How Wood Primary and Nursery School

About How Wood Primary and Nursery School

How Wood Primary and Nursery School is a state primary in St Albans, Hertfordshire, serving 223 pupils aged 3 to 11. It sits within a competitive local landscape where the top-performing peers include Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harvey Road Primary School, and The Russell School. The school ranks 33rd out of 40 primaries in the St Albans local authority, placing it in the bottom half of the LA table. Its ranking score of 56 places it in the bottom 50 nationally among similar schools. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Cunningham Hill Junior School, 3.4 kilometres away. How Wood itself holds a Good rating from its most recent inspection in March 2023, a grade it has maintained since its previous inspection in 2012. The school is oversubscribed for Reception entry in 2025/26, receiving 81 applications for 30 places, with 28 offers going to first-preference families.

Academically, How Wood's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show that 56% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, below the Hertfordshire LA average of 64%. The school's strongest individual subject was writing, where 74% reached the expected standard and 15% achieved a higher standard. In reading, 70% met the expected level and 11% reached the higher standard, while maths saw 59% at expected and 22% at the higher level. Average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 102 in maths. Only 7% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects. The school does not publish progress scores for reading, writing or maths, so it is not possible to compare how much value the school adds relative to pupils' starting points. The Ofsted inspection rated all areas as Good, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

The school offers a nursery for children from age three and provides for a range of special educational needs, including moderate learning difficulties, speech and language communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional and mental health support. Facilities include a dining hall, music rooms, playing fields, an outdoor playground, a sensory room, an ICT suite and a chapel. Sports on offer include rounders, cricket, dance, football, netball and cross country, while clubs include chess, science club and eco club. With 14% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a broadly representative intake. Given its oversubscription ratio of 2.7 applicants per place, families applying should be prepared for competition. This school may suit families who value a Good-rated local option with nursery provision and a range of SEND support, though those prioritising top academic outcomes may want to consider higher-ranked peers in the area.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About How Wood Primary and Nursery School

Helpful Guides for Parents