St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School

About St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School

St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School is a Church of England primary in Westminster, one of 34 state primaries in the borough. It ranks 31st among them, placing it in the bottom half of local schools. The top-performing peers in the area are Hampden Gurney CofE Primary School, St Mary's Bryanston Square CofE School, and Christ Church Bentinck CofE Primary School, all of which score significantly higher on the same ranking metric. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Ark Atwood Primary Academy, just 0.1 km away. The school is small, with 186 pupils against a capacity of 236, and nearly half of its students (47.8%) are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. It has a nursery provision and serves children from age 3 to 11. Headteacher Tonnie Read leads a school that has seen notable change in its Ofsted rating over time.

In its most recent graded inspection in 2012, the school was rated Good overall, with Good for leadership and management. This was an improvement from its previous inspection in 2010, when it was rated Requires Improvement across all assessed areas. An ungraded inspection in 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. At Key Stage 2 in the 2023/24 academic year, 39% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared to the Westminster local authority average of 74%. In reading, 68% met the expected standard and 16% reached a higher standard. In maths, 71% met the expected standard and 13% reached a higher standard. Writing saw 58% at expected and none at the higher level. Average scores were 104 in reading and 103 in maths. The school ranks in the bottom 50 nationally by this combined measure.

The school offers a broad range of facilities including a music room, art studios, a sports hall, playing fields, a library, a chapel, and a forest school. Sports on offer include gymnastics, athletics, cross country, rounders, dance, and swimming. Clubs include chess, eco club, science club, and coding. The school has identified SEND provisions for moderate learning difficulty, social emotional and mental health needs, speech language and communication needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. For the 2025/26 intake, the school was oversubscribed: 31 applications for 15 places, with 11 first-preference offers made. This suggests a committed local community, though the school’s academic outcomes are below the LA average. It may suit families who prioritise a small, inclusive Church of England setting with strong pastoral support and a range of enrichment activities over high-stakes test results.

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