Yewtree Primary School

About Yewtree Primary School

Yewtree Primary School in Dacorum was rated Good in its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022, a significant improvement from its previous Requires Improvement rating. The school’s most telling academic metric is the Key Stage 2 combined reading, writing and maths expected standard, where just 34% of pupils met the benchmark in the 2023/24 academic year. This places the school well below the Hertfordshire local authority average of 64%, and ranks it 45th out of 47 primary schools in Dacorum. In individual subjects, 62% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, 45% in writing, and 41% in maths. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard was notably low, with 10% in reading, 10% in maths, and none in writing. The average maths score was 97, and the average reading score was 102. These results reflect the challenges of a school where 41.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, a figure well above the national average.

Ofsted’s 2022 inspection gave the school Good marks across all five categories: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. The report noted that the school had made clear progress since its previous inspection, when it was rated Requires Improvement in overall effectiveness, leadership and management, and early years provision. The school is led by headteacher Karen Yilmaz and has 347 pupils on roll against a capacity of 420, so there is some room for growth. The school offers a nursery provision for children aged three and above. Its facilities include a library, forest school, gymnasium, playing fields, outdoor playground, and a chapel. Sports on offer include netball, football, rounders, cross country, athletics, and cricket, while clubs range from book club and art club to chess, film club, and choir.

For the 2025/26 admissions cycle, Yewtree was oversubscribed: 50 applications were received for 22 places, with 20 of those being first-preference applications, all of which were offered. The oversubscription ratio was 2.27 applicants per place. The school has a broad range of SEND provisions, covering specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment, autistic spectrum disorder, and other difficulties or disabilities. This makes it a potentially suitable choice for families whose children require additional support, particularly given the school’s Good rating for behaviour and attitudes and personal development. However, parents prioritising strong academic outcomes at Key Stage 2 may want to consider the nearest Outstanding-rated school, Brockswood Primary School, which is 2.3 km away. Yewtree is a non-religious, mixed, state primary school that serves a community with higher-than-average disadvantage, and its recent Ofsted trajectory shows a school that has turned around its performance.

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