Central Primary School

Central Primary School demonstrates strong overall performance, marked by an effective safeguarding culture and a commitment to inclusivity. Leaders are proactive in addressing the diverse needs of pupils, providing tailored support and fostering positive relationships with families. Academic achievement is stable, with pupils making steady progress, particularly in early reading and mathematics. Personal development initiatives are well-structured, ensuring students are well-prepared for future educational stages, and pupils report feeling safe and engaged in their community-driven environment.

Strengths

• Strong safeguarding culture where all staff prioritize pupil safety.
• Highly effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Well-organized personal development program covering key concepts and British values.
• Effective support for disadvantaged pupils that positively impacts their well-being.
• Skilled staff who adapt teaching to meet the diverse needs of pupils, particularly in English and mathematics.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent approaches in early years teaching affecting language development.
• Need to raise expectations in writing to improve pupil attainment.

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 Central Primary School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 15.1% 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, 1.0% of pupils at Central 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 Central Primary School had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.4% 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, 15.3% of pupils at Central Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% 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 Central Primary School received £7,529 and spent £7,464 for each of its 391 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £483,000 (£1,238 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 Watford · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Central Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Central Primary School is Expected standard, from an inspection in April 2026.

When was Central Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Central Primary School was last inspected in April 2026.

How many pupils does Central Primary School have?

Central Primary School has 399 pupils on roll.

What age range does Central Primary School cover?

Central Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Central Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 69% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Central Primary School?

Central Primary School is at Derby Road, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 2LX.