Classpot
Manor Fields Primary School

Manor Fields Primary School

East Hertfordshire, CM23 4LEPrimary School·Ages 3-11
Goodby Ofsted

96%

Capacity

447

Pupils

2.0x

Demand

About Manor Fields Primary School

Manor Fields Primary School sits within Hertfordshire, a local authority with 401 primary schools, and ranks 10th out of 47 schools in the East Hertfordshire area based on its Key Stage 2 results. That puts it comfortably in the top quarter of schools locally. Among its top-performing peers in the same LA are Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Harvey Road Primary School, and The Russell School, all of which share the highest ranking scores. Manor Fields itself holds a Good rating from Ofsted, a significant improvement from its previous Inadequate inspection in 2016. The school is led by headteacher Helen Smith and serves 447 pupils aged 3 to 11, operating just under its full capacity of 465. It is a mixed, non-religious state primary with no boarding or sixth form, but it does offer nursery provision for younger children.

Academically, Manor Fields performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined, compared with a Hertfordshire LA average of 64%. The school also excels in higher attainment: 14% of pupils achieved the higher standard across all three subjects. In reading, the average score was 110, with 49% reaching the higher threshold, while in maths the average was 109 and 53% achieved the higher mark. Writing saw 20% of pupils reach the higher standard. The school’s Ofsted inspection in March 2022 rated every category as Good, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision. This marks a clear turnaround from the previous inspection, where overall effectiveness was judged Inadequate and leadership and management were also rated Inadequate.

Manor Fields is a popular choice for local families: for the 2025/26 intake, it received 118 applications for 60 places, with 51 first-preference offers made, giving an oversubscription ratio of 1.97. The school offers a broad range of facilities including music rooms, a sports hall, art studios, a library, an ICT suite, playing fields, and a forest school. Sports on offer include dance, netball, swimming, cricket, athletics, and football, while clubs range from book and art clubs to gardening and eco club. The school has specific SEND provisions for dyslexia, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health, multi-sensory impairment, and autistic spectrum disorder. For families seeking a strong academic record within a supportive environment, Manor Fields represents a solid option in East Hertfordshire, especially given its improved Ofsted rating and above-average outcomes.

Key Details

School TypePrimary (State)
Age Range3 to 11 years
GenderMixed
Religious CharacterDoes not apply
AddressPenningtons, Bishop's Stortford, East Hertfordshire, CM23 4LE
HeadteacherHelen Smith
Local AuthorityHertfordshire
Number of Pupils447
Free School Meals (FSM)6.2%
School Capacity447 / 465 (96% full)
Nursery ClassesYes

Ofsted Inspection Breakdown

15 Mar 2022
View Report

Overall Effectiveness

Good

Improved
Quality of Education
Good
Behaviour & Attitudes
Good
Personal Development
Good
Leadership & Management
Good

Additional Provisions

Early Years Provision
Good

Source: Ofsted, 10 May 2022. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.

League Table Position

Based on KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths (75%)

2842nd of 13,686

Nationally

Top 25%

273rd of 1,612

In East of England

Top 25%

10th of 47

In East Hertfordshire

Top 25%

Source: Classpot analysis of DfE KS2 Reading, Writing & Maths data

KS2 SATs Results

2023/24

Reading, Writing & Maths Combined

75%

Expected Standard

14%

Higher Standard

ReadingAvg Score: 110
Expected:88%
Higher:49%
Writing
Expected:76%
Higher:20%
MathsAvg Score: 109
Expected:93%
Higher:53%
RWM Expected Standard % over timeStable

'22/23

75%

'23/24

75%

Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. National expected standard benchmark is around 65%.

SEND Support

AutismDyslexiaMental HealthSpeech & LanguageMulti-Sensory

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

Facilities

9
Music RoomsSports HallArt StudiosOutdoor PlaygroundPlaying FieldsForest SchoolLibraryICT SuiteChapel

Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.

Extracurriculars

11

Sports

DanceRoundersNetballSwimmingCricketAthleticsFootball

Clubs & Activities

Book ClubArt ClubGardeningEco Club

Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.

Admissions

2025/26Oversubscribed
Places

60

Applications

118

Good Demand

Popular school with more applications than places

Applications to places ratio2.0x
0x1x2x3x5x+

51 families put this school as their 1st choice (43% of all applications)

Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.

School day

Verified

Teaching hours

08:50 – 15:20

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

Class profile

2024/25
Pupils per teacherBottom 25% of schools
23.7pupils per qualified teacher

75% of schools in England do better than this.

Average class sizeBottom 25% of schools
29.8pupils per class

75% of schools in England do better than this.

Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.

Pupils & demographics

2024/25
Free school meals6.2%

Lower-disadvantage intake compared to the national average (25%).

English as additional language12.3%

Above the national median (10%) — a meaningful share speak English as an additional language.

Ethnic background

  • White British77.6%
  • White (other)8.1%
  • Mixed7.4%
  • Asian5.5%

Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.

Attendance & Behaviour

2024/25
Overall attendanceTop 25% of schools
96.4%

Better than 75% of schools in England.

Persistent absenteesTop 25% of schools
4.4%

Better than 75% of schools in England.

Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.

Fixed-period suspensionsBelow average
4.9 per 100

Half of schools in England do better than this.

A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.

Permanent exclusionsLike most schools
None

Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.

Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.

Catchment & Local Competition

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1 mile reference · no real data

No catchment data published for this school

The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.

⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.

Schools within 1 mile (reference area)

1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.

9

Total schools

7

Oversubscribed

7

Primary

High competition area

Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Manor Fields Primary School

Manor Fields Primary School has been rated "Good" by Ofsted. This means the school provides a good standard of education and effectively supports all pupils to succeed.

Contact Information

01279504435www.manorfields.herts.sch.uk

Penningtons, Bishop's Stortford

East Hertfordshire, CM23 4LE

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Penningtons, Bishop's Stortford

East Hertfordshire, CM23 4LE

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Opening Hours

Monday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Tuesday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Wednesday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Thursday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Friday8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
SaturdayClosed
SundayClosed

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