St Catherine's Church of England Primary School, Ware
St Catherine's Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Ware. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in July 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 11th-highest of the 14 schools in Ware with published results, and 10,218th of 14,452 across England. It was 83% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Catherine's Church of England Primary School in detail
St Catherine's Church of England Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Our school is a busy, stimulating place for learning, where children are nurtured and their talents are developed and celebrated. The school is a loving, supportive and respectful environment - vital not just for academic education but to develop today's children into good citizens."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 74% of Year 6 pupils at St Catherine's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 67% 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 (71% in reading, 71% in maths).
Getting a place at St Catherine's Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 51 families put St Catherine's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 126 named it as one of their preferences, for 53 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at St Catherine's Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Catherine's Church of England Primary School are Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, 77% reading, 86% maths); Kingshill Infant School (0.6 miles, Good); St Mary's Voluntary Controlled Church of England Junior School (0.7 miles, Good, 85% reading, 75% maths); and Christ Church CofE (VA) Primary School and Nursery (0.7 miles, Good, 87% reading, 69% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Catherine's Church of England Primary School.
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary SchoolKingshill Infant SchoolSt Mary's Voluntary Controlled Church of England Junior SchoolChrist Church CofE (VA) Primary School and Nursery
Who goes there
11.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 9.6% 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 (8%).
In 2026, 65 pupils (15.7%) received SEN support and 6 (1.4%) 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.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Ware Rail Station, about 1120 metres away (roughly a 14-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Chauncy School (outside), 160 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Catherine's Church of England Primary School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Catherine's Church of England Primary School issued 13 suspensions, 3.4 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Catherine's Church of England Primary School are The Chauncy School (0.2 miles), Presdales School (0.9 miles) and Simon Balle All-Through School (1.8 miles).
The Chauncy SchoolPresdales SchoolSimon Balle All-Through School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from July 2018, 8 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are proud of their busy, friendly school. They play, cooperate and learn happily together in this safe, nurturing environment. Pupils' relationships with friends and adults are strong. This starts in the early years. Pupils understand and follow the rules for behaviour and learning. They enjoy learning. Pupils focus on their work and achieve well. Pupils are looked after well. If they are worried about anything, there is always an adult there to help.
Older pupils are great role models to their younger friends. Classrooms and playgrounds are warm and welcoming places. Pupils love receiving rosettes in assembly for demonstrating important values such as honesty, respect and kindness. They enjoy enrichment events such as Careers Week and taking part in African heritage activities. Pupils learn how to persevere and to treat others with respect.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. It sets out precisely the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn and the order in which these should be taught. The school has recently implemented new curriculum plans in a small number of subjects. Pupils are steadily catching up on the prior knowledge they need in these subjects.
Pupils' current work and knowledge show that most pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are learning and achieving well. In science, for example, pupils confidently recall how magnets have two poles that attract or repel when pushed together. Children in the early years benefit from a stimulating learning environment of their own, where Nursery and Reception children play and learn happily together. They explore purposeful activities that support their learning and development.
From Ofsted's July 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its July 2018 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
11.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 74% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 71% to 67% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 71% to 59% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.1
Avg class size
25.3
Infant (KS1)
28.1
KS2
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with St Catherine's Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Catherine's Church of England Primary School.
- Ohana Childcare860m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Catherine's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Catherine's Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Catherine's Church of England 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
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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 St Catherine's Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at St Catherine's Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Catherine's Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Catherine's Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Catherine's Church of England 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 St Catherine's Church of England 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
83%
Available places
348 pupils
420 places
72 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: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(11)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
65
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
17.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
415
Total Pupils
208
Boys
207
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
16
Teachers
25.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£54,521
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,085
Per pupil
£1984k
Total funding
£73k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.5%
Overall absence
9.7%
Persistent absence
309
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
St Catherine's Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Catherine's Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Catherine's Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Catherine's Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 74% reached the expected standard in reading and 67% did so in maths.
What is St Catherine's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Catherine's Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in July 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in July 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Catherine's Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Catherine's Church of England 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 St Catherine's Church of England Primary School?
St Catherine's Church of England Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 83% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at St Catherine's Church of England Primary School?
Classes at St Catherine's Church of England Primary School average 27.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to St Catherine's Church of England Primary School?
St Catherine's Church of England Primary School has around 415 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Catherine's Church of England Primary School?
4.5% of sessions were missed at St Catherine's Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 9.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Catherine's Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Catherine's Church of England 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.
Does St Catherine's Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club within a kilometre of St Catherine's Church of England Primary School: Ohana Childcare (860m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are St Catherine's Church of England Primary School's term dates?
St Catherine's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary controlled 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 St Catherine's Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 St Catherine's Church of England Primary School?
St Catherine's Church of England Primary School is at Park Road, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 0AW.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)