Belswains Primary School

About Belswains Primary School

Belswains Primary School sits within Hertfordshire’s Dacorum borough, a local authority with 401 primary schools where it currently ranks 9th out of 47 schools in its immediate area and sits comfortably in the top 25% nationally. Its closest high-performing peers include Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harvey Road Primary School, and The Russell School, all of which score at or near the top of the local rankings. The school is led by headteacher Neysa Claridge and serves 399 pupils, slightly above its official capacity of 390, which hints at its popularity among local families. With a non-religious character and a nursery provision for children from age three, it draws from a broad catchment. The most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 confirmed the school remains Good, a rating it has held consistently since at least its previous graded inspection in 2013, with leadership and management also judged Good.

Academically, Belswains performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 73% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with the Hertfordshire average of 64%. The school’s ranking score of 73 reflects this strong showing. In reading, the average scaled score was 106, with 83% meeting expectations and 27% reaching the higher standard. Maths followed a similar pattern: an average score of 105, 80% at expected level, and 33% at the higher threshold. Writing was slightly lower, with 77% at expected and just 3% at greater depth. 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, but the raw outcomes place it well within the top quarter of schools nationally. The school does not have a sixth form, as is typical for a primary, and its focus remains firmly on the early and primary years.

The school offers a practical set of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, an ICT suite, a sensory room, and a chapel. Sports provision covers tennis, athletics, dance, and rounders, while extracurricular clubs include chess, choir, science club, and gardening. For families with children who have additional needs, Belswains lists SEND provisions for social, emotional and mental health, speech, language and communication, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admissions data for 2025/26 shows the school is oversubscribed: 143 applications for 58 places, with 39 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.47. This suggests strong local demand, and families considering the school should be prepared for a competitive application process. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is Brockswood Primary School, 4.8 km away, which may be a useful alternative for those who miss out on a place here.

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