What did Ofsted judge St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)'s overall effectiveness to be?

Ofsted judged St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)'s overall effectiveness as Good at its inspection in October 2023, on Ofsted's own scale.

How many pupils attend St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?

St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) has 911 pupils on roll.

What ages does St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) take?

St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) admits pupils aged 11 to 19.

Where is St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) located?

St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) is located in Waltham Cross, EN7 5FB, Hertfordshire.

How do I apply to St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?

St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.

Does St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) have a religious character?

Yes — St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) has a religious character of Church of England. Faith criteria may apply to admissions; check the school's oversubscription policy for details.

How are Year 7 places decided at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?

When St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked After Children (LAC) and previously looked after children — Looked After Children (LAC) and all previously looked after children, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside England (IAPLAC) and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. The School uses HCCs published definition for this criterion (excluding any reference to Rule 2), as set out in Note B; 2. Children of permanent staff — Priority will be given to children of staff employed by St Mary's in either or both of the following circumstances: where the member of staff has been employed by the School for two years or more at the time at which the application to school is made, and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage. In either case, the member of staff must be the biological or adoptive parent of the child, or have legal parental responsibility for that child or (where the child is the child of the member of staff's partner) must have lived with the child at the same address for at least two years prior to the date of application; 3. Siblings — Children who have a sibling (brother or sister) in Years 7 to 12 at the School at the time of application. The School uses HCCs published definition for this criterion, as set out in Note A. Note: The School will admit over PAN where to not do this would mean twins or multiple births could not be admitted together, and 4 further criteria. The school offers 180 places at this entry point. Tie-break: When there is a need for a tie break where two different addresses are the same distance from the school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest as logically this will be on the ground floor and therefore closer. If there are two identical addresses of separate applicants, then the tie break will be random, using the individual random number assigned to each child on the HCC admission database, with the lowest number given priority.

What is the largest ethnic background at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?

According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 29.9% of pupils at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

St Mary's Church of England High School (VA): Catchment 2026

School AtlasHertfordshire

Hertfordshire

School AtlasHertfordshire

Hertfordshire

How places are decided at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked After Children (LAC) and previously looked after children — Looked After Children (LAC) and all previously looked after children, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside England (IAPLAC) and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. The School uses HCCs published definition for this criterion (excluding any reference to Rule 2), as set out in Note B.
2Children of permanent staff — Priority will be given to children of staff employed by St Mary's in either or both of the following circumstances: where the member of staff has been employed by the School for two years or more at the time at which the application to school is made, and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage. In either case, the member of staff must be the biological or adoptive parent of the child, or have legal parental responsibility for that child or (where the child is the child of the member of staff's partner) must have lived with the child at the same address for at least two years prior to the date of application.
3Siblings — Children who have a sibling (brother or sister) in Years 7 to 12 at the School at the time of application. The School uses HCCs published definition for this criterion, as set out in Note A. Note: The School will admit over PAN where to not do this would mean twins or multiple births could not be admitted together.
4Regular worship at a Christian Church — Parents/Carers or children who regularly worship at an Anglican Church or another Christian denomination and whose attendance is verified by their minister. Regular worship means the child or at least one of the child's parents attends public worship at least once a month and has attended for at least the past two years immediately before the closing date for applications. A Christian Church is a recognised Anglican Church (a member of the Anglican Communion) or another Christian denomination which is a member of Churches Together in Britain & Ireland, the Evangelical Alliance or Affinity.
5Membership of a mainstream non-Christian faith — Children or parents/carers whose membership of a non-Christian faith community for at least the last two years immediately prior to the closing date for applications is confirmed by their faith leader.
6Home address within named ecclesiastical parish boundaries — Children whose home address is within the ecclesiastical parish boundaries of: St Mary the Virgin, Cheshunt; St Clements, Turnford; St James, Goffs Oak; or Christ Church, Waltham Cross.
7Other applicants — Other applicants. Should there be over-subscription within any one over-subscription category, then the priority ranking in that category will be the distance from the School to the child's home address.

If two applications tie: When there is a need for a tie break where two different addresses are the same distance from the school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest as logically this will be on the ground floor and therefore closer. If there are two identical addresses of separate applicants, then the tie break will be random, using the individual random number assigned to each child on the HCC admission database, with the lowest number given priority.

