St Mary's CofE Primary School, London

Good
Primary
Voluntary aided school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~393m)Possible (~562m)Unlikely (~731m)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Headteacher Mr Anthony David
Pupils:171 / 210 capacity
LA:Islington
Phone:02073591870
Address:Fowler Road, Islington, London, N1 2EP
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 4 years ago
-

Overall

Inspected 21 March 2023View full report
URN:100446
UKPRN:10074734
Diocese:Diocese of London
Constituency:Islington South and Finsbury
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

St Mary's creates a warm, family atmosphere where children thrive both academically and emotionally. Pupils achieve exceptionally well in reading, writing and maths, leaving Year 6 very well prepared for secondary school. The school successfully combines academic excellence with teaching children to respect each other and handle life's challenges with confidence.

Key Strengths

  • Pupils achieve exceptionally well in reading, writing and mathematics by end of Year 6
  • School creates a caring, happy atmosphere where pupils feel safe and respected
  • Leaders work effectively to support disadvantaged pupils and those needing extra help
  • Broad and creative curriculum that builds pupil knowledge and understanding across subjects
  • Safeguarding arrangements are thorough with detailed records and rigorous procedures

Areas for Improvement

  • More consistency needed in challenge and progress for pupils through key stage 1, particularly in writing
  • Assessment not used effectively enough to build on learning from early years into Year 1
  • Year 1 work sometimes repeats Reception activities or is not pitched at right level for all pupils
  • Overall school attendance remains below national average with persistent absence among some groups
  • Limited information provided to parents about how pupils make progress across all curriculum subjects

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is effective - leadership ensures thorough arrangements, detailed records, up-to-date staff checks, rigorous referral procedures, and swift follow-up with external agencies.

St Mary's CofE Primary School continues to be good, with strong leadership that has maintained educational quality since 2012. Pupils make good progress, particularly in key stage 2, achieving exceptionally well in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

At a Glance

59.1%

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)

2024
2025
Reading-3ppMaths-6ppWriting+1pp

Reading has remained stable at around 73%. Maths has declined from 76% to 70%. Writing has remained stable at around 77%.

Class Sizes

23.3

Avg class size

21.7

Infant (KS1)

24.5

KS2

7

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Train Stations

Essex Road Rail Station
303m · 5 min walk
Essex Road Station (Entrance)
310m · 5 min walk
Highbury & Islington Rail Station
759m · 12 min walk

Tube / Metro / Tram

Highbury & Islington Underground Station
717m · 12 min walk

Bus Stops

Cross Street / Dagmar Terrace (->E)
63m · 1 min walk
Cross Street (N1) (Stop EA)
156m · 3 min walk
St Mary's Church (N1) (Stop P)
157m · 3 min walk
Packington Street (Stop K)
223m · 4 min walk
Essex Road Station (Stop EB)
236m · 4 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

81%

Available places

171 pupils

210 capacity

39 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - London

Low pressure
New homes approved:104,823
Projected new pupils:26,206

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for London

Admissions Demand - Islington

Low demand0.85x oversubscription

Places available

1,905

Applications

1,626

Got 1st preference

80.9%

Got preferred school

96.5%

Primary admissions across Islington (2025/26)

Inspection History(8)

21 March 2023
8 October 2020
19 September 2017

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SEN Provision

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Pupil Demographics

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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

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

8.1437%

Overall absence

33.33333%

Persistent absence

165

Enrolments

Authorised4.82832%
Unauthorised3.31539%
Persistent (10%+)33.33333%
Severe (50%+)3.0303%

Absence trend

3.61823%
18/19
4.75942%
20/21
6.74328%
21/22
8.12653%
22/23
9.12632%
23/24
8.1437%
24/25
Overall absence rate

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

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