St Ippolyts Church of England Aided Primary School
121%
Capacity
169
Pupils
1.9x
Demand
About St Ippolyts Church of England Aided Primary School
St Ippolyts Church of England Aided Primary School is a small state primary in North Hertfordshire, within the Hertfordshire local authority. It sits among a competitive group of local peers, with Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harvey Road Primary School, and The Russell School all ranking closely nearby. The school itself ranks first in North Hertfordshire among 38 same-type schools, placing it in the top 10% regionally and nationally. With 169 pupils on roll against a capacity of 140, it is clearly popular, and oversubscribed for 2025/26: 39 applications for 20 places, with 18 first-preference offers made. Headteacher Rachel Peddie leads a Church of England school that has held a Good Ofsted rating since at least 2013, and its most recent inspection in 2023 confirmed Good across all categories including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and early years provision.
Academically, St Ippolyts performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 83% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with the Hertfordshire LA average of 64%. The school also excels at the higher standard: 17% of pupils achieved that combined benchmark, with 30% reaching higher levels in reading, 30% in writing, and 33% in maths. Average scaled scores were 108 in reading and 107 in maths, both comfortably above the national baseline of 100. Progress scores are not available in the data, but the attainment figures alone place the school in the top 3% nationally for the combined expected standard. The Ofsted breakdown shows consistent Good ratings across all areas, with leadership and management, quality of education, and behaviour all rated Good in the 2023 inspection.
The school offers a practical range of facilities including a dining hall, ICT suite, sensory room, sports hall, gymnasium, forest school, and a chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, football, cricket, netball, cross country, and tennis, while clubs include gardening, chess, science club, coding, and film club. SEND support is available for specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, and hearing or visual impairments. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in Hitchin, 2.3 km away. St Ippolyts suits families seeking a strong academic record within a Church of England setting, particularly those who value a smaller school community and are comfortable with the oversubscription risk — 18 of 20 places went to first-preference applicants in the most recent admissions round.
Key Details
| School Type | Primary (State) |
| Age Range | 4 to 11 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Ashbrook Lane, Hitchin, North Hertfordshire, SG4 7PB |
| Headteacher | Rachel Peddie |
| Local Authority | Hertfordshire |
| Number of Pupils | 169 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 11.8% |
| School Capacity | 169 / 140 (121% full) |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
25 Apr 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 15 Jun 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (83%)
942nd of 13,686
Nationally
89th of 1,612
In East of England
1st of 38
In North Hertfordshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data
KS2 SATs Results
2023/24Reading, Writing & Maths Combined
83%
Expected Standard
17%
Higher Standard
'22/23
85%
'23/24
83%
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
7Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
11Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed20
39
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
18 families put this school as their 1st choice (46% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:45 – 15:15
Breakfast club
08:00-08:45
After-school care
15:15-18:15
Source: stipps.herts.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Half of schools in England do better than this.
Half of schools in England do better than this.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Below most schools — predominantly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British81.7%
- Mixed10.7%
- Asian2.4%
- White (other)1.8%
- Black0.6%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
Better than half of schools in England.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
3
Total schools
2
Oversubscribed
3
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About St Ippolyts Church of England Aided Primary School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
How to Choose a Primary School
Step-by-step guide to choosing the right primary school
KS2 SATs Explained
A parent's guide to Year 6 SATs and how results are reported
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Contact Information
Ashbrook Lane, Hitchin
North Hertfordshire, SG4 7PB
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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