Countess Anne Church of England School

About Countess Anne Church of England School

Countess Anne Church of England School is a primary school in Welwyn Hatfield that is running very close to full capacity, with 208 pupils on roll against a school capacity of 210. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 15.9%, which is worth noting in the context of the school's overall intake. Demand for places is extremely high: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 113 applications for just 28 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 4.04. Of those applicants, 48 put Countess Anne as their first preference, and 27 first-preference offers were made. This level of competition signals a school that local families are keen to get into, and the fact that it is a Church of England school with a chapel on site may be part of its appeal for some parents, though the data doesn't tell us how admissions criteria are weighted.

Academically, Countess Anne is performing well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 73% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Hertfordshire average of 64%. The school's score of 73 on this metric places it 9th out of 34 primary schools in Welwyn Hatfield, putting it in the top 25% nationally. In individual subjects, 90% of pupils met the expected standard in maths and 87% in reading, with average scaled scores of 108 in both. At the higher standard, 47% of pupils achieved in reading and 27% in maths. Ofsted inspectors judged the school Outstanding across all areas in their most recent graded inspection, upgrading from a previous Good rating. The ungraded inspection in January 2025 confirmed that standards have been maintained.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms, forest school and outdoor playground, plus a chapel. Sports on offer include swimming, gymnastics, athletics, cross country and cricket, and there are clubs such as chess, drama, science club and film club. The school has a wide SEND offer, covering specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability and autistic spectrum disorder. Parent View responses from 52 parents were overwhelmingly positive: 100% would recommend the school, and 87% strongly agreed that their child is happy. This is a school that suits families who want a high-performing, oversubscribed Church of England primary with strong academic outcomes and a clear sense of community, but who are prepared to compete for a place.

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