Aboyne Lodge Junior Mixed and Infant School

About Aboyne Lodge Junior Mixed and Infant School

Aboyne Lodge Junior Mixed and Infant School’s headline Key Stage 2 results sit well above the Hertfordshire local authority average for primary schools. In the 2023/24 academic year, 79% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a county average of 64%. That 15-point gap places the school in a strong position locally, though it is not among the very highest performers in St Albans — it ranks 17th out of 40 primaries in the city. Nationally, it sits in the top 25% of schools by the same combined measure. The school’s overall Ofsted rating is Good, confirmed by an ungraded inspection in October 2023. Its most recent graded inspection, in December 2014, also rated it Good, while the previous graded inspection in April 2009 had judged it Outstanding. So the school has held a Good rating for over a decade, with the early years provision now rated Good as well, down from Outstanding in 2009.

Looking at the subject-level detail, Aboyne Lodge’s strengths are clearest in maths and reading. 93% of pupils met the expected standard in both subjects, and average scaled scores reached 111 in each — comfortably above the national average. At the higher standard, 50% achieved that level in maths and 57% in reading, which are strong figures. Writing is a relative weak spot: 82% reached the expected standard and just 21% hit the higher mark. That still contributes to the school’s strong combined outcome, but it suggests literacy development beyond the basics could be an area to watch. Progress scores are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. The school is relatively small, with 188 pupils against a capacity of 210, and 11.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, slightly below the national primary average.

Aboyne Lodge is a popular choice in St Albans. For 2025/26 entry, it received 97 applications for 30 places, making it oversubscribed with a ratio of 3.23 applicants per place. All 27 first-preference applicants received offers, so putting it first gives you a strong chance. The school offers a good range of facilities including a library, music rooms, art studios, a gymnasium, a chapel and a Forest School. Sports include swimming, netball, cricket, athletics and tennis, and clubs range from chess and coding to choir and eco club. SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that suits families who want solid academic foundations in a well-resourced, relatively small setting, and who are comfortable with a Good-rated school that performs above the local average without being among the very highest flyers.

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