St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans

About St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans

St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in St Albans posts academic results that sit well above the local authority average for primary schools. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 84% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with a Hertfordshire average of 64%. That twenty-point gap is significant and places the school in the top 10% of primaries nationally for this metric. The school also performs strongly at the higher standard: 13% of pupils achieved the higher benchmark across all three subjects, while 39% did so in reading and 32% in maths. Average scaled scores of 108 in reading and 107 in maths further underline solid attainment. Within St Albans, the school ranks 13th out of 40 primaries, putting it comfortably in the top third of its local authority.

The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, awarded it Outstanding across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This marks a clear improvement from its previous Good rating in 2013. The inspection report notes that the school has held a Good rating across both its recent inspections, with the upgrade reflecting sustained progress. With 198 pupils on roll against a capacity of 210, the school is close to full but not overcrowded. Just 9.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is below the national average and suggests a relatively advantaged intake. The school's Church of England character is woven into its facilities, which include a chapel, and its clubs range from chess and book club to eco club and gardening.

Admissions are competitive: for the 2025/26 intake, the school received 80 applications for 30 places, an oversubscription ratio of 2.67 to one. Of the 28 first-preference applications, 26 were offered places, so families ranking it first have a strong chance but no guarantee. The school supports a range of special educational needs, including dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional challenges, and autistic spectrum disorder. Sports provision includes gymnastics, netball, football, rounders, tennis and cross country, and the grounds feature playing fields, a gymnasium and an outdoor playground. This is a strong choice for families who prioritise academic outcomes and want a well-regarded Church of England primary with a proven track record of high attainment and a recent Outstanding Ofsted rating.

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