Children with an EHCP naming the school are admitted before any oversubscription criteria are applied (not numbered as a ranked criterion). Document also includes separate Sixth Form admissions policy (PAN 250 combined Y12/13; 30 external Y12 places) with its own similarly ordered criteria, not captured here as this entry covers the main Year 7 entry.

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.

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

What did Ofsted judge St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)'s overall effectiveness to be?: Ofsted judged St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)'s overall effectiveness as Good at its inspection in October 2023, on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?: St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) has 911 pupils on roll.
What ages does St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) take?: St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) admits pupils aged 11 to 19.
Where is St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) located?: St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) is located in Waltham Cross, EN7 5FB, Hertfordshire.
How do I apply to St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?: St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
Does St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) have a religious character?: Yes — St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) has a religious character of Church of England. Faith criteria may apply to admissions; check the school's oversubscription policy for details.
How are Year 7 places decided at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?: When St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked After Children (LAC) and previously looked after children — Looked After Children (LAC) and all previously looked after children, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside England (IAPLAC) and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. The School uses HCCs published definition for this criterion (excluding any reference to Rule 2), as set out in Note B; 2. Children of permanent staff — Priority will be given to children of staff employed by St Mary's in either or both of the following circumstances: where the member of staff has been employed by the School for two years or more at the time at which the application to school is made, and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage. In either case, the member of staff must be the biological or adoptive parent of the child, or have legal parental responsibility for that child or (where the child is the child of the member of staff's partner) must have lived with the child at the same address for at least two years prior to the date of application; 3. Siblings — Children who have a sibling (brother or sister) in Years 7 to 12 at the School at the time of application. The School uses HCCs published definition for this criterion, as set out in Note A. Note: The School will admit over PAN where to not do this would mean twins or multiple births could not be admitted together, and 4 further criteria. The school offers 180 places at this entry point. Tie-break: When there is a need for a tie break where two different addresses are the same distance from the school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest as logically this will be on the ground floor and therefore closer. If there are two identical addresses of separate applicants, then the tie break will be random, using the individual random number assigned to each child on the HCC admission database, with the lowest number given priority.
What is the largest ethnic background at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 29.9% of pupils at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

League tables in Hertfordshire Compare Hertfordshire schools Best secondary schools in Hertfordshire Faith schools in Hertfordshire Sixth forms in Hertfordshire Hertfordshire hub All Hertfordshire schools Schools on map Admissions checker Faith school admissions guide Choosing sixth form guide Catchment areas guide What to ask on a visit

Same phase, ranked by distance and how closely they match.

Explore nearby

See every school within walking distance, ranked by distance and inspection grade.

Schools near Theobalds Grove station

Connected nurseries & schools

Feeder schools & nurseries

Children attending these settings are given priority in this school's admissions.

St John Roman Catholic Primary School

Primary

Good

St Adrian Roman Catholic Primary School

Primary

Good

St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary School

Primary

Good

St Teresa Catholic Primary School

Primary

Good

Our Lady Catholic Primary School

Primary

Good

Holy Rood Catholic Primary School

Primary

Outstanding

St Joseph Catholic Primary School

Primary

Outstanding

Our Lady Catholic Primary School

Primary

Expected standard

St Anthony's Catholic Primary School

Primary

Expected standard

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School B/S

Primary

Good

St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School

Primary

St Paul's Catholic Primary School

Primary

Links are derived from Ofsted registration addresses and published admission arrangements. Always confirm current arrangements with the school.

Interested in this school?Register interest and we'll pass your details on if it joins School Atlas.Register interest

This school hasn't claimed its profile yet, so it can't receive enquiries here. Leave your details and we'll pass them on if the school joins School Atlas.

