Windermere Primary School, St. Albans
Windermere Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in St. Albans. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in March 2018. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 194th-highest of the 340 schools in Hertfordshire with published results, and 7,071st of 14,452 across England. It was 75% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2018)
- 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
Windermere Primary School in detail
Windermere Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are a small school with a big heart. Being a one-form entry school allows us to focus on our pupils as individuals, so we can tailor support and challenge to each child's needs."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, choir and Lego.
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am and after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 85% of Year 6 pupils at Windermere Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 70% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 66% in reading and 66% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Windermere Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 10 families put Windermere Primary School as their first choice and 26 named it as one of their preferences, for 10 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Windermere Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Windermere Primary School are Camp Primary and Nursery School (0.2 miles, Good, 93% reading, 86% maths); Cunningham Hill Infant School (0.3 miles, Outstanding); Cunningham Hill Junior School (0.3 miles, Outstanding, 93% reading, 92% maths); and Fleetville Junior School (0.6 miles, Good, 88% reading, 88% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Windermere Primary School.
Camp Primary and Nursery SchoolCunningham Hill Infant SchoolCunningham Hill Junior SchoolFleetville Junior School
What parents say
26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Windermere Primary School (as of September 2025): 81% would recommend the school, 81% say their child is happy there and 62% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child does well at the school (92%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (62%).
Who goes there
40.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), and 28.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (45%), Asian (17%) and Mixed (12%).
In 2026, 15 pupils (11.2%) received SEN support and 10 (7.5%) 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 autism.
Staffing
Windermere Primary School had 10 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Albans City Rail Station, about 0.9 miles away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Frobisher Road (opposite), 190 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Windermere Primary School issued 8 suspensions, 5.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Windermere Primary School are Samuel Ryder Academy (0.4 miles), Beaumont School (0.9 miles), Verulam School (0.9 miles) and Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School (0.9 miles).
Samuel Ryder AcademyBeaumont SchoolVerulam SchoolNicholas Breakspear Catholic School
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); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoThis judgement is from March 2018, 8 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
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Windermere Primary provides a warm, nurturing environment where children feel safe and enjoy learning through engaging activities like science experiments and historical investigations. The school has strong behaviour systems and supports pupils' personal development through a range of clubs and enrichment activities that help them think about global issues and develop empathy. Staff work closely with families to support attendance and remove barriers to learning.
Key Strengths
- Well-designed reading curriculum with effective strategies to help struggling readers catch up
- Calm, respectful behaviour across the school with positive relationships between staff and pupils
- Broad, well-sequenced curriculum with engaging hands-on activities in science and history
- Strong personal development through clubs, trips, and charitable activities that promote respect and inclusion
- Effective safeguarding arrangements that keep pupils safe
Areas for Improvement
- Teaching does not consistently focus on essential knowledge pupils need to remember, making it harder for them to recall ideas and make connections
- Early reading and phonics provision needs strengthening, with reading books not always matched to pupils' phonics ability
- Support for pupils with SEND is not always closely matched to their individual learning needs
- Teachers do not consistently set high expectations for the quality of pupils' work across all subjects and year groups
- Assessment is not used purposefully enough to check understanding and monitor curriculum impact
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with clear systems in place to keep pupils safe and identify barriers to their wellbeing.
Extracurricular Activities
Clubs, trips, charitable activities, play leader and monitor roles, breakfast club
Windermere Primary School is a welcoming school where pupils are happy and feel safe with generally calm and respectful behaviour. However, the quality of education remains inconsistent, and the school requires improvement in teaching delivery and early years provision.
At a Glance
40.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
26 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 improved from 66% to 85% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 66% to 70% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 56% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
22.3
Avg class size
15.0
Infant (KS1)
26.0
KS2
6
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Windermere Primary School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Windermere Primary School.
- Stagecoach St. Albans380m away · Not yet graded
- Brain Up Abacus (St Albans)980m away · Not yet graded
Term dates
Windermere Primary School is a community 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Windermere Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Windermere 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
- 14
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 3
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight.
3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot.
3 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 Windermere Primary School
Will you get a place at Windermere Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Windermere Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Windermere Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Windermere 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 Windermere 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
75%
Available places
157 pupils
210 places
53 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - St. Albans
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for St. Albans
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(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
15
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
18.7%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
134
Total Pupils
64
Boys
70
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
10
Teachers
13.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,416
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,400
Per pupil
£1119k
Total funding
£74k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.8%
Overall absence
20.0%
Persistent absence
160
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
Questions parents ask about Windermere Primary School
What are SATs results like at Windermere Primary School?
Of the pupils at Windermere Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 85% reached the expected standard in reading and 70% did so in maths.
What is Windermere Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Windermere Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in March 2018, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Windermere Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Windermere 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 Windermere Primary School?
Windermere Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 75% of its 210 places.
How big are the classes at Windermere Primary School?
Classes at Windermere Primary School average 22.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Windermere Primary School?
Windermere Primary School has around 134 pupils on roll. 40% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Windermere Primary School?
7.8% of sessions were missed at Windermere Primary School in 2024/25. 20% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Windermere Primary School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Windermere 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 Windermere Primary School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of Windermere Primary School: Stagecoach St. Albans (380m away, registered, not yet graded) and Brain Up Abacus (St Albans) (980m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Windermere Primary School's term dates?
Windermere Primary School is a community 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 Windermere Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 12 slight. 3 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot. 3 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 Windermere Primary School?
Windermere Primary School is at Windermere Avenue, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 5QP.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)