St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Primary
PUPILS
215
AGES
4 - 11
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Voluntary aided school
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
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Can I Get My Child Into This School?

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This pupil heat map shows where pupils currently attending the school live.
The concentration of pupils shows likelihood of admission based on distance criteria

Source: All attending pupils National School Census Data, ONS
0845 603 2200

This School Guide heat map has been plotted using official pupil data taken from the last School Census collected by the Department for Education. It is a visualisation of where pupils lived at the time of the annual School Census.

Our heat maps use groups of postcodes, not individual postcodes, and have naturally soft edges. All pupils are included in the mapping (i.e. children with siblings already at the school, high priority pupils and selective and/or religious admissions) but we may have removed statistical ‘outliers’ with more remote postcodes that do not reflect majority admissions.

For some schools, the heat map may be a useful indicator of the catchment area but our heat maps are not the same as catchment area maps. Catchment area maps, published by the school or local authority, are based on geographical admissions criteria and show actual cut-off distances and pre-defined catchment areas for a single admission year.

This information is provided as a guide only. The criteria in which schools use to allocate places in the event that they are oversubscribed can and do vary between schools and over time. These criteria can include distance from the school and sometimes specific catchment areas but can also include, amongst others, priority for siblings, children of a particular faith or specific feeder schools. Living in an area where children have previously attended a school does not guarantee admission to the school in future years. Always check with the school’s own admission authority for the current admission arrangements.

3 steps to help parents gather catchment information for a school:

  1. Look at our school catchment area guide for more information on heat maps. They give a useful indicator of the general areas that admit pupils to the school. This visualisation is based on all attending pupils present at the time of the annual School Census.
  2. Use the link to the Local Authority Contact (above) to find catchment area information based on a single admission year. This is very important if you are considering applying to a school.
  3. On each school page, use the link to visit the school website and find information on individual school admissions criteria. Geographical criteria are only applied after pupils have been admitted on higher priority criteria such as Looked After Children, SEN, siblings, etc.

How Does The School Perform?

Good
NATIONAL AVG. 2.09
Ofsted Inspection
(23/05/2023)
Full Report - All Reports
75%
NATIONAL AVG. 60%
% pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics



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Progress Compared With All Other Schools

UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 8% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 11% of schools in England) Average (About 59% of schools in England) Above Average (About 11% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England)
Castle Street
Saffron Walden
CB10 1BQ
01799523384

School Description

The leadership team has restored, and is now building rapidly upon, the good quality of education in the school since the previous inspection. Governors and staff told me how, since your appointment in September 2015, you have brought stability, provided clear, decisive leadership and instilled a culture of high expectations. All staff who completed the online survey agreed the school is led and managed well and that they are proud to work at the school. The many staff I spoke with on the day of the inspection echoed these sentiments. Comments such as ‘she has high expectations of us, the children and herself’ and ‘she has included us all on the journey of improvement’ were typical of views expressed. Very many parents expressed positive views about the quality of education provided, commenting on the improved organisation and open, caring approach evident at St Mary’s. The comment made by one parent that they are ‘impressed by how they [the staff] are working together and inspiring learning’ was endorsed by inspection evidence. On your appointment, you considered the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and that of leadership and management not to be of the standard you expected or that you considered pupils deserved. With the strong backing of governors, you have supported and challenged leaders, some who are new to their role, to ‘step up to the plate’ and they have responded well. Senior leaders and subject champions (subject leaders) willingly share your passion for school improvement and are increasingly skilled in bringing it about. There is ample evidence of the impact of their work in the rapid and sustained improvement in the quality of provision in the early years. It can also be seen in the impressive progress made by pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, in reading and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. Correctly, you have set about ensuring that all leaders in foundation subjects replicate the best practice evident in the school. You have made clear your high expectations for the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and manage staff performance well. You have ensured that leaders of English and mathematics have a precise understanding of pupil progress and that external experts validate these leaders’ judgements. Through your chosen approach of ‘child-led monitoring’ you and your senior team have a detailed understanding of the standard of teaching, its impact on learning and the accuracy of teachers’ assessments. You have not been afraid to challenge weaker practice and have done so effectively. Teachers and teaching assistants speak highly of the support and training they are provided with. The impact of your actions is evident in the improving quality of teaching, learning and assessment and pupil achievement, in particular, in the early years and key stage 2. You are rightly proud of the developments that have taken place in the early years provision. Due to strong leadership and effective teaching, children develop quickly into enthusiastic and increasingly independent learners. Children make full use of the well-resourced learning environment and do so cooperatively and with good humour. They are proud of, and eager to talk about, their work. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has been rising and in 2017 was above the national average. Children are prepared well for key stage 1. St Mary’s is a harmonious school in which pupils are able to thrive in their learning and play. It is clear that pupils’ pride in their school, their positive, courteous behaviour and enjoyment of learning noted at the time of the previous inspection remain. Pupils told me how much they like learning, enjoy each other’s company and appreciate the care shown to them by staff. Pupils’ positive behaviour demonstrates that the school values of respect, care and self-control are well known and understood. For example, pupils told me how they ‘learn to respect other people’ at school and that it ‘would not be fair not to know about other people’s beliefs’. Leaders rightly take appropriate action to ensure that pupils’ attendance and levels of punctuality remain high. Pupils attend school regularly, bearing out the views expressed by adults that leaders’ changes have made ‘school a place pupils want to be’. Safeguarding is effective. You, your leaders and the governors place pupils’ safety and well-being at the centre of your work. Pupils told me they feel safe. Their sense of security and wellbeing is evident in the confidence with which they conduct themselves. The overwhelming majority of parents agree their children are safe, happy and well cared for at St Mary’s.

St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Parent Reviews



unlock % Parents Recommend This School
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>80, "agree"=>17, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>82, "agree"=>15, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>72, "agree"=>24, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
My Child Has Not Been Bullied Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"my_child_has_not_been_bullied"=>69, "strongly_agree"=>11, "agree"=>8, "disagree"=>6, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>65, "agree"=>28, "disagree"=>1, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
I Have Not Raised Any Concerns Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"i_have_not_raised_any_concerns"=>23, "strongly_agree"=>56, "agree"=>11, "disagree"=>4, "strongly_disagree"=>4, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>33, "agree"=>33, "disagree"=>11, "strongly_disagree"=>22, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 10 responses up to 05-06-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>61, "agree"=>32, "disagree"=>1, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>70, "agree"=>24, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>3, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>65, "agree"=>30, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>65, "agree"=>32, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>1} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>73, "agree"=>20, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>70, "agree"=>21, "disagree"=>3, "strongly_disagree"=>1, "dont_know"=>4} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023
Yes No {"yes"=>97, "no"=>3} UNLOCK Figures based on 71 responses up to 05-06-2023

Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View

Your rating:
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