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Schools by area › Hertfordshire › St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)

St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)

Secondary · Mixed · Ages 11–19 · Academy

Lieutenant Ellis Way, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross EN7 5FB · st-maryshigh.herts.sch.uk · 01992 629124

On the mapSearch near EN7 5FB

Overview

Ofsted
Good
2019 framework · inspected Oct 2023
GCSEs, 2024/25
45
average Attainment 8 score. Hertfordshire 50.6, England 46
Demand for places
0.6
first choices for each place · Year 7, September 2026
Pupils
911
65% of 1,400 places
Local authority
Hertfordshire
Sixth form
Yes
Admissions
Non-selective
Free school meals
28.2%
First language not English
28.4%
School census 2025/26
Trust
St Mary's Ce Academy, Cheshunt

The official school record (Department for Education)

Admissions

For Year 7 in September 2026, 119 families put the school first and 198 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.

First choices against places

20222023202420252026September 2022: 82 (Places 189)82September 2023: 74 (Places 169)74September 2024: 69 (Places 165)69September 2025: 107 (Places 180)107September 2026: 119 (Places 198)119Places 198
Year 7PlacesFirst choicesPer place% offered
September 2026Sept 20261981190.6100%
September 2025Sept 20251801070.6100%
September 2024Sept 2024165690.4100%
September 2023Sept 2023169740.4100%
September 2022Sept 2022189820.4100%

Results

In 2024/25 the average Attainment 8 score at GCSE was 45, and 40.5% of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths. Across Hertfordshire it was 50.6, and across England 46.

In 2024/25 the average A level result was grade C- (25.3 points per entry).

GCSE results

Attainment 8

2019/20 to 2020/21: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1921/2222/2323/2424/252016/17: 43.5 (England 46.3)43.52017/18: 44.7 (England 46.5)44.72018/19: 41.7 (England 46.7)41.72021/22: 44.5 (England 48.8)44.52022/23: 41.1 (England 46.3)41.12023/24: 44.3 (England 45.9)44.32024/25: 45.0 (England 46.0)45.0England 46.0
2024/25TrendSchoolEngland
●4546
▼40.5%45.4%
●65.3%64.8%
▲50.5%40.5%
●4.004.09

Where Year 11 leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
School sixth form56+4.6
Sixth form college2.3−2.5
Further education38.4+3.8
Other education0.50
Apprenticeship0.5−1.4
Not in a lasting destination1.4−0.5
Activity not captured0.9−1.5

A levels and other 16 to 18 results

A level average grade

2019/20 to 2020/21: no school results published15/1616/1717/1818/1921/2222/2323/2424/252015/16: 17.6 (England 30.5)D-2016/17: 18.5 (England 31.1)D2017/18: 25.0 (England 32.1)D+2018/19: 26.4 (England 32.9)C-2021/22: 32.0 (England 37.9)C+2022/23: 22.1 (England 34.2)D+2023/24: 24.8 (England 34.4)D+2024/25: 25.3 (England 35.0)C-England 35.0
2024/25TrendAverage gradeProgress
62 studentsC- (25.3)Below average -0.36
63 studentsC- (25.6)Below average -0.35
35 studentsDist- (30.9)Average +0.22
3%AAB or better
84.6%finished their course
Earlier years: A levelStudentsAverage gradeProgress
2023/2466D+ (24.8)-0.23
2022/2372D+ (22.1)—
2021/2266C+ (32)—
2018/1955C- (26.4)+0.02
2017/1863D+ (25)+0.03
2016/1757D (18.5)-0.44
2015/1652D- (17.6)-0.58

Where sixth-form leavers went

2015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202021/222022/232023/24
Left in 2023/24Since 2021/22
University60.5−5
Further education1.3−3.4
Apprenticeship5.3−1.8
Employment21.1+9.2
Not in a lasting destination10.5+4.5
Activity not captured1.3−3.5

Ofsted

St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) was judged Good at its last graded inspection, on 10 October 2023, under Ofsted’s 2019 framework.

Overall
Good
Inspected
10 Oct 2023
Graded inspection

Safeguarding effectiveInspection reports

Graded areas

Quality of educationGood
Behaviour and attitudesGood
Personal developmentGood
Leadership and managementGood
Sixth formGood

Previously: Requires improvement, graded inspection, Sept 2019

Earlier inspections

September 2019 to November 2025

  • Sept 2019Requires improvement
    Quality of educationRequires improvement
    Behaviour and attitudesRequires improvement
    Personal developmentGood
    Leadership and managementRequires improvement
    Sixth formGood
    SafeguardingEffective

Before September 2019

  • May 2018Monitoring visit
    SafeguardingEffective
  • Jan 2015Good
    Outcomes for pupilsGood
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentGood
    Leadership and managementGood
    16 to 19 study programmesRequires improvement
  • Nov 2010Good
    Outcomes for pupilsGood
    Quality of teaching, learning and assessmentRequires improvement
    Leadership and managementGood
    16 to 19 study programmesRequires improvement

What parents said

77% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (128 replies, to 2 September 2024).

Recommend
77%
Replies
128
2 Sept 2024
Child is happy at school▼82% agreeEngland 88%
Child feels safe▼84% agreeEngland 89%
Pupils are well behaved▼75% agreeEngland 84%
School has high expectations●82% agreeEngland 84%
Child does well●85% agreeEngland 87%
Told what child will learn▼68% agreeEngland 83%
Told how child is doing▼77% agreeEngland 85%
Good range of subjects●90% agreeEngland 91%
Can join clubs and activities▼85% agreeEngland 90%
Supports personal development▼73% agreeEngland 79%
Concerns are dealt with properly▼68% agreeEngland 74%

based on the 82% who raised concerns

Bullying dealt with quickly▼46% agreeEngland 49%

based on the 35% who had a child bullied

Gets the SEND support they need▲75% agreeEngland 67%

based on 28 parents (22%) with SEND

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