OFSTED
25 February 2025
Latest graded inspection
Latest published outcome
Not judged
OEIF
Quality of education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership & management
Requires improvement
SCHOOL DETAILS
About this school
School type
Free schools
Phase
Primary
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England/Christian
Local authority
Hertfordshire
Trust
POPPY ACADEMY TRUST
Census date
15 January 2026
PUPIL PROFILE
2025/26
School community
Latest published pupil characteristics for 2025/26.
Total pupils
401
401 full-time ·
0 part-time
Female pupils
193
48.1% of pupils
Male pupils
208
51.9% of pupils
Free school meals
Pupils eligible for free school meals.
12.1 pts
below England
School
12.7%
Watford
15.7%
East of England
19.7%
England
24.8%
English as an additional language
Pupils whose first language is not English.
29.1 pts
above England
School
49.4%
Watford
40.8%
East of England
16.4%
England
20.3%
Young carers
Pupils recorded as young carers.
1.0 pts
below England
School
0.0%
Watford
0.6%
East of England
1.7%
England
1.0%
Ethnicity
Largest recorded pupil groups.
Any other White background
27.2%
109
White British
24.2%
97
African
14.0%
56
Indian
10.5%
42
Any other Mixed background
7.5%
30
White and Black African
2.7%
11
Council, regional and national comparisons
are pupil-weighted using published school
census counts.
ADDITIONAL NEEDS
2025/26
Special educational needs
Pupils receiving SEN support or with an education, health and care plan.
Pupils with SEN
14.5%
58 of
401 pupils
6.4 pts
below England
England:
20.8%
England
14.8%
5.3 pts
below
England
6.0%
1.0 pts
below
PRIMARY NEEDS
Pupils
Most common identified needs
SEN comparisons are pupil-weighted using published 2025/26 Department for Education school-level data. Primary needs combine pupils receiving SEN support and pupils with EHC plans.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
2024/25
Key stage 2 outcomes
Published Department for Education results for 2024/25.
EXPECTED STANDARD
Reading, writing & maths
67.0%
6.6 pts
above England
EXPECTED STANDARD
80.0%
Reading
6.2 pts above England
School
80.0%
Watford
81.9%
East of England
72.9%
England
73.8%
EXPECTED STANDARD
78.0%
Writing
7.7 pts above England
School
78.0%
Watford
77.9%
East of England
68.0%
England
70.3%
EXPECTED STANDARD
72.0%
Maths
In line with England
School
72.0%
Watford
80.5%
East of England
70.3%
England
72.0%
School results show the percentage of
pupils meeting the expected standard.
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages and are not
pupil-weighted official attainment rates.
ATTENDANCE & ABSENCE
2024/25
Attendance profile
Published Department for Education absence data for 2024/25. Lower absence rates are generally better.
ABSENCE RATE
4.11%
Overall absence
Percentage of possible sessions missed.
2.11 pts
lower than
England
School
4.11%
Watford
5.70%
East of England
6.17%
England
6.22%
ABSENCE RATE
9.52%
Persistent absence
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
6.29 pts
lower than
England
School
9.52%
Watford
14.03%
East of England
15.39%
England
15.82%
ABSENCE RATE
0.79%
Severe absence
Pupils missing 50% or more of sessions.
1.01 pts
lower than
England
School
0.79%
Watford
1.02%
East of England
1.83%
England
1.80%
Council, regional and national
comparisons are averages of published
school-level percentages rather than
pupil-weighted official absence rates.
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
School context
Comparison with open primary schools.
CAPACITY
Capacity utilisation
95.5%
7.3 pts
above England
Watford St John's Church of England Primary School
95.5%
Watford
89.6%
East of England
87.4%
England
88.2%
Benchmarks use open schools in the
same phase. Capacity utilisation is
calculated from published pupil and
capacity figures.