School Chooser

St Michael's CofE Primary School

Primary · ages 2-11MixedAcademyChurch of England114 pupilsNurseryHerefordHerefordshire, County of
School Chooser Score
76
Above
similar schools
Likely range 42 to 93, so it could be “well above”
Out of 100. Better than 82% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedGoodConfirmed by Ofsted, June 2024
Reached the expected level at 1178%England 63%
Attendance94.9%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families14%Far fewer than most schools
Places7 spare114 pupils, 121 places
Pupils per teacher19.8School workforce census

St Michael's CofE Primary School is a converter academy in Hereford for boys and girls aged 2 to 11. It has 114 pupils and room for 121. About 14 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 77 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 82% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.

Bodenham, Hereford, HR1 3JU01568 797241st-michaels.hereford.sch.ukMrs Michele Lewis acting headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

A shorter visit on 12 June 2024 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.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

9 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England. With a year group this small, a couple of children can move the percentages a long way.

Reached the expected level at 1178%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level11%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score113.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score111.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 75%75%20172018: 67%67%20182019: 75%75%20192023: 73%73%20232024: 83%83%20242025: 78%78%2025
Since 2017: +3%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017†Herefordshire, County ofEngland
Pupils tested918118158
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths78%83%73%75%67%75%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths11%6%18%13%13%13%9%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score113.0107.0108.0107.0105.0108.0105.9105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score111.0107.0109.0104.0105.0108.0104.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score110.0112.0107.0107.0105.0109.0105.5105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard100%89%82%75%87%100%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard100%89%82%88%93%100%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)78%83%82%88%67%75%
Reading progressReading progress score+1.2+2.7+1.9+1.8
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.3-0.8+2.9+1.2

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 St Michael's CofE Primary School, the school this one replaced in October 2016. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.

A few spare places91 pupils for 105 places, 2024/25
87% full

About 14 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.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Herefordshire, County of council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

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 roll114Census January 2026
Places12194% full
Pupils from low-income families14%14% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English4%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support8%9 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%5 pupils with a plan
Average class size21.25 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)16%£23,250 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls57 / 57
White British pupils82%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 19.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 26.0 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (4), emotional and mental health (3), Autistic spectrum disorder (2), Specific learning difficulty (2), Moderate learning difficulty (1), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (1).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll114118120115115107
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals14%14%12%12%8%8%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language4%9%5%7%5%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support9%9%9%10%8%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%3%2%2%2%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 94.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance94.9%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school13.6%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils1.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.3%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence5.1%5.9%7.7%7.5%3.8%4.0%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.8%5.1%6.8%7.4%3.5%3.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.3%0.9%0.8%0.1%0.4%0.1%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence13.6%13.4%27.0%20.5%7.3%5.3%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate1.710.80.00.00.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers5.3full-time equivalent, 7 people
Pupils per teacher19.8Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.3full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£38,764
Teachers who left in the year0%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher6.32024/25

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£6,797England £7,128. Total £802k
Income per pupil£7,322England £7,587. Total £864k
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,085England £3,405
Money in reserve11%A healthy amount put by: £99k, £838 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£62kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£6,797spent 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 m112 months to June 2026, mostly anti-social behaviour
Local crime rate29 per 1,000 people68% lower than the England average
Typical house price£295,000Herefordshire
Nearest bus stop130 mMemorial, 1 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
Marden Primary AcademyAcademy2.2 miles97Good 202343Compare
Wellington Primary School and NurseryAcademy2.8 miles67Good 202468Compare
Sutton Primary AcademyAcademy3.3 miles208Outstanding 202377Compare
Stoke Prior Primary SchoolAcademy3.6 miles82Requires improvement 20232Compare
Pencombe CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England4.5 miles61Good 202490Compare
Canon Pyon CofE AcademyAcademy4.6 miles82Good 202379Compare
Burley Gate CofE Primary SchoolAcademy4.6 miles92Good 202461Compare
Ivington CofE Primary and Pre-SchoolChurch of England5.0 miles102Not inspected26Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares St Michael's CofE Primary School with the 49 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 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats82%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the top quarter of its group. Its score of 77 is 30 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 5 · middle 47 · highest 94100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 49 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than St Michael's CofE 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
Kimbolton St James CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England6.4 miles91Good 202285Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 77 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 77% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 42 to 93. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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%above
+0.10
2024 and 2023 results; 18 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 2.3 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.09
DfE progress measure; 18 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%in line
0.00
results and attendance falling year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%in line
+0.01
2024/25; 88 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%well above
+0.14
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 18 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 St Michael's CofE Primary School a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. St Michael's CofE Primary School scores 77 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 82% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 42 to 93, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is St Michael's CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated St Michael's CofE Primary School good at its last full inspection on 12 June 2024.

How good are St Michael's CofE Primary School's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 78% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 11% went further and reached the higher level. The year group was small, so the percentages jump around a lot from year to year.

How many pupils does St Michael's CofE Primary School have?

114 pupils aged 2 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 121 places, so it is 94% full.

Is St Michael's CofE Primary School oversubscribed?

Probably not. 14 places were empty in 2024/25 (13% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at St Michael's CofE Primary School?

Pupils were in school 94.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 14% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at St Michael's CofE Primary School?

The average class had 21.2 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
Bodenham, Hereford, HR1 3JU
Telephone
01568 797241
Website
www.st-michaels.hereford.sch.uk
Acting Headteacher
Mrs Michele Lewis
Type of school
Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 2-11, with nursery
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England, Diocese of Hereford
Multi-academy trust
Diocese of Hereford Multi Academy Trust (21 schools)
Local authority
Herefordshire, County of
Ward
Hampton
Constituency
North Herefordshire
Setting
Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
Opened
1 October 2016 (academy converter)
URN
143455 · LAESTAB 8843304 · UKPRN 10061349
Formerly
St Michael's CofE Primary School

Where these figures come from