Farnham Church of England Primary School Review 2026, a small village primary with strong KS2 outcomes

Small schools can feel like a gamble, but this one reads as a deliberate choice. With a capacity of 70 and 28 pupils on roll, Farnham Church of England Primary School sits firmly in the “everyone knows everyone” bracket, and that shapes both daily life and pastoral oversight.

Academic outcomes are a clear headline. In 2024, 83.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, well above the England average of 62%. Reading and GPS scaled scores are also strong (111 and 107), with a mathematics scaled score of 106. The higher standard picture is notable too, with 29.33% achieving the higher standard in reading, writing and maths, compared with an England average of 8%.

The most recent Ofsted report, following an ungraded inspection on 27 June 2024, records the school’s overall effectiveness as Good and states that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

The defining feature here is scale, and the school leans into it. Multi-age routines are presented as a positive rather than a compromise, with Reception learning intentionally referenced alongside Year 1 and Year 2. That kind of setup can sharpen independence early, because younger pupils absorb classroom habits by proximity, while older pupils gain responsibility through everyday leadership.

The Church of England identity is not a badge-only detail. It runs through admissions criteria (where church affiliation can be relevant) and the wider language of school life, including the federation motto used across the website: Through faith and nurture, we thrive.

Farnham is also part of a formal federation with Rickling, with shared leadership and governance. In practical terms, this can widen the pupil experience, particularly where a very small roll might otherwise limit team sport, clubs, or cross-year projects. The federation itself is recorded on the government schools register.

The 2024 Key Stage 2 outcomes put this school in a strong position for a small rural primary.

• Expected standard (reading, writing and maths combined): 83.67% (England average: 62%)

• Higher standard (reading, writing and maths): 29.33% (England average: 8%)

• Scaled scores: Reading 111; Maths 106; Grammar, punctuation and spelling 107

This performance is also reflected in the rankings used on FindMySchool. Ranked 2,045th in England and 11th in Bishop’s Stortford for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), the school sits above England average, comfortably within the top 25% of schools in England.

A small-cohort caution still applies. In very small year groups, percentages can move sharply year to year because each child represents a large slice of the data. The sensible read is not “one brilliant cohort”, but “a school that has built systems that often translate into strong outcomes”, then validated by how consistently that pattern holds over time.

Parents comparing nearby options should use the FindMySchool Local Hub Comparison Tool to place these figures alongside other small primaries, it helps to separate genuinely sustained strength from year-to-year statistical swing.

The curriculum is described in purposeful, structured terms. The Ofsted report emphasises a well-designed curriculum where key knowledge is identified, broken into small steps, and sequenced logically so pupils secure new learning before moving on. In a mixed-age setting, sequencing matters even more, because teachers are balancing different starting points within one room.

Reading is treated as a strategic priority. The federation describes an early reading approach beginning in EYFS with Letters and Sounds and Phonics Play, with books matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge, then progression into guided reading and whole-class reading in later years.

There is one clear improvement focus worth understanding. The ungraded inspection highlights that the school does not always carry out sufficiently rigorous checks on how much and how often pupils are reading, which can mean some pupils do not read as frequently as they could and therefore do not build reading knowledge as well as peers.

For families, the implication is straightforward: if your child needs nudging to read regularly, home routines and school systems need to work together. This is not a reason to avoid the school, but it is a good question for a prospective visit, particularly for reluctant readers.

Transition planning matters because pupils often move on across county lines, given the location near the Essex and Hertfordshire boundary.

The federation’s guidance is unusually concrete. Children from Farnham typically transfer to Joyce Frankland Academy, Birchwood, Avanti, or Hockerill.

That list gives parents a practical starting point for visits and open evenings well before Year 6, especially if you want to compare different styles of secondary provision.

For families thinking ahead to Year 7 admissions, the federation also notes that applications are made through the local authority where you live, and references the national closing date pattern (late October) and national offer day pattern (early March).

This is a state school with no tuition fees, but it is not a simple “nearest wins” admissions story. Farnham is a voluntary aided Church of England primary, and its admissions policy sets out clear oversubscription criteria.

Key details for Reception entry:

• Published Admission Number (PAN): 10 per year group.

