Our Lady Catholic Primary School, Welwyn Garden City

Ofsted's report card from its 10 March 2026 inspection grades Our Lady Catholic Primary School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "Leaders seek every opportunity to develop pupils personally and to prepare them for later life."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Typically, pupils progress very well in all subjects."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Attendance is close to the national average overall and is gradually improving."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that teachers have the information they need to teach each subject effectively."

Early years - Expected standard. "In the early years, the curriculum is thoughtfully designed to teach children the essential knowledge and skills they need for later learning."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders identify any additional needs pupils have speedily, through careful observations and regular checks on pupils' progress."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, staff and governors have a shared ambition to provide high-quality education that prepares all pupils as well as possible for their future lives."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure that the support provided for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or pupils who are disadvantaged is sufficiently targeted and precise enough to meet their individual needs"; "Leaders should ensure they continue to refine their approaches to improving attendance, particularly among groups such as disadvantaged pupils"; "Leaders should ensure that staff consistently address pupils' errors effectively, for example in their basic letter and number formation, spelling, punctuation and grammar, to further improve pupils' achievement overall".

From the headteacher's welcome: "The children, staff and Governors at Our Lady Catholic Primary School offer you a warm welcome. We are delighted you have expressed an interest in our lovely school."

The school runs after-school care.

In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Our Lady Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 77% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results were similar in 2024 (80% in reading, 80% in maths).

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 18 families put Our Lady Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 66 named it as one of their preferences, for 22 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Our Lady Catholic Primary School are Creswick Academy (0.2 miles, 78% reading, 60% maths); Holwell Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 86% reading, 88% maths); Peartree Primary School (0.4 miles, 80% reading, 88% maths); and Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School (0.7 miles, Requires improvement, 82% reading, 84% maths).

Our Lady Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

74 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Our Lady Catholic Primary School (as of April 2026): 96% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

16.7% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 20 pupils (9.8%) received SEN support and 4 (2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

Our Lady Catholic Primary School had 8 teachers in 2026, one for every 26 pupils: fewer teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Welwyn Garden City Rail Station, about 1140 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Leigh Common (opposite), 240 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 349 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Our Lady Catholic Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 3.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Our Lady Catholic Primary School are Stanborough School (0.8 miles) and Ridgeway Academy (1.2 miles).