St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)
70%
Capacity
982
Pupils
1.8x
Demand
About St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)
St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) sits within the Broxbourne borough of Hertfordshire, a local authority with 86 secondary schools, 26 of which hold an Outstanding rating. The school itself is ranked 52nd in the county by Progress 8 score, placing it in the bottom half of Hertfordshire secondaries. Among its local peers, the top-performing schools are Sandringham School, Yavneh College, and Dame Alice Owen's School, each with significantly higher Progress 8 scores. Within Broxbourne specifically, St Mary's ranks 6th out of 7 schools, a position that reflects the competitive landscape of the area. The school is a mixed, Church of England secondary with a sixth form, led by headteacher Richard Vaughan. It is oversubscribed: for 2025/26 entry, there were 318 applications for 180 places, with 107 first-preference offers made. That oversubscription ratio of 1.77 suggests strong local demand, even if the school's academic ranking is more modest compared with the top-tier schools in the wider county.
Academically, St Mary's presents a mixed picture. At Key Stage 4, its Progress 8 score is -0.07, which is below the Hertfordshire local authority average of 0.18, but the school's progress banding is still classed as 'Average' nationally. Attainment 8 sits at 44.3, and 61.6% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths. The EBacc entry rate is 54.2%, with 31.5% achieving the EBacc at grade 4 or above. At A-level, the picture is more challenging: the school's value-added score is -0.23, with a progress banding of 'Below average', and the average points per entry is 24.77, equivalent to a D+ grade. The best three A-levels average out at a C-. Ofsted visited in October 2023 and upgraded the school from Requires Improvement to Good across all categories, including behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership. That jump from a 2019 inspection where it was rated Requires Improvement is a notable turnaround.
The school offers a broad range of facilities, including a swimming pool, theatre, chapel, astro turf, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision covers cricket, rowing, rugby, netball, and martial arts, while clubs range from coding and Model UN to gardening and eco club. SEND support is extensive, with provisions for autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language needs, hearing and visual impairments, and social, emotional and mental health needs. With 30.9% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake compared with the county average. This is a school that has clearly improved under its current leadership and is popular locally, but parents should weigh the average Progress 8 and below-average sixth-form value added against the strong Ofsted rating and the breadth of extracurricular and pastoral support on offer.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 19 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Church of England |
| Address | Lieutenant Ellis Way, Waltham Cross, Broxbourne, EN7 5FB |
| Headteacher | Richard Vaughan |
| Local Authority | Hertfordshire |
| Number of Pupils | 982 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 30.9% |
| School Capacity | 982 / 1,400 (70% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 Oct 2023Overall Effectiveness
Good
Additional Provisions
Source: Ofsted, 15 Nov 2023. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (-0.07)
1698th of 3,141
Nationally
192nd of 350
In East of England
6th of 7
In Broxbourne
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
32.0
'22/23
22.1
'23/24
24.8
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2347%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 236 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)47%
- FE college36%
- Sixth form college6%
- Not sustained5%
- Employment4%
- Apprenticeship1%
95% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2370%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 79 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
19%
Russell Group
23%
Top-third HE
4%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- University (HE)70%
- Employment13%
- Apprenticeship5%
- Further education4%
- Not sustained4%
- Other education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Sociology28
- Media/Film/Tv Studies16
- Law13
- Economics11
- Geography11
- Psychology11
- Biology10
- Design and Technology (Product Design)10
- Mathematics9
- History8
- Art and Design (Textiles)7
- Chemistry7
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
10Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
18Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed180
318
Good Demand
Popular school with more applications than places
107 families put this school as their 1st choice (34% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:25 – 14:55
Breakfast club
07:45-08:15
After-school care
14:55-16:00
Source: st-maryshigh.herts.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than 75% of schools in England.
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
2024/25Above the national average (25%) — higher-disadvantage intake.
Among the highest 25% — a diverse linguistic intake.
Ethnic background
- White British29.6%
- White (other)16.9%
- Mixed13.1%
- Asian4.5%
- Black1.8%
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
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Permanent exclusion is rare — most schools have none in a given 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.
7
Total schools
6
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.
Frequently Asked Questions About St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Lieutenant Ellis Way, Waltham Cross
Broxbourne, EN7 5FB
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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