Schools by area › Hertfordshire › Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School
Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School
Primary · Mixed · Ages 3–11 · Community school
Blackthorn Road, Welwyn Garden City AL7 3JP · swallowdell.herts.sch.uk · 01707 339079
Overview
- Ofsted
- No overall grade
- 2019 framework · inspected Jun 2025
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 80%
- reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. Hertfordshire 64%, England 62%
- Last distance offered
- No limit
- Reception, September 2026 entry · Hertfordshire Council
- Demand for places
- 0.9
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 418
- 93% of 450 places
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Nursery class
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 28.8%
- First language not English
- 10%
- School census 2025/26
The official school record (Department for Education)
Admissions
For Reception in September 2026, everyone who applied was offered a place. Source: Hertfordshire Council’s document.
For Reception in September 2026, 47 families put the school first and 52 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 52 | 47 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 53 | 48 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 36 | 33 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 55 | 47 | 0.9 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 51 | 41 | 0.8 | 100% |
Results
In 2024/25, 80% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 13% the higher standard. Across Hertfordshire it was 64%, and across England 62%.
Expected standard reading, writing and maths
| 2024/25 | Trend | School | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading, writing and maths | |||
| ▲80% | 62% | ||
| ▲13% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ●107 | 106 | ||
| ●106 | 105 | ||
| ●105 | 105 | ||
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School on 24 June 2025 under its 2019 framework. Inspections from September 2024 give no overall grade.
- Overall
- No overall grade
- Inspected
- 24 Jun 2025
- Graded inspection
Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports
Graded areas
| Quality of education | Good |
|---|---|
| Behaviour and attitudes | Good |
| Personal development | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | Good |
| Early years | Outstanding |
Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, Mar 2023
Earlier inspections
September 2019 to November 2025
Mar 2023Requires improvement
Quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective
Before September 2019
May 2017Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Leadership and management Good Early years Good Safeguarding Effective Feb 2013Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Leadership and management Good
What parents said
96% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (103 replies, to 1 September 2025).
- Recommend
- 96%
- Replies
- 103
- 24% · 1 Sept 2025
based on the 72% who raised concerns
based on the 31% who had a child bullied
based on 37 parents (36%) with SEND