Roundwood Primary School

About Roundwood Primary School

Roundwood Primary School’s Key Stage 2 results comfortably outpace the Hertfordshire local authority average, marking it as a strong performer in St Albans. While the LA average for pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths sits at 64%, Roundwood achieves 84% — a full 20 percentage points higher. This places the school 11th out of 40 primary schools in the district, putting it in the top 28% locally. Nationally, it ranks in the top 6% of all primary schools, which is a notable achievement for a state school of this size. The school’s ranking score of 84 on the expected standard metric reinforces its position as a solid, above-average choice for families who prioritise academic foundations. That said, it is not among the very top performers in the area — three schools in the local authority share a perfect ranking score of 100, and the nearest Outstanding-rated school, Wood End School, is just one kilometre away.

Digging deeper into the 2023/24 SATs data, Roundwood’s strengths are most visible in maths and reading. A striking 98% of pupils met the expected standard in maths, with 69% reaching the higher standard — well above typical national figures. Reading scores are similarly strong: 93% at expected and 64% at the higher level. Writing is slightly lower, with 87% at expected and just 11% at the higher standard, which is a more modest result. The school’s average scaled scores of 113 in maths and 112 in reading are both comfortably above the national benchmark of 100. Progress measures are not available in the data, so it is not possible to say how much value the school adds relative to pupils’ starting points. Ofsted last inspected in October 2021 and rated the school Good across all categories, including quality of education, behaviour, leadership and early years provision. This was a downgrade from its previous Outstanding rating in 2006, but the school has held a Good rating consistently since.

Roundwood is a three-form entry primary with nursery provision for children from age three, and it is heavily oversubscribed. For the 2025/26 intake, there were 149 applications for just 45 places, with only 35 first-preference offers made — an oversubscription ratio of 3.31 to one. This suggests strong local demand and makes it a competitive choice for families living within the catchment area. The school offers a broad range of facilities including a library, sports hall, gymnasium, playing fields, art studios and even a chapel. Sports provision covers swimming, netball, gymnastics, tennis, dance, athletics and cross country, while after-school clubs include art, coding, eco club and film club. For SEND, the school supports pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social and emotional needs, speech and language challenges, multi-sensory impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. With only 1.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the intake is notably less diverse socioeconomically than many state schools, and families should be aware that the school’s strong academic profile comes in a context of high local competition for places.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About Roundwood Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents