Priors Wood Primary School, Ware
Priors Wood Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ware. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2016. That was 10 years ago, so the rating may not reflect the school today. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 9th-highest of the 14 schools in Ware with published results, and 7,842nd of 14,452 across England. It was 93% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2016)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Priors Wood Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils at Priors Wood Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 82% in reading and 76% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Priors Wood Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 32 families put Priors Wood Primary School as their first choice and 78 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 4 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Priors Wood Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Priors Wood Primary School are Larkspur Academy (0.4 miles, Good, 91% reading, 82% maths); Christ Church CofE (VA) Primary School and Nursery (0.7 miles, Good, 87% reading, 69% maths); St Mary's Voluntary Controlled Church of England Junior School (0.8 miles, Good, 85% reading, 75% maths); and Kingshill Infant School (0.8 miles, Good).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Priors Wood Primary School.
Larkspur AcademyChrist Church CofE (VA) Primary School and NurserySt Mary's Voluntary Controlled Church of England Junior SchoolKingshill Infant School
What parents say
85 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Priors Wood Primary School (as of April 2026): 94% would recommend the school, 94% 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 feels safe (95%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).
Who goes there
16.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 5.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (83%) and Mixed (10%).
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ware Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Parnel Road (near), 320 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Priors Wood Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Priors Wood Primary School are Presdales School (1.2 miles) and The Chauncy School (1.4 miles).
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 9 months agoReport card - no single overall grade (Ofsted's framework since November 2025)
Safeguarding standards: met
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2026 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Priors Wood is a warm, welcoming school where your child will feel safe and cared for. The school provides an ambitious curriculum with excellent personal development teaching, ensuring children understand important life skills and develop respect for different cultures and beliefs. Beyond lessons, there's a rich range of clubs and trips designed to broaden every child's horizons and maximize their chances in life.
Key Strengths
- Excellent personal, social and health education with strong understanding of equality, diversity and British values
- Wide range of enrichment activities and clubs accessible to all pupils, including those with additional needs
- Warm, caring relationships between staff and pupils creating a strong sense of belonging
- Effective early years curriculum with strong focus on language development
- Strong safeguarding culture where pupils feel safe and supported
Areas for Improvement
- Phonics screening results below national average in Year 1
- Writing quality variable across the school with some pupils not developing essential phonics and writing skills
- Some pupils' attainment in Year 6 reading and writing below average, particularly disadvantaged pupils
- Learning targets for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils lack precision
- Teacher adaptations of tasks occasionally not well matched to pupils' needs
Safeguarding
Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified and managed, making pupils safer and helping them feel safe.
Extracurricular Activities
Art club, sports clubs, school council, parliament day, bus and train trips to leisure parks, temple visits for religious education, play leader roles, assembly monitor positions
Priors Wood Primary School is a welcoming school with strong personal development and safeguarding, where pupils feel safe and benefit from rich enrichment opportunities. However, achievement in reading and writing needs improvement, particularly in phonics screening and for disadvantaged pupils.
At a Glance
16.5%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
85 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at April 2026 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 82% to 76% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 76% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 71% to 64% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
29.4
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
7
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Priors Wood Primary School
Term dates
Priors Wood Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Priors Wood Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Priors Wood Primary School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Priors Wood Primary School
Will you get a place at Priors Wood Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Priors Wood Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Priors Wood Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Priors Wood Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Priors Wood Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hertfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
196 pupils
210 places
14 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ware
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ware
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
14,776
Applications
12,543
Got 1st preference
89.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(9)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
44
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
25.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
231
Total Pupils
123
Boys
108
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
12
Teachers
19.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,820
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,665
Per pupil
£1217k
Total funding
£56k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.5%
Overall absence
14.1%
Persistent absence
170
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Priors Wood Primary School
Questions parents ask about Priors Wood Primary School
What are SATs results like at Priors Wood Primary School?
Of the pupils at Priors Wood Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 76% reached the expected standard in reading and 76% did so in maths.
What is Priors Wood Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Priors Wood Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2026, produced a report card, which grades each area but gives no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in April 2016, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Priors Wood Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Priors Wood Primary School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Priors Wood Primary School?
Priors Wood Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Priors Wood Primary School?
Classes at Priors Wood Primary School average 29.4 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Priors Wood Primary School?
Priors Wood Primary School has around 231 pupils on roll. 17% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Priors Wood Primary School?
5.5% of sessions were missed at Priors Wood Primary School in 2024/25. 14.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Priors Wood Primary School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Priors Wood Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Priors Wood Primary School's term dates?
Priors Wood Primary School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Priors Wood Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Priors Wood Primary School?
Priors Wood Primary School is at Cozens Road, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 7HZ.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)