Parkside Community Primary School

About Parkside Community Primary School

Parkside Community Primary School in Hertsmere was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating. The inspection, which took place in March 2025, found the school's quality of education, early years provision, personal development, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management all to be Good. The most telling exam metric comes from the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, where 62% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. That figure sits just below the Hertfordshire local authority average of 64%, placing Parkside 194th out of 401 primary schools in the county. In the more local Hertsmere ranking, the school comes 15th out of 29 schools, putting it in the bottom half of its immediate borough. The school's ranking score of 62 places it in the bottom 50% nationally, though this single metric doesn't capture the full picture of what the school offers.

Looking deeper at the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, Parkside's pupils performed slightly above national averages in reading and maths. The average reading score was 106 and the average maths score was 105, both above the expected standard of 100. However, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined was just 7%, which is low. Individually, 31% reached the higher standard in reading and 28% in maths, but only 7% did so in writing. The school's Ofsted report from the ungraded inspection in March 2025 noted that standards were maintained, suggesting consistency since the last graded inspection in January 2020. Parent feedback is overwhelmingly positive, with 88% of the 17 respondents saying they would recommend the school. Every single parent agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy and feels safe, and 76% strongly agreed that their child does well at the school.

Parkside is a state primary school for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery provision on site. It has capacity for 300 pupils but currently has 246 on roll, and for the 2025/26 intake it was oversubscribed, receiving 59 applications for 29 places, with 28 of those being first preferences. The school serves a diverse community, with 42.1% of pupils eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. Facilities include a library, ICT suite, music rooms, a sensory room, art studios, an outdoor playground and a gymnasium. Sports on offer include rounders, swimming, football, gymnastics, netball and cricket, while clubs include gardening, choir, book club and science club. The school has a range of SEND provisions covering specific learning difficulties, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. This is a school that has clearly turned a corner in recent years and would suit families looking for a genuinely inclusive community school where children feel safe and happy, though those prioritising the highest academic outcomes may want to look at nearby Yavneh Primary School, which is rated Outstanding and just 2km away.

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