St Mary's CofE Primary School, Northchurch
Northchurch, Berkhamsted, HP4 3QZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
St Mary's CofE Primary School, Northchurch is a primary school in Berkhamsted for ages 3 to 11. It is one of the 583 schools in Hertfordshire. It ranks 5th of 8 primary schools in Berkhamsted. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in May 2014.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 20 May 2014, report published 18 June 2014
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 9 March 2023
St Mary's is a welcoming and caring place to learn. Pupils are kind and friendly. They welcome new pupils warmly and help them to settle in. Older pupils have a strong sense of self-belief and self-confidence, particularly in understanding and explaining right and wrong. Teachers have high expectations, and pupils behave well. Classrooms are calm and orderly. Bullying happens infrequently. They understand the steps teachers follow to stop bullying from happening. This helps pupils feel safe. Pupils learn a broad and interesting curriculum that develops their curiosity and talents. This prepares them well for the next stage of their education. Pupils particularly like it when visitors come to the school or they attend trips. This helps to deepen their understanding of the subjects they study. Pupils take pleasure in reading and sharing books. They show enthusiasm when explaining why they enjoy a particular book. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities. Older pupils help younger ones and act as good role models. Pupils show consideration for each other. They understand and value difference. Pupils like to help others and make decisions about the school. For example, the school council raised money to buy new sports equipment.
What the school should improve
- Staff are not teaching all the planned elements of the phonics curriculum as leaders intend. They require further guidance and training to do this. This means some pupils do not progress with reading as quickly as they could. Leaders need to ensure that all staff have the guidance and expertise to implement the phonics programme consistently and effectively so that all pupils develop essential phonic knowledge as quickly as possible.
- Some pupils take part in intervention groups. Leaders are not checking that all these groups are making the difference intended. Leaders do not know if all interventions are effective in helping pupils to learn and remember more. Leaders must ensure that they check that all interventions are effective and are achieving their intended outcomes.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
30 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
226 pupils on roll, with places for 240
Schools near St Mary's CofE Primary School, Northchurch
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westfield Primary School | 0.3 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | 30% met the expected standard |
| Bridgewater Primary School | 0.6 miles | Ofsted: Good | 75% met the expected standard |
| St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy | 0.9 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | 58% met the expected standard |
| Greenway Primary and Nursery School | 0.9 miles | Ofsted: Good | 79% met the expected standard |
| Victoria Church of England Infant and Nursery School | 1 mile | Report card: Expected standard to strong standard | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- Yes
- Headteacher
- Miss Sarah Gray
- Phone
- 01442389040
- Address
- Northchurch, Berkhamsted, HP4 3QZ
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- URN
- 117424
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.