Maple Primary School

About Maple Primary School

Maple Primary School is a state primary for mixed pupils aged 4 to 11 in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and it is genuinely popular. With 215 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, the school is effectively full, and the demand is striking: for 30 places in the 2025/26 intake, the school received 157 total applications, giving an oversubscription ratio of 5.23. Only 28 of those offers went to first-preference families, despite 36 first-preference applications being made. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals sits at 5.6%, well below the national average for primary schools, suggesting a relatively affluent local intake. The school has no religious character and no nursery or sixth-form provision, so it focuses squarely on the primary years. Headteacher Shanti Johnson leads a school that, while not the highest-ranked in the local authority, clearly commands strong local confidence.

Academically, Maple Primary performs solidly above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 85% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Hertfordshire LA average of 64%. The school also achieved strong scores in individual subjects: 94% met expectations in maths, 91% in reading and 88% in writing. At the higher standard, 15% of pupils achieved the top level across all three subjects, with maths particularly strong at 58% reaching the higher threshold, followed by reading at 45% and writing at 21%. Average scaled scores were 110 in maths and 109 in reading. Nationally, the school ranks in the top 5.3% of all primaries on the combined expected standard metric, and within St Albans it sits 9th out of 40 schools. Its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2021 rated overall effectiveness as Good, with personal development judged Outstanding — a notable strength.

The school offers a broad set of facilities including a sports hall, ICT suite, music rooms, playing fields, a sensory room and a library. Sports on offer include cross country, cricket, dance, swimming, rounders and athletics, while clubs range from gardening and eco club to drama, choir and chess. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder, plus a resourced provision. The school is oversubscribed by a wide margin, so families applying will need to be realistic about their chances of securing a place. This is a school that suits families who value strong academic outcomes in a well-resourced, popular setting, and who are comfortable with a competitive admissions process.

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