Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School

Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School is a small, caring and inclusive school where pupils are happy, feel safe and achieve well overall. Safeguarding standards are met, personal development and wellbeing are a strong standard, and the other inspected areas meet the expected standard. Pupils benefit from a values-driven ethos, strong relationships, positive behaviour and a broad range of enrichment opportunities, including for disadvantaged pupils. The ambitious curriculum, secure phonics teaching and effective inclusion of pupils with SEND are notable strengths, supported by knowledgeable leaders and governors. Leaders know the school well and have taken thoughtful action on attendance, staff wellbeing and support for vulnerable pupils. Pupils are typically well prepared for their next stage of education, and early years children make a positive start, particularly in language and communication. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive, and pupils develop a strong sense of belonging. The main areas for development are writing, including spelling, punctuation and handwriting, and ensuring staff consistently check pupils' understanding so that errors and misconceptions are identified and corrected. Some early years learning opportunities are not always maximised, and there is some variation in how well staff interact with vulnerable pupils to embed inclusive practice. Disadvantaged pupils' attendance, although improving, remains below the national average and continues to be a priority.

Strengths

• Personal development and wellbeing are a standout strength, with pupils consistently kind and respectful.
• The school has a caring, values-driven ethos that pupils understand and model well.
• Pupils benefit from an excellent range of enrichment and curriculum opportunities, especially disadvantaged pupils.
• Pupils develop detailed knowledge of health, wellbeing, relationships and online and offline risks.
• Pupils build a strong sense of belonging through community events and roles such as eco councillor.
• Pupils behave well, have positive attitudes to learning and enjoy joyful playtimes.
• Reading and phonics are prioritised and taught securely, with pupils achieving well.
• The curriculum is ambitious and thoughtfully sequenced, and teachers have secure subject knowledge.
• The school has a strong inclusive culture, and pupils with SEND are fully included and supported alongside their peers.
• Leaders and governors know the school's strengths and areas for development and support staff workload and wellbeing.
• Early years provides a positive start, with a strong focus on language and communication.
• Leaders track absence carefully and provide thoughtful support to improve attendance.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils do not develop writing knowledge and skills, including spelling, punctuation and handwriting, as deeply as they should.
• Teaching is not consistently effective in checking pupils' understanding and identifying or correcting errors and misconceptions.
• Some early years staff do not always take full advantage of opportunities to maximise children's learning.
• There is some variation in how well staff interact with vulnerable pupils to embed the school's inclusive practice.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attendance remains below the national average, although it has recently improved.

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 Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% 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, 0.6% of pupils at Haddenham St Mary's Church of England 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 Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 12.2% 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, 11.8% of pupils at Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.4% 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 Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School received £8,861 and spent £8,733 for each of its 178 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £218,000 (£1,222 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).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Aylesbury · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

What is Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School is Expected standard, from an inspection in February 2026.

When was Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School last inspected by Ofsted?

Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School was last inspected in February 2026.

How many pupils does Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School have?

Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School has 178 pupils on roll.

What age range does Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School cover?

Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School for pupils aged 4 to 7.

Where is Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School?

Haddenham St Mary's Church of England School is at Aston Road, Haddenham, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, HP17 8AF.