Martins Wood Primary School

About Martins Wood Primary School

Martins Wood Primary School is a state-funded, mixed primary school in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, catering for children aged 2 to 11. It is one of 401 primary schools in the local authority, but its current standing is challenging. According to the most recent data, the school ranks 283rd in Hertfordshire, placing it firmly in the bottom half of local primaries. For context, the top-performing peers in the area include Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School and Harvey Road Primary School, both with a ranking score of 100, and The Russell School with a score of 97. Within Stevenage itself, Martins Wood ranks 15th out of 19 primary schools. The nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Round Diamond Primary School, just 1.1 kilometres away, which highlights the competitive local landscape for families seeking the highest-rated provision.

Academically, the school's most recent Key Stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year show that 46% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. This is significantly below the Hertfordshire local authority average of 64%. In individual subjects, 71% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, 67% in maths, and 53% in writing. At the higher standard, 20% achieved in reading and 11% in maths, while no pupils reached the higher standard in writing or in the combined measure. The school's average scores were 104 in reading and 102 in maths. Its most recent graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2021, rated the school Inadequate overall, with leadership and management also judged Inadequate, behaviour and attitudes Requires Improvement, and quality of education, personal development and early years provision all rated Good. This represents a decline from its previous Good rating in 2017.

The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, with 81 applications for 53 places, and 49 first-preference offers made. It offers a nursery provision and a range of facilities including a library, music rooms, playing fields, a sports hall, an ICT suite, art studios and a chapel. Sports on offer include football, swimming, dance, rounders and netball, while clubs include chess, choir, gardening and film club. The school provides support for a wide range of special educational needs and disabilities, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment, physical disability and other difficulties. Given its current Ofsted rating and below-average academic outcomes, Martins Wood may suit families who value its broad SEND support and nursery provision, but who are also prepared to engage closely with the school during its improvement journey.

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