Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School, Welwyn Garden City
Data last updated 11 Sept 2026
Location
Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
What This School Does Well
This school has made impressive progress and now provides a high-quality education in a happy, safe environment. Children are passionate about reading and learning, with excellent teaching in phonics and strong support for those who need extra help. The school excels at developing well-rounded pupils who understand kindness, respect and ambition, with outstanding opportunities for leadership and mentoring.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional reading provision with rigorous staff training and high-quality phonics teaching from Nursery onwards
- Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum with strong subject knowledge from staff
- Outstanding early years provision with children building strong foundations and being exceptionally well-prepared for Year 1
- Excellent support for pupils with SEND, including the innovative WelHat hub
- Outstanding personal development with many leadership opportunities and an exemplary mentoring programme
Areas for Improvement
- Some older pupils have gaps in foundation subject knowledge due to previous curriculum weaknesses, affecting their ability to build on prior learning
- Need to ensure staff identify and address these knowledge gaps consistently across all subjects
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture where pupils know they can turn to trusted adults with concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Termly clubs decided by school council, breakfast and after-school club, mentoring programme, school council leadership positions
Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School has improved significantly since its previous inspection. The school is now rated Good overall, with an Outstanding early years provision and Outstanding personal development.
At a Glance
28.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SLCN - Speech, language and Communication, ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
103 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2025/26KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 60% to 82%. Maths has improved from 44% to 84%. Writing has improved from 49% to 82%.
Class Sizes
28.0
Avg class size
26.7
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
12
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2024/25 academic year
Getting There
Bus Stops
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
93%
Near capacity
418 pupils
450 capacity
32 spare places available
Area Demand Pressure - Welwyn Garden City
Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Welwyn Garden City
Admissions Demand - Hertfordshire
Places available
14,951
Applications
12,834
Got 1st preference
88.0%
Got preferred school
98.2%
Primary admissions across Hertfordshire (2025/26)
Inspection History(8)
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.
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.
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.
School Funding
Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.15154%
Overall absence
15.71816%
Persistent absence
369
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
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Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School
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