• Applications are made via Essex County Council’s coordinated scheme, using the common application route.

• The policy includes a defined priority admission area (covering Farnham parish and named local hamlets, plus Stansted Mountfitchet), then faith-based criteria that require evidence via a supplementary form for certain categories.

• “Active affiliation” is defined in the policy as worship attendance on a minimum of 8 occasions annually for at least two years prior to application, with supporting statements required where relevant.

Demand indicators also point to competition. For the recorded admissions route, there were 5 applications for 2 offers, which equates to 2.5 applications per place, and the school is flagged as oversubscribed.

For the September 2026 intake, Essex confirmed that primary applications ran from 10 November 2025 to 15 January 2026, with late applications processed after on-time ones.

Because these windows repeat annually with small shifts, families should treat early November to mid-January as the standard planning horizon, then confirm the exact dates in the relevant year.

Parents weighing a move should use the FindMySchool Map Search to check proximity and realistic travel time, especially where the priority admission area is relevant and where a straight-line distance tie-break may apply within oversubscription categories.

The evidence base points to a calm, rule-led approach rather than permissive informality. Pupils are described as behaving well and being keen to do their best, with high expectations linked to a simple whole-school rules framework referred to as the “whole school super 7”.

Support for pupils with SEND is described as effective, with pupils accessing a full or appropriately adapted curriculum and achieving well.

In a small school, the practical advantage is speed, concerns tend to be noticed early. The practical risk is also real, capacity is finite, so families should ask how specialist support is delivered day-to-day and how the school manages staffing resilience.

Personal development is framed around social justice and responsibility, including pupil voice, assemblies that tackle moral issues, and charity work. The “courageous advocates” language is used directly in the inspection report in the context of pupils taking action for others and raising money for charities.

The extracurricular offer blends internal provision, federation collaboration, and local add-ons.

Outdoor learning is a core distinctive feature. The federation explicitly positions outdoor learning as an established part of the curriculum, with Forest School activity including fire making, building, and learning about conserving the local environment. A named Forest School teacher, Jessica Greenwood, is referenced on the federation site.

For many pupils, the implication is improved confidence and self-management, because outdoor learning rewards planning, teamwork, and sensible risk assessment, not just “being good at worksheets”.

For families who like structured wellbeing initiatives, the federation also features a school dog, Rolo, with a dedicated policy document linked from the site.

On top of that, the federation publicises community activities and clubs in the wider area, including Perform Drama Club, Coding Club, Netball, and cooking classes.

The value here is breadth, particularly for pupils who might otherwise have limited after-school options in a small village setting.

The school day timings are published clearly for Farnham:

• Start: 8:40am

• End: 3:15pm

• Break: 10:30am

• Lunch: 12:15pm

Breakfast club is offered from 7:45am across the federation.

Details of after-school childcare are less clearly set out on the public pages, so families who need regular after-school cover should ask directly about what is available on-site versus what is accessed through community providers.

Transport is naturally car-led in this location, but secondary transfer patterns indicate that travel towards Bishop’s Stortford and surrounding towns is a normal expectation for many families.

• Very small cohorts. With 28 pupils on roll, year-group sizes can be tiny. That can be brilliant for individual attention, but friendship dynamics can feel intense for some children.

• Faith-based admissions criteria. Church involvement can be relevant in oversubscription categories and may require supporting evidence through a supplementary form. Families should read the criteria carefully before assuming proximity alone will secure a place.

• Reading practice expectations. The latest inspection highlights that monitoring of how often pupils read is an area for development. If you have a reluctant reader, clarify how school and home routines are aligned.

• After-school logistics. Breakfast club is clear, after-school wraparound arrangements are less explicit on public pages. If childcare is essential, treat this as a key question early in your search.

Farnham Church of England Primary School offers something increasingly rare, a genuinely small, values-led village primary with academic outcomes that sit well above England averages. The federation model also helps address the typical small-school constraint by widening experiences through collaboration.

Who it suits: families who actively want a small setting, value a Church of England ethos, and are prepared to engage with reading routines and admissions detail. The main hurdle is the admissions nuance, because the oversubscription criteria go beyond distance alone.