St Mary Magdalene CofE Primary School

About St Mary Magdalene CofE Primary School

St Mary Magdalene CofE Primary School sits within the Nottinghamshire local authority, a Church of England primary in Ashfield that serves 207 pupils from ages 4 to 11. In the local landscape of state primary schools, it ranks 26th out of 30 in Ashfield based on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. The top-performing peers in the same local authority are John Blow Primary School, Harworth CofE Academy and Bunny CofE Primary School, all of which score higher on this metric. Across Nottinghamshire as a whole, St Mary Magdalene ranks 177th out of 286 primaries, placing it in the bottom half of schools in the county. Its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in November 2021, rated the school Good overall, with Good in every category including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This represents a change from its previous inspection in 2007, when it was judged Outstanding.

Academically, the school's Key Stage 2 results for 2023/24 show that 50% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, which is below the Nottinghamshire local authority average of 61%. In reading, 70% reached the expected standard and 27% achieved a higher standard, while in writing 77% met expectations and 20% reached the higher level. Maths saw 53% at the expected standard and 23% at the higher level, with an average scaled score of 103. Reading averaged 105. Just 13% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects. Nationally, the school ranks in the bottom half, sitting at 10,845th out of 13,686 primaries. In the East Midlands region it is 1,039th out of 1,353. The school has no sixth form and does not offer nursery provision, so all pupils leave at the end of Year 6.

The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 academic year, with 75 applications for 28 places and 27 first-preference offers, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2.68. Facilities include music rooms, an ICT suite, a sports hall, art studios, playing fields and a chapel. Sports offered include gymnastics, tennis, dance, swimming, cross country and netball, and there are clubs such as film, chess, gardening, choir, eco club and drama. The school provides support for pupils with specific learning difficulties including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, speech, language and communication needs, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. With 19.8% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a community with above-average disadvantage. Families seeking a faith-based primary with a Good Ofsted rating and a broad range of clubs and sports may find it a solid local option, though those prioritising top academic outcomes may want to look at higher-ranked peers in the area.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary Magdalene CofE Primary School

Helpful Guides for Parents