on-the-Forest Primary School65%
=24Carr Junior School64%
=24Poppleton Road Primary School64%
=24Rufforth Primary School64%
#27Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy63%
=28Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy61%
=28St Lawrence's Church of England Primary School61%
=30Huntington Primary Academy60%
=30Osbaldwick Primary Academy60%
#32Fishergate Primary School57%
#33Copmanthorpe Primary School56%
=34Acomb Primary School55%
=34Tang Hall Primary Academy55%
#36St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School54%
#37St Aelred's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy52%
#38Clifton Green Primary School51%
=39Haxby Road Primary Academy50%
=39New Earswick Primary School50%
#41Hob Moor Community Primary Academy48%
=42Westfield Primary Community School41%
=42Yearsley Grove Primary School41%
#44Lakeside Primary Academy40%
=45Burton Green Primary School37%
=45Heworth Church of England Primary School37%
#47Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School0%

View full Ofsted inspection report

2nd of 39 primary schools in York for Ofsted rating

#1Acomb Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2Knavesmire Primary SchoolOutstanding
#3Lord Deramore's Primary SchoolOutstanding
#4Woodthorpe Primary SchoolOutstanding

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Acomb Primary SchoolOutstanding
#2Knavesmire Primary SchoolOutstanding
#3Lord Deramore's Primary SchoolOutstanding
#4Woodthorpe Primary SchoolOutstanding
#5Badger Hill Primary AcademyGood
#6Burton Green Primary SchoolGood
#7Clifton Green Primary SchoolGood
#8Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary SchoolGood
#9Copmanthorpe Primary SchoolGood
#10Dringhouses Primary SchoolGood
#11Dunnington Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#12Elvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#13Fishergate Primary SchoolGood
#14Haxby Road Primary AcademyGood
#15Headlands Primary SchoolGood
#16Heworth Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#17Hob Moor Community Primary AcademyGood
#18Lakeside Primary AcademyGood
#19Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary AcademyGood
#20Poppleton Ousebank Primary SchoolGood
#21Ralph Butterfield Primary SchoolGood
#22Robert Wilkinson Primary AcademyGood
#23Rufforth Primary SchoolGood
#24Scarcroft Primary SchoolGood
#25Skelton Primary SchoolGood
#26St Aelred's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary AcademyGood
#27St George's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary AcademyGood
#28St Lawrence's Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#29St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#30St Oswald's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#31St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolGood
#32St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary AcademyGood
#33Stockton-on-the-Forest Primary SchoolGood
#34Tang Hall Primary AcademyGood
#35Westfield Primary Community SchoolGood
#36Wheldrake with Thorganby Church of England Primary SchoolGood
#37Wigginton Primary SchoolGood
#38Yearsley Grove Primary SchoolGood
#39Naburn Church of England Primary SchoolRequires improvement

Financials

Spending per pupil: £5,653 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

43rd of 46 primary schools in York for spending per pupil

#41Wigginton Primary School£5,694
#42Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School£5,678
#43Knavesmire Primary School£5,653
#44Ralph Butterfield Primary School£5,614
#45St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy£5,077

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Saint Barnabas Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£13,705
#2Naburn Church of England Primary School£12,867
#3Skelton Primary School£11,937
#4St Lawrence's Church of England Primary School£8,804
#5Haxby Road Primary Academy£8,760
#6Burton Green Primary School£8,664
#7St Oswald's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£8,153
#8St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£7,709
#9Hob Moor Community Primary Academy£7,677
#10New Earswick Primary School£7,615
#11Clifton Green Primary School£7,590
#12Tang Hall Primary Academy£7,437
#13Copmanthorpe Primary School£7,409
#14Heworth Church of England Primary School£7,158
#15Badger Hill Primary Academy£7,053
#16Rufforth Primary School£7,046
#17Stockton-on-the-Forest Primary School£7,036
#18St Aelred's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy£6,994
#19Elvington Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£6,973
#20Westfield Primary Community School£6,851
#21Lakeside Primary Academy£6,705
#22Osbaldwick Primary Academy£6,655
#23St Paul's Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£6,637
#24Yearsley Grove Primary School£6,444
#25Fishergate Primary School£6,355
#26Wheldrake with Thorganby Church of England Primary School£6,319
#27Headlands Primary School£6,318
#28Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy£6,313
#29Acomb Primary School£6,237
#30Park Grove Primary Academy£6,095
#31Scarcroft Primary School£6,078
#32St George's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy£6,053
#33Woodthorpe Primary School£6,028
#34Poppleton Ousebank Primary School£5,995
#35Dunnington Church of England Primary School£5,989
#36Poppleton Road Primary School£5,977
#37Lord Deramore's Primary School£5,974
#38Huntington Primary Academy£5,856
#39Dringhouses Primary School£5,831
#40Hempland Primary School£5,704
#41Wigginton Primary School£5,694
#42Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School£5,678
#43Knavesmire Primary School£5,653
#44Ralph Butterfield Primary School£5,614
#45St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy£5,077
#46Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy£4,764

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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