Nearby schools within 5 km

How places are decided at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked After Children (LAC) and previously looked after children — Looked After Children (LAC) and all previously looked after children, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside England (IAPLAC) and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. The School uses HCCs published definition for this criterion (excluding any reference to Rule 2), as set out in Note B.
2Children of permanent staff — Priority will be given to children of staff employed by St Mary's in either or both of the following circumstances: where the member of staff has been employed by the School for two years or more at the time at which the application to school is made, and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage. In either case, the member of staff must be the biological or adoptive parent of the child, or have legal parental responsibility for that child or (where the child is the child of the member of staff's partner) must have lived with the child at the same address for at least two years prior to the date of application.
3Siblings — Children who have a sibling (brother or sister) in Years 7 to 12 at the School at the time of application. The School uses HCCs published definition for this criterion, as set out in Note A. Note: The School will admit over PAN where to not do this would mean twins or multiple births could not be admitted together.
4Regular worship at a Christian Church — Parents/Carers or children who regularly worship at an Anglican Church or another Christian denomination and whose attendance is verified by their minister. Regular worship means the child or at least one of the child's parents attends public worship at least once a month and has attended for at least the past two years immediately before the closing date for applications. A Christian Church is a recognised Anglican Church (a member of the Anglican Communion) or another Christian denomination which is a member of Churches Together in Britain & Ireland, the Evangelical Alliance or Affinity.
5Membership of a mainstream non-Christian faith — Children or parents/carers whose membership of a non-Christian faith community for at least the last two years immediately prior to the closing date for applications is confirmed by their faith leader.
6Home address within named ecclesiastical parish boundaries — Children whose home address is within the ecclesiastical parish boundaries of: St Mary the Virgin, Cheshunt; St Clements, Turnford; St James, Goffs Oak; or Christ Church, Waltham Cross.
7Other applicants — Other applicants. Should there be over-subscription within any one over-subscription category, then the priority ranking in that category will be the distance from the School to the child's home address.

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

What did Ofsted judge St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)'s overall effectiveness to be?: Ofsted judged St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)'s overall effectiveness as Good at its inspection in October 2023, on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?: St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) has 911 pupils on roll.
What ages does St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) take?: St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) admits pupils aged 11 to 19.
Where is St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) located?: St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) is located in Waltham Cross, EN7 5FB, Hertfordshire.
How do I apply to St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?: St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
Does St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) have a religious character?: Yes — St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) has a religious character of Church of England. Faith criteria may apply to admissions; check the school's oversubscription policy for details.
How are Year 7 places decided at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?: When St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked After Children (LAC) and previously looked after children — Looked After Children (LAC) and all previously looked after children, including those who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside England (IAPLAC) and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted. The School uses HCCs published definition for this criterion (excluding any reference to Rule 2), as set out in Note B; 2. Children of permanent staff — Priority will be given to children of staff employed by St Mary's in either or both of the following circumstances: where the member of staff has been employed by the School for two years or more at the time at which the application to school is made, and/or the member of staff is recruited to fill a vacant post for which there is a demonstrable skills shortage. In either case, the member of staff must be the biological or adoptive parent of the child, or have legal parental responsibility for that child or (where the child is the child of the member of staff's partner) must have lived with the child at the same address for at least two years prior to the date of application; 3. Siblings — Children who have a sibling (brother or sister) in Years 7 to 12 at the School at the time of application. The School uses HCCs published definition for this criterion, as set out in Note A. Note: The School will admit over PAN where to not do this would mean twins or multiple births could not be admitted together, and 4 further criteria. The school offers 180 places at this entry point. Tie-break: When there is a need for a tie break where two different addresses are the same distance from the school, in the case of a block of flats for example, the lower door number will be deemed nearest as logically this will be on the ground floor and therefore closer. If there are two identical addresses of separate applicants, then the tie break will be random, using the individual random number assigned to each child on the HCC admission database, with the lowest number given priority.
What is the largest ethnic background at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 29.9% of pupils at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA) are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

Same phase, ranked by distance and how closely they match.

Explore nearby

See every school within walking distance, ranked by distance and inspection grade.

Schools near Theobalds Grove station

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

How places are decided at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)

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

Similar schools nearby

Explore nearby

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

Connected nurseries & schools

Feeder schools & nurseries

Nearby schools within 5 km

How places are decided at St Mary's Church of England High School (VA)

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

Similar schools nearby

Explore nearby

Connected nurseries & schools

Feeder schools & nurseries

Nearby schools within 5 km