Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School
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Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School is a council school in Welwyn Garden City for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 418 pupils and room for 450. About 29 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, about the same as most schools in England. We give it 54 out of 100. That puts it in line with schools like it, ahead of 83% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2025, no overall grade.
Blackthorn Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 3JP01707 339079swallowdell.herts.sch.ukMr James Berry headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted's last full inspection was on 24 June 2025, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
56 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Hertfordshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 56 | 55 | 59 | 60 | 59 | 58 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 80% | 35% | 32% | 52% | 58% | 36% | 64% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 13% | 2% | 5% | 5% | 2% | 2% | 10% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 107.0 | 102.0 | 102.0 | 102.0 | 102.0 | 99.0 | 106.6 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 106.0 | 99.0 | 98.0 | 101.0 | 100.0 | 99.0 | 105.2 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 105.0 | 98.0 | 101.0 | 102.0 | 102.0 | 100.0 | 106.1 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 82% | 60% | 59% | 63% | 63% | 47% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 84% | 44% | 42% | 67% | 63% | 50% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 82% | 49% | 46% | 73% | 71% | 72% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -0.5 | -0.1 | -1.4 | -2.4 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -2.9 | -1.5 | -1.1 | -3.2 | – | – |
| Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged | 65% | 26% | 21% | 48% | 46% | 23% | – | – |
| Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged | 87% | 43% | 43% | 55% | 68% | 47% | – | – |
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.
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. 2 of the 3 gaps are 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
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.
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.
In 2026 every child who applied got a place, so how far away you live didn't matter. That could change if the school gets more popular.
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. Every child who applied got a place (58 offers for 60 places).
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.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 12 pupils, for autism, speech, language and communication, severe learning difficulties.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Hertfordshire with autism provision.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 23.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 27.5 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Other difficulty or disability (40), language and communications needs (19), Autistic spectrum disorder (12), Specific learning difficulty (7), emotional and mental health (6), Moderate learning difficulty (3).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 418 | 422 | 419 | 422 | 428 | 437 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 29% | 27% | 30% | 32% | 31% | 28% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 10% | 10% | 10% | 9% | 9% | 7% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 20% | 24% | 26% | 19% | 20% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 4% | 1% | 3% | 3% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 93.9% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 6.2% | 7.9% | 8.2% | 7.7% | 3.6% | 5.6% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.6% | 5.9% | 5.8% | 6.1% | 2.9% | 3.8% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 1.6% | 2.0% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.7% | 1.8% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 15.7% | 25.4% | 25.1% | 26.7% | 7.4% | 14.6% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 3.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 1.8 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
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
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.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holwell Primary School | Council | 640 m | 397 | Good 2023 | 90 | Compare |
| Panshanger Primary School | Council | 810 m | 240 | Good 2023 | 77 | Compare |
| Peartree Primary School | Academy | 920 m | 184 | Not inspected | 83 | Compare |
| Watchlytes Primary School | Academy | 920 m | 158 | Report card 2025 | 67 | Compare |
| Our Lady Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 0.7 miles | 204 | Report card 2026 | 70 | Compare |
| Commonswood Primary & Nursery School | Council | 0.8 miles | 410 | Good 2023 | 75 | Compare |
| Creswick Academy | Academy | 0.9 miles | 325 | Requires improvement 2022 | 2 | Compare |
| Springmead Primary School | Academy | 0.9 miles | 248 | Good 2022 | 68 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery 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.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 54 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 54% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 34 to 72. 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 at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | below | -0.09 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 56 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | above | +0.12 | Ofsted grade, 1.2 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | below | -0.20 | DfE progress measure; 56 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | well above | +0.30 | results and attendance rising year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | below | -0.05 | 2024/25; 369 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | below | -0.05 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 56 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | 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 Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School a good school?
It is about average. Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School scores 54 out of 100. That is in line with schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 83% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 34 to 72, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.
What is Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School not judged at its last full inspection on 24 June 2025.
How good are Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 80% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 13% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School have?
418 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 450 places, so it is 93% full.
Is Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery 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 Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School?
Pupils were in school 93.9% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 16% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School?
The average class had 26.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 6% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for autism, speech, language and communication, severe learning difficulties. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School have a breakfast club?
Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Blackthorn Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 3JP
- Telephone
- 01707 339079
- Website
- www.swallowdell.herts.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Mr James Berry
- Free breakfast club
- Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
- Type of school
- Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Ward
- Howlands
- Constituency
- Welwyn Hatfield
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 January 2002 (result of amalgamation)
- URN
- 133488 · LAESTAB 9192027 · UKPRN 10069427
- Formerly
- Blackthorn Junior School, Thumbswood Infant School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Hertfordshire council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2024, 2025, 2026.
- Breakfast club: DfE list of schools on the free breakfast club programme.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.