St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hatfield Broad Oak, Bishop's Stortford

Requires Improvement
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~2.0km)Possible (~2.9km)Unlikely (~3.7km)Confidence: medium

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Ruth Baugh
Pupils:49 / 112 capacity
LA:Essex
Phone:01279718267
Address:Hatfield Broad Oak, Bishop's Stortford, CM22 7HH
Federation:The Federation of Little Hallingbury (VA) , St Mary's Hatfield Broad Oak (VA) and White Notley (VC) Church Schools
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 7 months ago

Report card - no overall grade (new Ofsted framework from Sep 2024)

Achievement
Expected Standard
Behaviour
Expected Standard
Personal Development
Expected Standard
Leadership
Expected Standard
Early Years
Expected Standard
Inspected 10 February 2026View full report
URN:115178
UKPRN:10072419
Diocese:Diocese of Chelmsford
Constituency:Harlow
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This small school excels at knowing every child individually and tailoring support to their needs. Reading and phonics teaching is particularly strong, helping pupils gain confidence and fluency from an early age. The school creates a warm, inclusive environment where all pupils - including those with additional needs - feel valued, supported and able to thrive.

Key Strengths

  • Strong phonics teaching with consistent progress in reading - pupils show growing fluency and confidence
  • Well-sequenced curriculum that builds knowledge step by step across all areas
  • Calm, respectful school culture where pupils behave well and feel safe
  • Effective early years provision that gives children a nurturing start
  • Thoughtful support for pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils

Areas for Improvement

  • Checks on pupils' learning could be more precise to address gaps faster
  • Some pupils do not develop deeper understanding in certain topics, particularly key themes in PSHE
  • Attendance remains an ongoing focus - some pupils need to attend more regularly

Safeguarding

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders and governors have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.

Extracurricular Activities

Creative clubs, music lessons, sports events, gardening, outdoor learning activities, rope making, tree climbing, cooking, trips to Stansted Mountfitchet, food-making workshops, house captains, sports captains, play leaders, kindness projects, village events

St Mary's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School in Hatfield Broad Oak is a small primary school where pupils progress appropriately with strong support for reading and phonics. The school provides a calm, welcoming environment where pupils behave well and feel safe.

At a Glance

18.4%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

Reading78%
Maths67%
Writing67%

2025/26 academic year

Class Sizes

13.0

Avg class size

1

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

The Dukes Head (o/s)
171m · 3 min walk
Post Office (o/s)
246m · 4 min walk
Barnfield (N-bound)
418m · 7 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

44%

Available places

49 pupils

112 capacity

63 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Bishop's Stortford

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,134
Projected new pupils:284

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bishop's Stortford

Admissions Demand - Essex

Low demand0.87x oversubscription

Places available

17,913

Applications

15,619

Got 1st preference

90.3%

Got preferred school

98.4%

Primary admissions across Essex (2025/26)

Inspection History(9)

10 February 2026Report card
Achievement
Behaviour
Personal Development
Leadership
Early Years
21 June 2023
25 April 2018
Leadership & ManagementGood

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.18591%

Overall absence

12.2449%

Persistent absence

49

Enrolments

Authorised3.51027%
Unauthorised1.67564%
Persistent (10%+)12.2449%
Severe (50%+)0%

Absence trend

4.46848%
18/19
5.55738%
20/21
7.3552%
21/22
6.50689%
22/23
6.47648%
23/24
5.18591%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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