Skyswood Primary & Nursery School

Skyswood Primary & Nursery School is performing exceptionally well across every area inspected. Inspectors found a rich, creative and inclusive curriculum taught in depth, with pupils achieving highly, including in national tests and assessments. Reading is central to the curriculum, pupils produce writing of the highest quality, and pupils with SEND receive precisely matched support so they secure deep understanding. Pupils are happy, safe and behave exceptionally well, showing kindness, curiosity, resilience and respect. Personal development is promoted extensively through pupil leadership, enrichment, clubs and residential visits, with high participation including for disadvantaged pupils. Early years provision is strong, with children developing enthusiasm for learning and quickly adopting positive routines. Leadership and management are exceptionally strong. Leaders value the capacity added by the Ambition Education Trust, staff receive high-quality training and feel well supported, and governors and trustees know the school well. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first section 5 inspection, and under current arrangements no overall effectiveness grade was awarded.

Strengths

• Rich, creative and inclusive curriculum taught in considerable depth
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well, including in national tests and assessments
• Reading is at the heart of the curriculum and taught expertly from early years
• Pupils produce writing of the highest quality across year groups
• Pupils with SEND receive support precisely matched to their needs
• Early years provides interesting activities and strong development across all areas of learning
• Pupils display highly positive behaviour and attitudes, including kindness and respect
• Attendance rates are high
• Personal development is promoted extensively with a wide range of leadership and enrichment opportunities
• Participation in clubs and activities is high, including for disadvantaged pupils
• Leadership and management are exceptionally strong, with effective trust support and staff training
• Governors and trustees know the school well and provide diligent challenge and support
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

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 Skyswood Primary & Nursery School attended 97.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 1.6% 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 Skyswood Primary & Nursery 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 Skyswood Primary & Nursery School had 20.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 7.0% of pupils at Skyswood Primary & Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 0.9% 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 Skyswood Primary & Nursery School received £6,330 and spent £6,735 for each of its 226 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £190,000 (£842 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Ambition Education Trust, income was £8,105 and spending £7,965 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 St Albans · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

Skyswood Primary & Nursery School is part of Ambition Education Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Sandringham School St Albans
• Wheatfields Junior Mixed School St Albans
• Wheatfields Infants' and Nursery School St. Albans
• Verulam School St Albans
• St Albans Girls' School St Albans
• Garden Fields Junior Mixed and Infant School St Albans
• Alban City School St Albans
• Beech Hyde Primary School and Nursery St. Albans
• Ridgeway Academy Welwyn Garden City
• The Adeyfield Academy Hemel Hempstead

What is Skyswood Primary & Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Skyswood Primary & Nursery School is Outstanding, from an inspection in March 2025.

When was Skyswood Primary & Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Skyswood Primary & Nursery School was last inspected in March 2025.

How many pupils does Skyswood Primary & Nursery School have?

Skyswood Primary & Nursery School has 230 pupils on roll.

What age range does Skyswood Primary & Nursery School cover?

Skyswood Primary & Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Skyswood Primary & Nursery School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Skyswood Primary & Nursery School?

Skyswood Primary & Nursery School is at Chandlers Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 9RS.