Furneux Pelham Church of England School

About Furneux Pelham Church of England School

Furneux Pelham Church of England School enjoys strong backing from its parent community, with 95% of respondents to the most recent Parent View survey saying they would recommend the school. That survey, covering September 2024 to September 2025, drew 43 responses and paints a picture of a school where children are happy and feel safe – 84% of parents strongly agreed with both statements. The school is also clearly popular locally: for the 2025/26 academic year, it received 21 applications for just 11 places, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.91. All 11 first-preference applicants were offered a place, but the numbers show demand outstrips supply. Parents also report high satisfaction with the school's clubs and activities, with 81% strongly agreeing their child can take part, and 95% agreeing or strongly agreeing that their child does well at the school.

Academically, the school holds a Good rating from its most recent graded Ofsted inspection in January 2020, and an ungraded inspection in February 2025 confirmed that standards are being maintained. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 results, 64% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined – exactly in line with the Hertfordshire local authority average of 64%. Individual subject scores were solid: 79% met the expected standard in reading, 71% in maths, and 86% in writing. At the higher standard, 7% of pupils achieved in reading and maths, while 21% reached that level in writing. The school's average scaled scores were 104 in reading and 102 in maths. Nationally, it ranks in the 47th percentile for combined expected standards, and within East Hertfordshire it sits 29th out of 47 primary schools.

The school is a Church of England primary for mixed-gender pupils aged 3 to 11, with a nursery on site. It currently has 83 pupils against a capacity of 140, so there is some room for growth. Facilities include a library, music rooms, a chapel, an outdoor playground and a Forest School programme. Sports on offer include cricket, rounders, gymnastics, dance, cross country and athletics, while clubs extend to coding, gardening and an eco club. The school has identified SEND provisions for social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, visual impairment and autistic spectrum disorder – though the Parent View data for SEND support had no responses, so it is difficult to gauge parent opinion on that front. This is a small, well-regarded village school with a strong local reputation, suited to families who value a close-knit community feel and a Church of England ethos.

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