St Mary's CofE Primary School

St Mary's CofE Primary School is performing at an exceptionally high level across all areas inspected. Pupils achieve remarkably well from the early years onwards, with outcomes consistently well above national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Attendance is very high, persistent absence is low, and pupils’ behaviour is exemplary; pupils are happy, safe and proud of their school. The curriculum is ambitious and carefully sequenced, teaching is highly effective, reading is central, and early years provision gives children an excellent start. Inclusion is a defining strength: staff know families well and adapt support so that all pupils thrive. Personal development is outstanding, with strong pastoral care and programmes such as Young Transformers and Seeds of Change building confidence, empathy and social responsibility. Leadership and governance are highly effective, with a clear vision, strong professional development and productive collaboration across the Genesis Education Trust. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is a larger-than-average Church of England primary in a hard federation with another primary school, and inspectors identified no areas of concern.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum, with outcomes well above national averages.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND achieve highly and are well supported.
• Attendance is very high and persistent absence is low.
• Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and classrooms are calm and productive.
• The curriculum is ambitious, well sequenced and builds knowledge from the early years onwards.
• Teaching is highly effective, with strong subject knowledge and precise support.
• Reading is central to the curriculum and pupils become confident, enthusiastic readers.
• Early years provision is excellent, with a well-planned environment and strong foundations.
• Inclusion is at the heart of the school and pupils feel valued and included.
• Personal development is exceptional, including courageous advocacy and leadership opportunities.
• Pastoral care is remarkably strong and pupils feel safe and supported.
• Leadership, governance and trust collaboration sustain high standards and support staff.
• Safeguarding standards are met.

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's CofE Primary School attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at St Mary'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's CofE Primary School had 22.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.3% 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, 7.8% of pupils at St Mary's CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.5% 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 2024–25 St Mary's CofE Primary School received £8,689 and spent £8,624 for each of its 578 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £206,000 (£356 per pupil).

Across all 3 schools of Genesis Education Trust, income was £8,701 and spending £8,497 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Waltham Forest · Waltham Forest local authority: places and applications

St Mary's CofE Primary School is part of Genesis Education Trust, which runs 3 schools. The nearest others:

• St Saviour's Church of England Primary School London
• St Margarets CofE Primary School Barking

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

The latest Ofsted rating for St Mary's CofE Primary School is Exceptional, from an inspection in September 2026.

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

St Mary's CofE Primary School was last inspected in September 2026.

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

St Mary's CofE Primary School has 592 pupils on roll.

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

St Mary's CofE Primary School for pupils aged 5 to 11.

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

In 2025, 96% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is St Mary's CofE Primary School?

St Mary's CofE Primary School is at Brooke Road, Walthamstow, London, E17 9HJ.