Parkgate Junior School

About Parkgate Junior School

Parkgate Junior School in Watford holds an Ofsted rating of Outstanding, a grade it earned in its most recent graded inspection in 2018 and confirmed as still current in an ungraded inspection in July 2024. The school’s leadership and management were also judged Outstanding. The most telling exam metric is the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which stands at 66%. That is just above the local authority average of 64% for primary schools in Hertfordshire, placing Parkgate in the top half of schools nationally. The school ranks 12th out of 22 primary schools within Watford itself, and 166th out of 401 across the wider county. While the combined expected figure is solid, the school’s higher-standard attainment is more modest: only 8% of pupils achieved the higher benchmark in all three subjects, and maths scores averaged 104, with reading averaging 106.

Looking at individual subjects, reading is the strongest area: 81% of pupils met the expected standard and 32% reached the higher standard. Writing and maths saw 80% and 76% at expected levels respectively, with higher-standard rates of 24% and 25%. The school does not publish progress scores for reading, writing or maths, so it is not possible to compare how much value it adds relative to pupils’ starting points. Compared with its previous inspection in 2013, when it was rated Good, the school has clearly improved. The Outstanding rating places it among 45 such primary schools in Hertfordshire, though the nearest Outstanding alternative, Nascot Wood Junior School, is only 1.3 km away, so competition for places is likely to be strong in this area.

Parkgate Junior School is a state primary for children aged 7 to 11, with a capacity of 240 and currently 238 pupils on roll, so it is effectively full. Just under 14% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is close to the national average. The school offers a range of facilities including a library, ICT suite, music rooms, a sensory room and even a chapel. Sports provision is broad, with football, cricket, netball, swimming, athletics, tennis and cross country, and clubs include drama, gardening, art and choir. The school’s SEND provision covers specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional mental health needs, speech and language communication needs, and hearing impairment. For families in Watford seeking a well-regarded junior school with strong core subject results and a wide extracurricular offer, Parkgate is a strong contender, though oversubscription is likely given its size and rating.

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