Classpot

Layston Church of England First School

East Hertfordshire, SG9 9EUPrimaryAges 5–9MixedState
Ofsted Rating
Requires Improvement
Oct 2023
KS2 Results
No data
Competition
1.0×
Not oversubscribed
18 1st-choice / 18 places
Ranking
Not ranked

About Layston Church of England First School

Layston Church of England First School is a small state primary in Hertfordshire, a local authority with 401 primary schools, 45 of which are rated Outstanding. The school itself currently holds a Requires Improvement rating from Ofsted, placing it some distance behind the county’s top-performing peers — Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harvey Road Primary School and The Russell School, all of which rank at or near the top of local league tables. With 139 pupils on roll against a capacity of 150, Layston is not quite full, but it is heavily oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, 59 families applied for just 18 places, and all 18 first-preference applicants were offered a spot. That 3. 28 oversubscription ratio suggests strong local demand, even as the school works through its current Ofsted challenges. Headteacher Adele McMurrough leads a mixed, Church of England school for children aged 5 to 9, with no nursery or sixth form provision.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range5 to 9 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterChurch of England
AddressThe Causeway, Buntingford, East Hertfordshire, SG9 9EU
HeadteacherAdele McMurrough
Local AuthorityHertfordshire
Number of Pupils139
Free School Meals (FSM)21.6%
School Capacity139 / 150 (93% full)

The full report on this school

The inspection in plain English, admissions context, and how this school compares to nearby alternatives — all in one full school report.

  • Ofsted inspection in plain English
    Strengths, concerns and what inspectors flagged
  • Parent View survey results
    What parents told Ofsted — when the school has 10+ responses
  • Where Ofsted and parents disagree
    Gaps to probe + questions to ask at the open day
  • Admissions & catchment
    Admission criteria, distance cutoffs (where the LA publishes them)
  • Nearby schools compared
    Backup options with Ofsted, demand and distance
  • Attendance & behaviour data
    Persistent absentees, suspensions and exclusions vs national
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Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

31 Oct 2023
View Report
Overall Effectiveness
Requires improvement
Quality of Education
Requires improvement
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Requires improvement
Early Years Provision
Inadequate

Source: Ofsted, 12 Feb 2024. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageOther

Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:45 – 15:15

Source: layston.herts.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Layston Church of England First School

Layston Church of England First School has been rated "Requires Improvement" by Ofsted. This means the school is not yet good, but inspectors believe it can improve with the right support and changes.