St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)
Lieutenant Ellis Way, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, EN7 5FBOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) is a secondary school in Waltham Cross for ages 11 to 19. It is one of the 583 schools in Hertfordshire. It ranks 54th of 78 secondary schools in Hertfordshire. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in October 2023.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 10 October 2023, report published 15 November 2023
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 10 October 2023
Pupils are proud of their school. Those in attendance at the previous inspection notice and speak positively about improvements happening at their school. Pupils share the school's high ambitions of what they can learn and achieve. They speak confidently about reaching their career aspirations because the school prepares them well for adult life. Pupils behave well and treat each other with kindness. Many told us that the best thing about the school is the way the diverse school community feels like a nurturing family. Older pupils and students in the sixth form take responsibility for younger pupils, such as ensuring that Year 7 pupils settle into school successfully. On the rare occasions of bullying, staff deal with it effectively so that it stops and does not reoccur. The school's work to support the well-being of pupils is strong. Pupils are taught how to live healthy lifestyles. The school supports pupils well to maintain positive mental health while dealing with whatever issues they face. Pupils benefit from the school's commitment to pupils' personal development through the enrichment opportunities at the school. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their learning from the educational visits to local, national and international sites of interest.
What the school should improve
- The school does not provide teachers with the precise guidance and training they need to plan support to meet the exact needs of some pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that teachers receive, and act upon, precise guidance and training about the specific needs of pupils with SEND.
- The school does not have sufficiently effective support for pupils at the earliest stages of reading. Though the existing support is enabling these pupils to improve their reading to some extent, more needs to be done. The school must complete its work in sharing the necessary expertise about early reading and put effective measures in place so that these pupils can learn what they need to read more effectively.
Exam results
GCSE results (key stage 4), 2024/25
190 pupils in the year group
A level results (key stage 5), 2024/25
62 students
Average A level grade C-, England average B-
Pupil numbers and mix
911 pupils on roll, with places for 1,400
Schools near St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goffs - Churchgate Academy | 0.6 miles | Report card: Expected standard | Attainment 8: 42.6 |
| Goffs Academy | 0.7 miles | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 49.1 |
| The Lea Valley Academy | 1 mile | Ofsted: Good | Attainment 8: 33.3 |
| St Ignatius College | 2 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good to outstanding | Attainment 8: 54.8 |
| Haileybury Turnford | 2 miles | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | Attainment 8: 43.3 |
School details
- School type
- Academy converter
- Sector
- Academy
- Trust
- ST MARY'S CE ACADEMY, CHESHUNT
- Age range
- 11 to 19
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Sixth form
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Mr Richard Vaughan
- Phone
- 01992629124
- Address
- Lieutenant Ellis Way, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, EN7 5FB
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- URN
- 138360
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.