St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School

St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School is an inclusive and nurturing school that meets expected standards overall. Pupils are proud of their school, feel safe and cared for, and benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum. The early years provision is a particular strength, with imaginative activities and high-quality interactions helping children become curious learners. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, generally achieve close to national averages and are well-prepared for their next steps. The school has faced significant challenges recently, including a merger, relocation due to RAAC, and joining a new partnership, which leaders have managed effectively while maintaining high staff morale and a focus on the right priorities. However, persistent absence is significantly above the national average, including for disadvantaged pupils, which creates gaps in learning. Some aspects of teaching do not consistently enable pupils to consolidate important knowledge across subjects, and teachers' subject knowledge outside core subjects varies. The newly introduced writing curriculum is having a positive impact in younger year groups but is not yet embedded across the school. Leaders' checking of pupils' understanding is not always precise, and misconceptions sometimes arise; gaps from absence are not always effectively addressed. The school's attendance strategy is comprehensive but its impact is still to be fully realised.

Strengths

• Strong early years provision with imaginative activities and high-quality staff interactions
• Inclusive and nurturing school culture where pupils feel safe and have a sense of belonging
• Pupils achieve close to national averages, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
• Effective leadership and governance with high staff morale and a clear focus on improvement
• Rich range of extracurricular experiences, visits and leadership roles for pupils
• Prioritisation of reading and mathematics, with effective phonics teaching
• Strong support for pupils with English as an additional language
• Pupils behave well, are polite and respectful, and bullying is rare
• Thoughtful personal development programme that celebrates diversity and builds citizenship
• Children in early years settle quickly and develop strong social skills

Areas for Improvement

• Persistent absence is significantly above the national average, including for disadvantaged pupils
• Some variability in the quality of work produced in some subjects
• Teaching in non-core subjects does not consistently enable pupils to consolidate important knowledge
• Teachers' subject knowledge outside core subjects varies, limiting precise checking of understanding
• Misconceptions arise and gaps from absence are not effectively addressed
• New writing curriculum is not yet embedded across all year groups
• Adaptations for pupils with SEND in class could be sharper
• Some pupils have misconceptions in PSHE because learning is not thoroughly checked
• Parental engagement is an area of focus as opportunities are not fully taken up
• Pupils with SEND are suspended more than their peers, though support is improving

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School attended 91.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 34.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 3.2% of pupils at St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School had 15.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 22.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 8.3% of pupils at St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.4% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School received £11,304 and spent £12,330 for each of its 168 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £93,000 (-£552 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

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What is St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School have?

St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School has 168 pupils on roll.

What age range does St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School cover?

St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 70% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School?

St Mary Magdalene & St Stephen's CofE Primary School is at Rowington Close, Warwick Estate, Paddington, London, W2 5TF.