St Mary's Farnham Royal CofE Primary School

About St Mary's Farnham Royal CofE Primary School

St Mary's Farnham Royal CofE Primary School is a Church of England primary in Buckinghamshire, a local authority where competition for school places is notably high. Among the 184 primary schools in the county, it ranks 118th on the key stage 2 expected standard measure, placing it in the bottom half of the LA table. The top-performing local peers include Ickford School, Frieth Church of England Combined School, and Elangeni School, all of which score significantly higher on the same ranking metric. The school operates as a mixed, state-funded primary for children aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, receiving 64 applications for 30 places, with 29 first-preference offers made. The headteacher is Shane Broderick, and the school has a capacity of 363, though current pupil numbers stand at 248, leaving some room for growth.

Academically, the school's most recent Ofsted inspection in September 2024 rated it Good across all graded areas, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. The early years provision also holds a Good rating. However, the key stage 2 results for the 2023/24 academic year show that only 48% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with the Buckinghamshire LA average of 64%. The school's average scores in reading (106) and maths (103) are close to the national benchmark of 100, but the proportion reaching the higher standard in all three subjects is just 3%. In reading, 73% of pupils met the expected standard, and 25% reached the higher standard, while in maths the figures were 55% and 13% respectively. Progress scores are not available in the data.

The school offers a range of facilities including a library, art studios, music rooms, a gymnasium, an ICT suite, and a chapel. Sports provision covers gymnastics, dance, athletics, and cross country, while clubs include choir, chess, coding, and book club. SEND support is available for pupils with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, speech and language needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, autistic spectrum disorder, and social, emotional, and mental health needs. Parent View responses from 33 parents show strong satisfaction: 91% would recommend the school, and 82% strongly agreed that their child is happy and feels safe. The school suits families who value a Church of England ethos and a supportive, well-rated environment, though those prioritising top academic outcomes may want to compare with higher-ranked peers in the area.

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