St Nicholas CofE Primary

About St Nicholas CofE Primary

St Nicholas CofE Primary is a Church of England state primary in Stratford-on-Avon that is genuinely popular with local families. The school has 426 pupils on roll, slightly above its official capacity of 420, and for the 2025/26 intake it received 93 applications for 53 places — an oversubscription ratio of 1.75. Fifty of those applications were first-preference offers, meaning every family who put it first got a place, but the overall demand shows the school is well-regarded in the area. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is 22.8%, which is worth noting because it is higher than the national primary average of around 23%, so the school serves a broadly typical mix of backgrounds for a state primary. The headteacher is Laura Newell, and the school’s most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024 rated it Good overall, with an Outstanding mark for early years provision.

Academically, St Nicholas sits in the bottom half of schools nationally when measured by the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 44% of pupils achieved the expected standard across all three subjects, compared with the Warwickshire local authority average of 62%. The school’s average scores were 104 in reading and 103 in maths, both slightly above the national benchmark of 100, but the proportion reaching the higher standard was low — 30% in reading, 21% in maths and just 5% in writing. In the Stratford-on-Avon local authority ranking, St Nicholas sits at 43rd out of 52 primary schools, placing it in the bottom 50% locally. The previous Ofsted inspection in 2012 rated the school Outstanding overall, so the current Good rating represents a step down, though the 2024 inspection noted that early years provision remains Outstanding.

The school offers a solid range of facilities including a sports hall, playing fields, a sensory room and a chapel, which reflects its Church of England foundation. Sports on offer include football, netball, swimming, cricket and athletics, and there are clubs such as choir, drama, gardening and eco club. For SEND support, the school lists provisions for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech and language needs, autistic spectrum disorder and social, emotional and mental health needs. The nearest Outstanding-rated school is Our Lady’s Catholic Primary, just 0.1 km away, which may be worth comparing if faith-based education is a priority. St Nicholas suits families who value a popular, community-focused primary with strong early years provision and a broad extracurricular offer, but who are comfortable with academic results that sit below the local average.

Key Details

Frequently Asked Questions About St Nicholas CofE Primary

Helpful Guides for Parents