Skyswood Primary & Nursery School, St Albans
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in St Albans, part of Ambition Education Trust. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 32 schools in St Albans with published results, and 814th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.5 first-choice applications for every place. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Demand
- 1.5 first choices per place
- Attendance
- Better than England average
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
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School in detail
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School reached the expected standard in reading and 93% 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 (94% in reading, 94% in maths).
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School
For September 2026 entry, 46 families put Skyswood Primary & Nursery School as their first choice and 120 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. That is 1.5 first choices for every place. 17 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Skyswood Primary & Nursery School are St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy (0.1 miles, 87% reading, 87% maths); Wheatfields Infants' and Nursery School (0.4 miles); Wheatfields Junior Mixed School (0.4 miles, 90% reading, 90% maths); and Oakwood Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 85% reading, 89% maths).
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School's 2025 results were higher than all 3 of them.
St John Fisher Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary AcademyWheatfields Infants' and Nursery SchoolWheatfields Junior Mixed SchoolOakwood Primary School
The trust
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School is one of 11 schools run by Ambition Education Trust, an academy trust.
Across the trust's primary schools, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths in 2024/25.
What parents say
174 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Skyswood Primary & Nursery School (as of September 2025): 99% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 78% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (78%).
Who goes there
0.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 16 pupils (7%) received SEN support and 2 (0.9%) 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.
Staffing
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School had 15 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Albans City Rail Station, about 1.6 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Chandlers Road (adjacent), 170 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Skyswood Primary & Nursery School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 68 crimes within a mile of the school, most often shoplifting, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).
Suspensions and exclusions
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Skyswood Primary & Nursery School are Sandringham School (0.3 miles), Beaumont School (0.9 miles), Verulam School (1 mile) and St Albans Girls' School (1.2 miles).
Sandringham SchoolBeaumont SchoolVerulam SchoolSt Albans Girls' School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in February 2022. Before that, as Skyswood Primary & Nursery School (URN 117240), it was rated Outstanding in November 2014.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
This school creates a truly special learning experience where every child is listened to and supported. Pupils develop a genuine passion for learning through a rich curriculum that goes far beyond the classroom - with real-world experiences like museum visits and pottery exhibitions. The school consistently produces pupils who achieve exceptionally well and who embrace values of kindness and respect.
Key Strengths
- Rich, creative curriculum taught in considerable depth with extensive enrichment activities like museum visits and pottery clubs
- Excellent reading and writing development integrated throughout the school, with pupils producing high-quality work
- Strong support for pupils with SEND through precise, tailored assistance and additional resources
- Highly positive behaviour and attitudes rooted in values of kindness, curiosity, resilience and respect
- Exceptional leadership with high staff morale and consistent quality education across the school
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Pottery club, play leader roles, extra-curricular activities run by Year 6 pupils, residential visits, wide range of clubs and activities
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School is an outstanding school where pupils have a special and wonderful experience, achieving exceptionally well through a rich, creative and inclusive curriculum. All key areas - quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision - have been rated outstanding.
At a Glance
0.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
174 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 93% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 94% to 90% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.6
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.5
KS2
8
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Skyswood Primary & Nursery School
Term dates
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School is an academy, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Hertfordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Skyswood Primary & Nursery School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Skyswood Primary & Nursery 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
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 2
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 6 slight.
2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle.
3 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 Skyswood Primary & Nursery School
Will you get a place at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Skyswood Primary & Nursery School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Skyswood Primary & Nursery School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Skyswood Primary & Nursery School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School for 2022 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
101%
Over capacity
213 pupils
210 places
3 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - St Albans
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St Albans
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: 1.5 first choices per place
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
7.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
230
Total Pupils
114
Boys
116
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
15
Teachers
15.3:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,392
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,121
Per pupil
£1166k
Total funding
£3k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.6%
Overall absence
1.6%
Persistent absence
185
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
Questions parents ask about Skyswood Primary & Nursery School
What are SATs results like at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School?
Of the pupils at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 93% did so in maths.
What is Skyswood Primary & Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in February 2022. Before that, as Skyswood Primary & Nursery School (URN 117240), it was rated Outstanding in November 2014.
What is the catchment area for Skyswood Primary & Nursery School?
No fixed boundary. When Skyswood Primary & Nursery 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 Skyswood Primary & Nursery School?
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School?
Classes at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School average 28.6 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Skyswood Primary & Nursery School?
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School has around 230 pupils on roll. 1% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School?
2.6% of sessions were missed at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School in 2024/25. 1.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Skyswood Primary & Nursery School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Skyswood Primary & Nursery 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.
How many road collisions happen near Skyswood Primary & Nursery School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 6 slight. 2 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 1 on foot and 1 on a bicycle. 3 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 Skyswood Primary & Nursery School?
Skyswood Primary & Nursery School is at Chandlers Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 9RS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)