School Chooser

Meryfield Primary School

Primary · ages 3-11MixedAcademy450 pupilsNurseryBorehamwoodHertfordshire
School Chooser Score
42
In line with
similar schools
Likely range 25 to 63
Out of 100. Better than 21% of the 50 schools most like it. Slipping year on year.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, May 2022
Reached the expected level at 1158%England 63%
Attendance94.6%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families21%A bit fewer than most schools
Places30 spare450 pupils, 480 places
Pupils per teacher21.8School workforce census

Meryfield Primary School is a converter academy in Borehamwood for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 450 pupils and room for 480. About 21 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, a bit fewer than at most schools. We give it 43 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 21% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Theobald Street, Theobald Street, Borehamwood, WD6 4PA020 8953 2106meryfield.herts.sch.ukMrs Alexandra Gage headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 25 May 2022 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

48 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1158%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score105.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 59%59%20172018: 67%67%20182019: 64%64%20192023: 69%69%20232024: 57%57%20242025: 58%58%2025
Since 2017: -1%Declining overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure20252024202320192018†2017†HertfordshireEngland
Pupils tested485158535156
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths58%57%69%64%67%59%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%12%19%11%10%9%10%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0103.0106.0102.0104.0104.0106.6105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score105.0104.0106.0105.0105.0103.0105.2104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score107.0105.0108.0107.0106.0106.0106.1105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard71%69%78%68%73%66%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard67%75%84%85%80%79%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)73%71%74%75%82%84%
Reading progressReading progress score+0.8-1.0-1.1+0.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+1.2+1.4+0.6-0.3
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged45%44%75%62%63%54%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged68%64%66%66%70%63%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Meryfield Primary School, the school this one replaced in January 2018. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 4 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
45%68%
Gap 23 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
52%64%
Gap 12 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
75%58%
Gap 17 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
5%8%
Gap 3 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

A few spare places390 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
93% full

About 30 places were empty, so most families who apply get in, though a popular year group can still fill up. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 1.7 miles away in 2024. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child chosen by how close to the school they lived, but the council didn't publish how far away that was.

EntryPlacesApplied at allGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary6012860LA
2025 Primary6012353all offeredLA
2024 Primary60158601.7 milesLA

What a home within 1.7 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 1.7 miles of the school£475,000half sold for £350k to £630k
Homes sold697December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district-12%a typical home in the district sells for £540,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll450Census January 2026
Places48094% full
Pupils from low-income families18%21% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English50%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support18%80 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%19 pupils with a plan
Average class size28.115 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)23%£139,500 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls212 / 238
White British pupils40%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 28.9 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (43), Specific learning difficulty (23), emotional and mental health (18), Autistic spectrum disorder (8), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (2), Hearing impairment (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll450435432432438435
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals18%22%23%21%20%19%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language50%48%48%47%44%41%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support17%15%10%11%18%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans4%3%2%2%1%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.6% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.6%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school12.8%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.22024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission1.1%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.4%5.4%5.5%6.9%3.3%4.6%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.3%4.3%4.5%5.9%2.6%3.4%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence1.1%1.1%1.1%1.0%0.7%1.3%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence12.8%15.7%15.5%21.9%5.8%10.6%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.21.40.50.52.3
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers19.5full-time equivalent, 20 people
Pupils per teacher21.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants20.6full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£48,041
Teachers who left in the year15%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher2.92024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£6,095England £7,128. Total £2.6m
Income per pupil£6,597England £7,587. Total £2.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,112England £3,405
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £308k, £736 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£210kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,095spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m54112 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate140 per 1,000 people53% higher than the England average
Typical house price£540,000Hertsmere
Nearest bus stop120 mAnthony Road, 25 stops within 500 m

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Parkside Community Primary SchoolFoundation700 m213Good 202031Compare
Cowley Hill SchoolCouncil950 m416Report card 202652Compare
Woodlands Primary SchoolCouncil0.7 miles218Report card 202648Compare
St Teresa Catholic Primary SchoolCatholic0.8 miles196Not inspected46Compare
Hertsmere Jewish Primary SchoolAcademy0.9 miles422Good 202479Compare
Yavneh Primary SchoolFree school1.2 miles418Not inspected86Compare
Monksmead SchoolCouncil1.2 miles208Good 202222Compare
Summerswood Primary SchoolCouncil1.3 miles344Requires improvement 20242Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Meryfield Primary School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats21%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 43 is 22 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 2 · middle 65 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 47 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Meryfield Primary School, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Hujjat Primary SchoolFree school4.2 miles356Good 202393Compare
Cromer Road Primary SchoolCouncil4.7 miles413Good 202271Compare
St Teresa's Catholic Primary School and NurseryRoman Catholic5.1 miles428Good 202372Compare
Brunswick Park Primary and Nursery SchoolCouncil6.4 miles429Good 202394Compare
Our Lady of Muswell Catholic Primary SchoolRoman Catholic7.7 miles432Outstanding 202497Compare
Bowes Primary SchoolAcademy7.8 miles464No overall grade 202596Compare
Hazelwood Junior SchoolCouncil8.6 miles380No overall grade 202485Compare
St John's Wood Primary SchoolCouncil10.4 miles428Good 201964Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 43 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 43% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 25 to 63. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%in line
+0.03
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 48 pupils
Ofsted inspection17% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%in line
+0.07
DfE progress measure; 48 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well below
-0.13
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
0.00
2024/25; 344 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 48 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Meryfield Primary School a good school?

It is about average. Meryfield Primary School scores 43 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 21% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 25 to 63, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.

What is Meryfield Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Meryfield Primary School good at its last full inspection on 25 May 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Meryfield Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 58% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Meryfield Primary School have?

450 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 480 places, so it is 94% full.

Is Meryfield Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 30 places were empty in 2024/25 (7% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Meryfield Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.6% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 13% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Meryfield Primary School?

The average class had 28.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Theobald Street, Theobald Street, Borehamwood, WD6 4PA
Telephone
020 8953 2106
Website
www.meryfield.herts.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Alexandra Gage
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Agora Learning Partnership (10 schools)
Local authority
Hertfordshire
Ward
Borehamwood Brookmeadow
Constituency
Hertsmere
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 January 2018 (academy converter)
URN
145351 · LAESTAB 9192156 · UKPRN 10066385
Formerly
Meryfield Primary School

Where these figures come from