Anstey First School

About Anstey First School

Anstey First School is a small state primary in East Hertfordshire with just 44 pupils on roll against a capacity of 70, meaning it is significantly under-enrolled. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals stands at 30.6%, well above the national average of around 23% and notably higher than the Hertfordshire average, which typically sits in the low teens. Despite the spare capacity, the school is oversubscribed for its 2025/26 intake: 18 applications were received for 9 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 2:1. Eight of those nine offers went to first-preference applicants, suggesting strong local demand from families who actively choose the school. The intake covers ages 2 to 9, with nursery provision available, and the school is mixed and non-religious. With such a small roll, class sizes are likely very small, which can appeal to parents seeking a more intimate setting for their child’s early years.

Academically, Anstey First School holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a grade it has maintained across its two most recent graded inspections. The most recent graded inspection in January 2016 rated overall effectiveness, leadership and management, and early years provision all as Good. A subsequent ungraded inspection in January 2022 confirmed the school remains Good. However, the early years provision was judged as Requires improvement in that 2022 visit, which is a notable downgrade from the previous Good rating in that area. The school does not publish Key Stage 2 SATs results in the data, so direct comparison with the local authority average of 64% achieving the expected standard is not possible. The absence of published outcomes means parents will want to ask the school directly about its most recent attainment data. The school has no sixth form, as it only goes up to age 9, so families will need to plan for a transition to a middle or junior school later on.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for its size, including a library, art studios, a forest school, sports hall, ICT suite, and playing fields. Sports on offer include netball, cricket, cross country, football, and rounders, while clubs cover coding, chess, science, and book club. SEND provisions are in place for speech, language and communication needs, hearing impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder, which is helpful given the above-average FSM rate and the likelihood of varied pupil needs. The school has a chapel on site, despite having no religious character, which may be a legacy feature. For families in East Hertfordshire looking for a very small, community-focused first school with strong local demand and a Good Ofsted rating, Anstey First School is worth a visit. The early years Requires improvement rating is something to discuss with the headteacher, Richard McKelvey, to understand what changes have been made since that inspection.

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