Schools by area › Hertfordshire › Watchlytes Primary School
Watchlytes Primary School
Primary · Mixed · Ages 3–11 · Sponsored academy
Watchlytes, Welwyn Garden City AL7 2AZ · watchlytesprimary.org · 01707 886222
Overview
- Ofsted
- Report card
- Dec 2025 · graded by area, with no overall grade
- Key stage 2, 2024/25
- 76%
- 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
- 0.8
- first choices for each place · Reception, September 2026
- Pupils
- 158
- 66% of 240 places
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Nursery class
- Yes
- Free school meals
- 33.3%
- First language not English
- 19%
- School census 2025/26
- Trust
- Ivy Learning Trust
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, 16 families put the school first and 19 places were offered; 100% of those families were offered a place there. Admission depends on the school’s own rules.
Demand for places
First choices against places
| Reception | Places | First choices | Per place | % offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026Sept 2026 | 19 | 16 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2025Sept 2025 | 21 | 16 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2024Sept 2024 | 17 | 13 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2023Sept 2023 | 14 | 11 | 0.8 | 100% |
| September 2022Sept 2022 | 30 | 31 | 1▲ | 87% |
Last distance offered
| Reception | Distance | |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | All | |
| September 2025 | All | |
| September 2024 | All | |
| September 2022 | 0.56 mi0.91 km | |
Every applicant was offered a place (19 allocations for 30 places).
Every applicant was offered a place (23 allocations for 30 places).
Every applicant was offered a place (17 allocations for 30 places).
Results
In 2024/25, 76% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of key stage 2, and 4% 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 | |||
| ▲76% | 62% | ||
| ▼4% | 8% | ||
| Average scaled score | |||
| ▼103 | 106 | ||
| ●104 | 105 | ||
| ▼100 | 105 | ||
Some years are for the predecessor school (URN 117348)
Ofsted
Ofsted inspected Watchlytes Primary School on 9 December 2025 and published a report card: each area has its own grade, and there is no overall grade.
- Inclusion: Expected standard
- Curriculum and teaching: Expected standard
- Achievement: Expected standard
- Attendance and behaviour: Expected standard
- Personal development and well-being: Expected standard
- Early years: Strong standard
- Leadership and governance: Expected standard
- Inspected
- 9 Dec 2025
- Report card
- Safeguarding
- Met
Graded areas
| Inclusion | Expected standard |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and teaching | Expected standard |
| Achievement | Expected standard |
| Attendance and behaviour | Expected standard |
| Personal development and well-being | Expected standard |
| Early years | Strong standard |
| Leadership and governance | Expected standard |
Previously: Inadequate, graded inspection, Sept 2021
Earlier inspections
Including inspections of the predecessor school (URN 117348), which Ofsted links to this one.
September 2019 to November 2025
Sept 2021Inadequate
Quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Early years Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 117348)
Before September 2019
Jan 2016Good
Outcomes for pupils Good Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Leadership and management Good Early years Requires improvement Safeguarding Effective Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 117348)
Nov 2013Requires improvement
Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Leadership and management Good Inspection of the predecessor school (URN 117348)
What parents said
85% of the parents who answered Ofsted’s Parent View survey would recommend the school (34 replies, to 6 April 2026).
- Recommend
- 85%
- Positive
- 82%
- Replies
- 34
- 22% · 6 Apr 2026
based on the 88% who raised concerns
based on 8 parents (24%) whose child was bullied
based on 10 parents (29%) with SEND