Stapleford Primary School Review 2026: Small village primary with Forest School at its heart

Campfire cooking, den building and foraging are not occasional treats here, they are part of the rhythm of school life through the school’s Forest School sessions on a nearby country estate. With mixed-age classes and a small roll (around 70 pupils at the time of the most recent inspection), the experience is intentionally personal, with staff expected to know families well and pupils expected to contribute to the community around them.

This is a Church of England voluntary aided primary in rural Hertfordshire, with a stated vision framed around three words, Believe, Nurture, Enlighten, and an explicit set of Christian values that shape worship, behaviour expectations and day-to-day language. The most recent Ofsted inspection (8 to 9 May 2024, report published 20 June 2024) judged the school to be Good across all areas, including early years provision.

There are no tuition fees, this is a state school. The practical reality for parents is that demand can outstrip the number of places available at the key entry points, so understanding the admissions criteria matters as much as liking the ethos.

The defining feature is scale. The school is organised in mixed-age classes, including a Nursery and Reception class, then Year 1 and Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4, and Year 5 and Year 6. That structure tends to create a family feel, older pupils help younger pupils settle, and leadership roles are visible rather than abstract. External review evidence describes older pupils guiding younger pupils through routines early in the year, which is often where small schools either flourish or struggle. Here it is presented as a strength that supports confidence and belonging.

The school’s values framework is unusually detailed for a primary. Alongside the vision language, the published values include generosity, compassion, courage, forgiveness, friendship, respect, thankfulness, trust, perseverance, justice, service and truthfulness, each tied to a biblical reference and a practical interpretation. For families who want a faith-shaped culture without exclusivity, it is also made clear that pupils from all faiths are welcome, which is often the balance parents look for in a village Church of England school.

Outdoor learning is not treated as enrichment bolted on at the edges. The Forest School sessions are described with concrete examples, including den building, campfire starting and foraging, with pupils recounting food they have made as part of the experience. That matters because it signals a curriculum that expects pupils to learn in more than one mode, practical problem-solving and teamwork alongside classroom knowledge. The same source also references investment in facilities through grant funding, including an outdoor gym, and a playground culture that includes climbing equipment and traditional play such as maypole dancing.

Behaviour culture is framed around clarity and boundaries. Pupils are taught a simple, direct phrase to assert personal boundaries, and the wider picture given is calm conduct, polite manners and reward systems pupils understand. For families weighing up whether a small primary will feel too intense socially, that explicit boundary-setting approach is reassuring.

In 2024, 79% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The England average was 62%, so the school sits well above the national picture on this headline measure.

The higher standard outcomes are where the data becomes especially striking. At 33.33% achieving the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, the school is far above the England average of 8%. In plain terms, a comparatively high proportion of pupils are working at greater depth by the end of Key Stage 2.

Scaled scores also support the same conclusion. Reading averaged 109 and mathematics 105, with grammar, punctuation and spelling at 108. In a small primary, these figures can fluctuate year to year, but taken together they suggest consistently secure fundamentals plus a meaningful cohort of high attainers.

Rankings add additional context for parents comparing options. Stapleford Primary School is ranked 2,805th in England and 4th in Hertford for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), which places it comfortably above England average and within the top 25% of primaries in England on this measure.

The implication is not that every child will be a high attainer. It is that the school, despite its size, is converting its curriculum intent into outcomes that compare strongly with other schools locally and nationally.

A small school can only sustain quality if teaching is tightly organised and expectations are shared. The evidence base here points to a curriculum that has been deliberately developed over recent years, with subject plans that spell out key vocabulary, concepts and skills teachers are expected to teach. That kind of clarity is valuable in mixed-age settings because it reduces the risk that pupils repeat content or miss critical steps as they move through combined classes.

Early reading and language in the early years is described as a particular strength in approach. The early years curriculum is presented as working well, with staff attentive to language development, correcting misnaming sensitively, and giving parents visibility of upcoming learning such as tricky words. For parents of younger children, that suggests a setting that takes speech, vocabulary and phonics seriously without making early years feel like a worksheet factory.

Reading beyond phonics is also supported by structured opportunities for older pupils to read and discuss high-quality texts with knowledgeable adults, and by targeted catch-up that focuses on the sounds pupils find difficult. The practical implication for families is that support is built into the system, rather than left to parents to resolve through external tutoring.

One area that families should understand is how the school checks pupils’ learning in the moment. The most recent inspection narrative highlights that, at times, misconceptions are not picked up quickly enough and that leaders need to ensure staff training is followed through consistently. This is not unusual in small settings, where staff wear multiple hats, but it is relevant if your child needs very immediate correction and high-frequency feedback to stay engaged.

For a village primary, successful transition is less about a single destination and more about readiness. Year 6 pupils need to be prepared for larger year groups, multiple teachers and greater independence. The school’s approach to transition is described through practical preparation, for example Bikeability cycle training framed explicitly as preparation for secondary transfer.

For pupils with special educational needs, transition planning is positioned as a structured process, including liaison between the school’s special educational needs coordinator and the receiving secondary school, plus focused learning to help pupils understand the changes ahead. This matters because, in rural areas, travel time and unfamiliar routines can be as challenging as the academic step up.

Hertfordshire secondary admissions operates through priority areas and published admission rules, so families should treat Year 6 as a year to get organised early. If you are shortlisting schools, it is sensible to check how priority areas apply to your address and to map travel routes at school-run times, not just at weekends.

