St Mary's CofE Primary School, Northchurch
About St Mary's CofE Primary School, Northchurch
Parents considering St Mary's CofE Primary School in Northchurch will find a school that is clearly popular with local families. In the 2025/26 admissions round, the school received 75 applications for just 30 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2. 5. Of those 75 applications, 26 were first-preference choices, and 24 of those families were offered a place. That level of demand suggests a strong reputation among parents who know the area well. The school is a Church of England primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It currently has 225 pupils on roll against a capacity of 240, so there is a little breathing room, but not much. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 9. 2%, which is below the national average and points to a relatively affluent catchment. The headteacher is Sarah Gray, who leads a school that has held a Good rating from Ofsted since at least its 2014 graded inspection.
Key Details
The full report on this school
The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.
- Ofsted inspection in plain EnglishStrengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
- Parent View survey resultsWhat parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
- Where Ofsted and parents disagreeGaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
- Admissions & catchmentAdmission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
- Nearby schools comparedBackup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
- Attendance & behaviour dataPersistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
10 Mar 2023Latest monitoring visit (10 Mar 2023): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 18 Jun 2014. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
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