St Michael's Church of England Primary School, Bishop's Stortford
St Michael's Church of England Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Bishop's Stortford. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in January 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 18th-highest of the 22 schools in Bishop's Stortford with published results, and 8,057th of 14,452 across England. It was 95% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below 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
St Michael's Church of England Primary School in detail
Results
In 2025, 77% of Year 6 pupils at St Michael's Church of England Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 74% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 84% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at St Michael's Church of England Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put St Michael's Church of England Primary School as their first choice and 80 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 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 Michael's Church of England Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to St Michael's Church of England Primary School are Windhill21 (under 0.1 miles, Outstanding, 78% reading, 80% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School B/S (0.3 miles, Good, 92% reading, 92% maths); Northgate Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 95% reading, 98% maths); and Hillmead Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 87% reading, 90% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than St Michael's Church of England Primary School.
Windhill21St Joseph's Catholic Primary School B/SNorthgate Primary SchoolHillmead Primary School
What parents say
76 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Michael's Church of England Primary School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 96% say their child is happy there and 84% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that pupils behave well (96%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (84%).
Who goes there
14.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 32.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (53%), Mixed (10%) and Black (6%).
In 2026, 25 pupils (11.1%) received SEN support and 6 (2.7%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
St Michael's Church of England Primary School had 14 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 Bishops Stortford Rail Station, about 650 metres away (roughly a 8-minute walk).
7 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Catherine's Court (outside), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 267 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, St Michael's Church of England Primary School issued 15 suspensions, 6.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to St Michael's Church of England Primary School are St Mary's Catholic School (0.2 miles), TLC Live Online School (0.3 miles), The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College (0.7 miles) and Hockerill Anglo-European College (0.7 miles).
St Mary's Catholic SchoolTLC Live Online SchoolThe Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science CollegeHockerill Anglo-European College
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; DfE school workforce census; 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 December 2019, 6 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's January 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
St Michael's creates a warm, welcoming environment where children feel happy and secure while building strong relationships with staff and peers. The school has excellent reading provision with pupils leaving as confident, fluent readers. Teachers have high expectations and provide the right support to help all pupils, including those with additional needs, achieve well.
Key Strengths
- Strong emphasis on reading with pupils becoming confident and fluent readers through consistent phonics teaching
- Well-structured curriculum in most subjects with clear teaching approaches that help pupils remember and understand new ideas
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND, with skilled staff working closely with parents to identify needs and provide tailored help
- Positive, caring school community where pupils show consideration for others and settle well when joining the school
- High staff morale with leaders providing good support for staff wellbeing and targeted training
Areas for Improvement
- In a few subjects, knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need to learn are not clearly defined, causing teachers to sometimes repeat content or skip essential learning
- Teachers are not always aware of pupils' prior learning in these subjects, limiting how well skills and knowledge develop across year groups
- The school needs to create a clear progression model from Nursery to Year 6 for all subjects to ensure consistent progress
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
Extracurricular Activities
School council, play ambassadors
St Michael's Church of England Primary School has maintained the good standards from its previous inspection. Pupils are proud, happy and secure, with strong behavior and effective teaching across most subjects.
At a Glance
14.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
76 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 declined from 84% to 77% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 81% to 74% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 68% to 74% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.6
Avg class size
26.7
Infant (KS1)
30.3
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 St Michael's Church of England Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near St Michael's Church of England Primary School.
- Premier Wraparound Care at Bishop's Stortford College560m away · Not yet graded
- Camp Beaumont - Bishop's Stortford560m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
St Michael's Church of England Primary School is a voluntary aided school, 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
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to St Michael's Church of England Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. St Michael'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
- 21
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 14 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
6 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 Michael's Church of England Primary School
Will you get a place at St Michael's Church of England Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against St Michael's Church of England Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for St Michael's Church of England Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to St Michael'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 Michael'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
95%
Near capacity
200 pupils
210 places
10 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Bishop's Stortford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bishop's Stortford
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(5)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
25
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
13.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
226
Total Pupils
114
Boys
112
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
16.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,672
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,609
Per pupil
£1180k
Total funding
£39k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.2%
Overall absence
14.3%
Persistent absence
189
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 Michael's Church of England Primary School
Questions parents ask about St Michael's Church of England Primary School
What are SATs results like at St Michael's Church of England Primary School?
Of the pupils at St Michael's Church of England Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 77% reached the expected standard in reading and 74% did so in maths.
What is St Michael's Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?
St Michael's Church of England Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in January 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for St Michael's Church of England Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When St Michael'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 Michael's Church of England Primary School?
St Michael's Church of England Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 95% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at St Michael's Church of England Primary School?
Classes at St Michael's Church of England Primary School average 26.6 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 St Michael's Church of England Primary School?
St Michael's Church of England Primary School has around 226 pupils on roll. 15% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at St Michael's Church of England Primary School?
6.2% of sessions were missed at St Michael's Church of England Primary School in 2024/25. 14.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to St Michael's Church of England Primary School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming St Michael'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 Michael's Church of England Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of St Michael's Church of England Primary School: Premier Wraparound Care at Bishop's Stortford College (560m away, registered, not yet graded) and Camp Beaumont - Bishop's Stortford (560m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near St Michael's Church of England Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 14 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 6 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 Michael's Church of England Primary School?
St Michael's Church of England Primary School is at St Michael's CE Primary School, Apton Road, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 3SN.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)