Reception entry is coordinated through the local authority application process, but because this is a voluntary aided Church of England school, the oversubscription criteria matter. The determined admissions policy for 2026 to 2027 sets out the sequence clearly: looked-after and previously looked-after children, siblings, then a church attendance criterion linked to the ecclesiastical parishes of Stapleford, Bramfield and Waterford, then residence within those parishes, then other applicants.

Families seeking priority under the church attendance criterion are asked to complete the school’s supplementary information form. In practice, that means families considering the school for its faith character should read the policy carefully and ensure they can evidence the required pattern of attendance. The policy also makes an important point for nursery families: attendance in nursery does not guarantee a Reception place, so you must apply separately for Reception even if your child is already attending.

Demand indicators show why detail matters. The latest available admissions demand figures show 23 applications for 7 offers at the relevant entry route, which equates to about 3.29 applications per place. That level of competition makes it risky to rely on hope or hearsay about how places are allocated. Families who are serious about securing a place should use FindMySchoolMap Search to understand their location context and then cross-check it against the school’s published oversubscription criteria, especially if applying under parish or church attendance rules.

Nursery admissions are handled directly by the school rather than coordinated by the local authority. The nursery admissions policy describes entry from the term after a child turns three, with an expectation that children attend five mornings a week as the 15-hour pattern, and it also notes that 30-hour provision is offered for eligible families. The dates listed in the nursery policy are for an earlier cycle, but they strongly suggest the pattern is typically early in the calendar year, with allocations around March. For current nursery deadlines, parents should check the latest nursery admissions materials and apply early.

A small school is not automatically a supportive one. Support depends on systems, training and consistency. The most recent inspection narrative describes pupils feeling safe and happy, with staff knowing families well and a calm culture reinforced by clear routines.

Support for pupils with special educational needs is presented as responsive rather than tokenistic. The inspection narrative indicates that pupils with SEND typically thrive, with the school engaging external partners when required. The SEND information report also points to structured transition work for Year 6 pupils with additional needs, which is one of the most practical indicators that support continues beyond the classroom and into the realities of moving on.

Attendance is the key pastoral issue highlighted for development. The most recent inspection narrative indicates that persistent absence for some pupils has not been addressed successfully and that governors are supporting leaders to tackle attendance with greater rigour. For families, the implication is simple: if your child is prone to anxiety-related absence, it is worth asking directly what current attendance strategies look like and how the school works with families when patterns begin to slip.

The strongest extracurricular programmes in small primaries share one trait: they are designed around the reality that staff and facilities are limited, so the offer is purposeful rather than sprawling. Here, Forest School is the headline example because it is described in specific, skill-based terms, including building shelters, learning fire safety and cooking outdoors. The educational implication is confidence, teamwork and a practical relationship with the natural environment, which often benefits pupils who do not always shine in purely written tasks.

Clubs and personal development are also described as accessible across age groups, with examples including choir, football and gardening. These are familiar activities, but the important detail is that they are framed as part of a wider personal development programme rather than optional extras for a small subset of children.

There are also programmes that speak to a deliberate approach to pupil leadership. Peer mediator training is referenced as part of the personal development offer, alongside international school partnerships that broaden social understanding beyond the immediate village setting. In a small community, this kind of outward-facing work helps pupils practise social skills with intention, not just through playground dynamics.

Finally, practical life skills are actively taught. Bikeability cycle training for Year 6 is one example, tied directly to the next stage of education. For parents weighing up whether a small school can prepare pupils for bigger environments, these are the signals that matter more than glossy marketing.

This is a state primary with no tuition fees. The published opening times indicate a school day starting at 8:40am and finishing at 3:10pm.

Wraparound care is a feature rather than an afterthought. The most recent inspection evidence confirms before- and after-school childcare run by school staff and managed by the governing body, which tends to suit parents who need consistency across the week. Specific timings and availability can vary by term and staffing, so it is worth checking how far in advance sessions need to be booked, particularly when demand is high.

Travel is typical of rural primaries. Many families will drive, while others will walk or cycle from nearby villages. For Year 6 families already thinking ahead, it is sensible to plan secondary travel routes early, not least because the shift from village lanes to busier secondary routes can be significant.

• Small cohorts mean less statistical stability. With year groups measured in small numbers, outcomes can shift noticeably from one cohort to the next. That is not a weakness, but parents should read results as a trend rather than a promise.

• Faith-based oversubscription criteria can be decisive. If you are applying under church attendance criteria, evidence and paperwork matter, including the supplementary information form process set out in the admissions policy.

• Attendance improvement is an explicit development priority. The most recent inspection narrative indicates the school is sharpening its approach to persistent absence. Families dealing with anxiety, medical needs or complex attendance patterns should ask how support works in practice.

• Nursery does not guarantee Reception. This is clearly stated in the admissions documentation, and it catches parents out every year across Hertfordshire. Treat nursery and Reception as separate admissions decisions.

Stapleford Primary School suits families who want a small, values-led village primary where outdoor learning is taken seriously and pupils are known well as individuals. Academic outcomes compare strongly with England averages, and the curriculum has been intentionally developed rather than left to tradition. The limiting factor is usually admission, not the educational experience, so families who like the ethos should engage early with the admissions criteria and timings.