School Chooser

St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School

Primary · ages 7-11MixedChurch of England357 pupilsBasingstokeHampshire
School Chooser Score
67
Above
similar schools
Likely range 51 to 80, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedAs expected teachingOfsted report card, January 2026
Reached the expected level at 1165%England 63%
Attendance97.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families8%Far fewer than most schools
Parents would recommend98%163 Parent View responses
Places3 spare357 pupils, 360 places

St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School is a Church of England school (voluntary aided) in Basingstoke for boys and girls aged 7 to 11. It has 357 pupils and room for 360. About 8 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 67 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in January 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.

Belle Vue Road, Old Basing, Basingstoke, RG24 7DE01256 465092st-marys-jun.hants.sch.ukMrs Gemma Lillywhite headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted visited on 6 January 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”
Strong
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development and wellbeing”
Strong
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and governance”
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
9 November 2021S5 InspectionOutstanding

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

79 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1165%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score106.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score104.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 84%84%20172018: 81%81%20182019: 79%79%20192023: 62%62%20232024: 59%59%20242025: 65%65%2025
Since 2017: -19%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017HampshireEngland
Pupils tested798389878886
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths65%59%62%79%81%84%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%14%11%20%25%20%9%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score106.0106.0105.0107.0108.0109.0105.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score104.0105.0105.0106.0106.0108.0104.3104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score105.0106.0105.0108.0107.0109.0104.8105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard85%75%78%86%90%91%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard78%77%80%90%85%94%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)73%72%71%90%94%90%
Reading progressReading progress score-0.8+1.0+0.4+1.8
Maths progressMaths progress score+0.3-0.3-0.5+1.7
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged60%75%44%79%60%64%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged65%57%64%79%85%88%

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.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 4 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
60%65%
Gap 5 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
59%70%
Gap 11 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
78%65%
Gap 13 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%8%
Gap 8 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

Nearly full352 pupils for 358 places, 2024/25
98% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Hampshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

What parents say

Would recommend the school98%England 87%
My child is happy here97%agree or strongly agree
My child feels safe99%
Positive overall96%
My child is happy at this school
97%England 89%
My child feels safe at this school
99%England 90%
Pupils are well behavedThe school makes sure its pupils are well behaved
96%England 83%
Has your child been bullied here?Parents answering yes
13% yesEngland 18%
Bullying was dealt with quickly and effectivelyOnly parents whose child was bullied
62%England 50%
My child gets the right support to learn well
98%England 85%
Does your child have SEND?Parents answering yes
23% yesEngland 26%
The school gives them the support they needOnly parents of children with SEND
87%England 71%
The school communicates well with me
95%England 80%
My concerns have been dealt with properlyWhen I have raised concerns
77%England 69%
Decisions put the child's best interests first
96%England 82%
I would recommend this school
98%England 87%
Overall view of the school is positive
96%England 82%
Strongly agreeAgreeDon't knowDisagreeStrongly disagreeEngland, agree or yes

From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 163 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.

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 roll357Census January 2026
Places36099% full
Pupils from low-income families8%8% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English8%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support10%34 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%15 pupils with a plan
Average class size29.711 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)8%£44,950 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls176 / 181
White British pupils74%

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Moderate learning difficulty (33), emotional and mental health (6), Autistic spectrum disorder (5), language and communications needs (5).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll357348349352348356
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals8%8%8%7%6%6%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language8%10%14%10%11%7%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support11%11%13%13%12%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%4%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 97.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance97.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school5.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils4.02024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence3.0%3.4%3.5%4.8%1.7%2.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence2.3%2.8%2.8%4.4%1.6%1.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%0.6%0.7%0.5%0.1%0.4%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence5.6%3.9%4.7%7.4%1.9%3.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate4.00.95.13.70.8
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers16.4full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher21.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants8.9full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£50,463
Teachers who left in the year11%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher3.12024/25

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£5,770England £7,738. Total £2.0m
Income per pupil£5,843England £7,697. Total £2.0m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,189England £3,480
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £230k, £661 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out+£26kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£5,770spent 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 m3212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate33 per 1,000 people63% lower than the England average
Typical house price£372,000Basingstoke and Deane
Nearest bus stop160 mBelle Vue Road, 11 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
Old Basing Infant SchoolCouncil230 m249Good 202273Compare
Great Binfields Primary SchoolCouncil1.0 miles415Good 202276Compare
Rucstall Primary SchoolCouncil1.6 miles204Outstanding 202497Compare
Four Lanes Community Junior SchoolCouncil1.6 miles358Good 202424Compare
South View Infant and Nursery SchoolCouncil1.7 miles211Good 20247Compare
Four Lanes Infant SchoolCouncil1.7 miles263Good 202359Compare
South View Junior SchoolCouncil1.7 miles255Good 202229Compare
Marnel Junior SchoolAcademy1.7 miles460Outstanding 202479Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior 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.

Beats35%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the lower half of its group. Its score of 67 is 8 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 20 · middle 76 · highest 97100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Velmead Junior SchoolCouncil9.4 miles373Good 202393Compare
Nine Mile Ride Primary SchoolAcademy10.9 miles375Good 202277Compare
Birch Copse Primary SchoolCouncil12.8 miles420Outstanding 202496Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 67 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 67% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 51 to 80. 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 years25%in line
+0.06
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 79 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.02
Ofsted report card, 0.7 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
0.00
DfE progress measure; 79 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
0.00
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well above
+0.12
2024/25; 358 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.05
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 79 pupils
What parents say5%well above
+0.06
Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 163 responses

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 St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School scores 67 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 35% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 51 to 80, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School's Ofsted rating?

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

How good are St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 65% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School have?

357 pupils aged 7 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 360 places, so it is 99% full.

Is St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School oversubscribed?

Often. Fewer than one place in twenty was empty in 2024/25, so popular year groups fill up.

What is attendance like at St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School?

Pupils were in school 97.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 6% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

What do parents say about St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School?

98% of the 163 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 97% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.

How big are the classes at St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School?

The average class had 29.7 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
Belle Vue Road, Old Basing, Basingstoke, RG24 7DE
Telephone
01256 465092
Website
www.st-marys-jun.hants.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Gemma Lillywhite
Type of school
Church of England school (voluntary aided) (Voluntary aided school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 7-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Winchester
Local authority
Hampshire
Ward
Basing & Upton Grey
Constituency
North East Hampshire
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
116350 · LAESTAB 8503305 · UKPRN 10078531

Where these figures come from