School Chooser

Horningsham Primary School

Primary · ages 5-11MixedCouncil68 pupilsWarminsterWiltshire
School Chooser Score
73
Above
similar schools
Likely range 44 to 89, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 84% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, May 2026
Reached the expected level at 1189%England 63%
Attendance97.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families7%Far fewer than most schools
Places16 spare68 pupils, 84 places
Pupils per teacher15.0School workforce census

Horningsham Primary School is a council school in Warminster for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 68 pupils and room for 84. About 7 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 73 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 84% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in May 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Church Street, Horningsham, Warminster, BA12 7LW01985 844342horningsham.eschools.co.uk/webMrs Odele Lapham headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 6 May 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.

TeachingOfsted calls this “curriculum and teaching”
As expected
Achievement
As expected
Behaviour and attendanceOfsted calls this “attendance and behaviour”
Strong
Support for every childOfsted calls this “inclusion”
As expected
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
As expected
Early years
As expected
SafeguardingAre pupils kept safe?
Pupils are kept safe
Met
Ofsted's scale:ExceptionalStrong standardExpected standardNeeds attentionUrgent improvement

Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.

Earlier inspections (1)
DateTypeOutcome
25 November 2021UngradedSchool remains Good

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

9 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1189%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level0%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score110.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 75%75%20172018: 55%55%20182019: 88%88%20192023: 44%44%20232025: 89%89%2025
Since 2017: +14%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017WiltshireEngland
Pupils tested9598118
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths89%44%88%55%75%60%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths0%0%0%18%13%8%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score110.0110.0106.0104.0112.0105.4105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0104.0106.0103.0106.0103.9104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0105.0107.0106.0109.0104.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard100%89%88%82%100%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard89%78%88%73%88%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)100%56%88%91%88%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.7-4.2-2.4+5.3
Maths progressMaths progress score-1.1-4.4-2.9+0.6
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged55%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places70 pupils for 84 places, 2024/25
83% full

14 places were empty (17% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 4% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 6.6 miles away in 2026. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 6.6 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary11126.6 milesLA

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll68Census January 2026
Places8481% full
Pupils from low-income families7%7% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English0%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support22%15 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan2%1 pupil with a plan
Average class size22.73 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)4%£4,650 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls31 / 37
White British pupils75%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (8), Specific learning difficulty (3), language and communications needs (3), Other difficulty or disability (1), Physical disability (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll687072737376
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals7%4%6%8%4%4%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language0%0%1%1%0%0%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support23%18%19%16%15%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans0%0%0%1%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school0.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.4%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence2.2%3.7%4.0%4.1%1.5%2.7%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence1.8%3.3%3.6%3.7%1.4%2.3%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.4%0.4%0.5%0.4%0.1%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence0.0%3.2%6.3%6.3%1.6%3.1%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.02.80.01.40.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers4.5full-time equivalent, 5 people
Pupils per teacher15.0Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants2.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£46,552
Teachers who left in the year12%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher27.62023/24

Money

From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£8,773England £7,738. Total £614k
Income per pupil£8,849England £7,697. Total £619k
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,298England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £9,020, £129 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£5,348it took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£8,773spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m712 months to June 2026, mostly bicycle theft
Local crime rate50 per 1,000 people45% lower than the England average
Typical house price£320,000Wiltshire
Nearest bus stop480 mHollybush, 2 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Crockerton CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England2.6 miles97Good 201964Compare
Princecroft Primary SchoolAcademy3.5 miles249Good 2023Compare
Sambourne Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolChurch of England3.7 miles153Good 202245Compare
The Minster CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England3.9 miles210Good 202480Compare
Chapmanslade Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy4.0 miles99Good 2023Compare
Christ Church First SchoolAcademy4.2 miles47Report card 202658Compare
The Avenue Primary School and Children's CentreAcademy4.3 miles262Good 202430Compare
New Close Primary SchoolAcademy4.4 miles172Good 202254Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Horningsham Primary School with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats84%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 73 is 22 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 1 · middle 51 · highest 99100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 73 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 73% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 44 to 89. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years0%no data
Ofsted inspection20%in line
-0.09
Ofsted report card, 0.4 years old
Progress pupils make0%no data
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
0.00
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.38
2024/25; 59 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils0%no data
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Horningsham Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Horningsham Primary School scores 73 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 84% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 44 to 89, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Horningsham Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 6 May 2026 it rated teaching as as expected, achievement as as expected, behaviour and attendance as strong, leadership as as expected.

How good are Horningsham Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 89% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 0% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does Horningsham Primary School have?

68 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 84 places, so it is 81% full.

Is Horningsham Primary School oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 6.6 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Horningsham Primary School?

Pupils were in school 97.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 0% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Horningsham Primary School?

The average class had 22.7 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Church Street, Horningsham, Warminster, BA12 7LW
Telephone
01985 844342
Website
horningsham.eschools.co.uk/web
Headteacher
Mrs Odele Lapham
Type of school
Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Local authority
Wiltshire
Ward
Warminster North & Rural
Constituency
South West Wiltshire
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
URN
126199 · LAESTAB 8652053 · UKPRN 10073858

Where these figures come from