Welwyn St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

About Welwyn St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Welwyn St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School sits within Hertfordshire, a local authority with 401 primary schools, and ranks 176th among them. In the immediate Welwyn Hatfield borough, it places 19th out of 34 schools, placing it just above the middle of the pack. The top-performing peers in the local authority are Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harvey Road Primary School, and The Russell School, all of which achieve the maximum ranking score. Welwyn St Mary's is a state-funded, mixed primary for children aged 4 to 11, with a Church of England religious character. It currently has 415 pupils on roll, very close to its capacity of 432, and a below-average proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at 7.7%. The school is led by headteacher Stuart Whiteland and its most recent Ofsted inspection, carried out in March 2025, rated it Good overall, with personal development judged Outstanding.

In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 65% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, which is just above the local authority average of 64%. Reading was a particular strength, with 85% reaching the expected standard and 43% achieving a higher score, while the average reading score was 107. Maths saw 70% at the expected standard and an average score of 103. Writing lagged slightly behind, with 77% at the expected level and only 10% reaching the higher standard. Nationally, the school ranks 6,127th out of 13,686 primaries, placing it in the top half. Its previous Ofsted inspection in 2013 rated it Outstanding across the board, so the 2025 judgement represents a step down in overall effectiveness, though inspectors noted that behaviour and attitudes, as well as leadership and management, remain Good, and personal development continues to be Outstanding.

Parent feedback from the most recent Parent View survey, covering September 2024 to September 2025, was overwhelmingly positive: 90% of respondents would recommend the school, and 94% agreed or strongly agreed that their child is happy. The school offers a range of facilities including an ICT suite, library, dining hall, forest school, and chapel, and runs clubs such as choir, gardening, film club, and science club. Sports on offer include athletics, cricket, netball, and cross country. For SEND, the school supports children with specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, physical disability, social, emotional and mental health needs, and autistic spectrum disorder. Admissions for 2025/26 were oversubscribed, with 122 applications for 60 places and 63 first-preference applications, of which 56 were offered places. This is a school that suits families who value a strong community feel, a clear Christian character, and solid but not exceptional academic outcomes, particularly in reading.

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