Roger De Clare First CofE School Review 2026: A first school with a strong early reading focus and clear routines

As a first school, you should not expect the standard Year 6 Key Stage 2 headline measures, because pupils typically move on before that point. Instead, statutory assessments sit earlier, at the end of Reception (Early Years Foundation Stage), the Year 1 phonics screening check, and end of Key Stage 1 assessments in Year 2. That structure matters, because parents comparing schools need to compare like with like. If you are using FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages to compare nearby options, make sure you filter for schools with similar age ranges before drawing conclusions.

The clearest, current external benchmark for overall quality is the most recent inspection outcome. The latest Ofsted inspection rated the school Good overall, and Good in each judgement area, including early years provision. In practical terms, that signals consistency rather than a single standout department, which is usually what parents want in the early years, predictable teaching and routines that support steady progress.

Where the 2024 report adds useful detail is the emphasis on the curriculum being broad and ambitious, with knowledge clearly planned and sequenced, alongside systems that check what pupils know and understand. The important caveat is also explicit: delivery is not yet equally consistent in every class, so the school’s next task is about teacher expertise and implementation consistency.

Early reading is a defining feature. Reading is described as a high priority, with children beginning their reading journey in Nursery, and staff acting quickly when pupils are at risk of falling behind. On the curriculum side, the school uses the government validated systematic synthetic phonics programme Little Wandle: Letters and Sounds Revised for Reception to Year 2. That provides a clear structure for decoding and blending, and it typically helps parents support learning at home because the routines and language are consistent.

Home learning support is unusually concrete for a school of this phase. The website includes a “Retrieval Practice and Home Learning” area with specific retrieval materials for phonics and early maths concepts, including subitising and shape based practice. The implication is not that children should be drilled, but that families who like having a clear, shared approach will find practical materials that align with what is taught in class.

In early years, the inspection evidence also points to adults actively engaging in play, using ambitious vocabulary that children pick up and repeat, which builds language and social development. That is a meaningful marker at this age, because language development strongly predicts later reading comprehension and confidence across the curriculum.

Because pupils typically leave after Year 4, transition planning is part of the school’s job in a way it is not for a standard primary. The most obvious next step locally is Ralph Sadleir School, a mixed middle school covering Years 5 to 8 for children aged 9 to 13, and it sits right alongside local first school provision in the area’s three tier structure.

From there, families usually move on to upper school at 13. Which upper school is right will depend on where you live in and around the Rib Valley, your child’s needs, and transport realities. Parents often find it helpful to shortlist likely routes early and ask each school how they support transition at the Year 4 and Year 8 handover points, because the emotional side of change can be as significant as the academic one.

For Reception to Year 4, admissions follow Hertfordshire County Council arrangements, and the school welcomes prospective families to view by appointment.

For September 2026 entry specifically, Hertfordshire’s published primary admissions timetable opened online applications on 3 November 2025, with the on time deadline on 15 January 2026 and allocation day on 16 April 2026. Those dates have now passed, but the pattern is a useful guide for future years, with open events typically in November and December.

Nursery admissions are handled directly by the school rather than through the local authority route. For the 2026 Nursery intake, the school published an application window running from 3 November 2025 to 15 January 2026. As with Reception, expect similar timings in future years unless the school states otherwise.

Demand looks competitive: 55 applications for 38 offers, and an oversubscribed status flag. Families deciding between nearby options should treat this as a signal to plan early, check the admissions rules, and avoid relying on a late change of mind. Where distance is a deciding factor, FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful for checking your real world proximity in a way that matches how local authorities measure it, while still remembering that each year’s applicant pattern changes.

Safeguarding is a baseline priority for parents, and the inspection confirmed that safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school also sets out named safeguarding leads on its safeguarding information page, with the headteacher, deputy headteacher Mrs Kate Rogers, and an EYFS lead named as trained designated staff.

Beyond safeguarding, the 2024 report describes warm relationships between staff and pupils, and highlights personal, social and health education as a strength, including teaching about tolerance, diversity and equality, plus practical safety such as walking to school and online safety. For families, that points to an approach that treats wellbeing as part of everyday teaching, not just something that appears when there is a problem.

Support for pupils with SEND is described as underpinned by early identification and work with external agencies, with a clear next step being more precise classroom adaptations in a minority of classes. Parents of children with additional needs should read that carefully, then ask practical questions during visits, for example how classroom strategies are shared between teachers, and how quickly interventions are reviewed when progress stalls.

Extracurricular life is unusually specific, which is helpful for parents planning the week. The school publishes a schedule that includes lunchtime clubs such as Brownies (for children aged 7+), cheerleading in two age brackets, Krafty Kidz, and a Worship Club led by Red Balloon Foundation. After school options include an Activity Club run by the school, plus Gymnastics, Multi Sports and Football with external providers, and a Construction Club also led by Red Balloon Foundation.

A small detail that says a lot about school culture is Funky Friday, described as an outdoor disco on the top playground. Schools do not keep traditions like that unless they work for children, so it is a useful indicator of a community that values shared rituals and fun, alongside its more formal worship rhythm.

Sport is supported through local partnerships. The school works with the North East Herts School Sports Partnership and has achieved a School Games Silver Mark, with the headteacher also described as an advocate headteacher for PE in primary schools through Youth Sport Trust and Sport England linked activity. For children, the implication is broader exposure to specialist coaching and interschool competition than many small schools can deliver alone.

The published school day timings are clear. Nursery runs 8:50am to 3:00pm. Reception to Year 4 starts with an 8:40am opening and a register at 8:50am, with the day ending at 3:20pm; clubs listed by the school generally finish at 4:30pm. The school also asks parents and carers to use designated green gates and pathways for drop off and collection.

Wraparound care is often the deciding factor for working families. The school’s published materials clearly list after school clubs, and the site also references WASPS Out of School Club, but a single definitive statement of breakfast and after school care hours is not prominent in the core information pages. If this matters to you, ask directly what is available on site, what must be booked externally, and how handover is handled.

For transport, the nearest rail hub for many families is Ware railway station, and local bus services connect the wider area, including routes running via Ware, Standon, and Puckeridge. For drivers, it is worth asking at a visit how drop off is managed at peak times, since village roads can feel tight when several schools start within the same window.

• This is a first school model. Children usually move on after Year 4, so you are choosing the first stage of a longer journey. It is sensible to plan your likely middle and upper school routes early, particularly if siblings will follow.

• Implementation consistency is still a priority. The 2024 inspection is positive overall, but it is explicit that curriculum delivery is not equally consistent in every class, and that staff expertise is an ongoing focus.

• SEND adaptations need checking if this is relevant to your child. Identification and agency support are described as strengths, while precision of in class adaptations is flagged as variable in a few classes. Ask for concrete examples of what support looks like day to day.

• Admissions are competitive. Results demand suggests more applications than offers, so families should plan ahead and avoid relying on a late application strategy.

Roger De Clare First CofE School offers a structured early years and first school experience with an evident focus on reading, clear behaviour routines, and a steady rhythm of worship and reflection. The latest inspection outcome supports a picture of a school that has responded quickly to previous weaknesses and is now consolidating consistency across classes.

Who it suits: families who want a Church of England first school with explicit routines, a strong phonics approach, and a published menu of clubs that can add variety to the week. The main hurdle is admission demand, plus the need to plan confidently for the Year 4 transition that comes sooner than in a standard primary.