The Ferncumbe CofE Primary School Review 2026: Small village primary with standout KS2 outcomes

On Hatton Green, this is a small Church of England primary where academic standards are unusually high for a rural school of its size. In 2024, 95.67% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with an England average of 62%. The higher standard figure is also striking, with 42.33% achieving greater depth, versus an England average of 8%.

Leadership and governance sit within the Arden Forest Church of England Multi Academy Trust, with close collaboration across the trust forming part of day to day school improvement. A January 2024 Ofsted visit confirmed the school continues to be Good and safeguarding is effective.

For families, the headline is simple. Results suggest pupils are taught well and pushed appropriately. The main practical challenge is admissions demand, the school is oversubscribed, with 58 applications for 19 offers in the latest admissions dataset, around 3.05 applications per place.

A strong sense of belonging runs through the school’s identity, framed as a single family across pupils, staff and parents. The school’s vision statement is explicitly Christian, aiming for children to grow in dignity, respect and wisdom, inspired by the teachings of Jesus. The strapline Enjoy, Believe, Achieve appears consistently across school communications and is used as a shared reference point for expectations and encouragement.

Church of England character is not a bolt-on. It shapes worship, service and everyday language around community, reflection and responsibility. Practical examples include class worship opportunities and a School Worship Group alongside pupil voice structures such as the School Council.

The school sits in a rural village setting and draws from Hatton Green, Hatton Park and nearby villages. Historically, it was founded in 1886 as Hatton Elementary School, a helpful reminder that this is a long-established community school rather than a new build entrant.

For a primary school, the clearest academic signal is the combined reading, writing and mathematics outcome at Key Stage 2. In 2024, 95.67% met the expected standard, far above the England average of 62%.

Depth is not confined to pupils just meeting the benchmark. At the higher standard, 42.33% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with an England average of 8%.

Subject by subject, the picture remains strong. In 2024, 97% met the expected standard in reading, 100% in mathematics, 93% in grammar, punctuation and spelling, and 97% in science. Average scaled scores were 109 in reading, 109 in mathematics, and 111 in grammar, punctuation and spelling.

Rankings reinforce the same story. Ranked 544th in England and 4th in Warwick for primary outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), performance sits well above the England average, placing it within the top 10% of schools in England.

Parents comparing nearby schools can use the FindMySchool local hub pages and the comparison tool to benchmark these figures against other Warwick primaries using the same underlying measures.

The curriculum is designed to be more than a narrow Key Stage 2 run-up. Ofsted describes the school as aspirational for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, and notes a curriculum designed to help pupils appreciate their local area and the wider world.

Early reading is a clear priority, supported by the Read Write Inc phonics approach. The school sets out a structured progression through sounds and matched reading books so that children practise texts aligned to what they have been taught, which can help build early fluency and confidence.

Personal development is taught deliberately rather than left to chance. Jigsaw PSHE is used as a whole-school scheme from Reception through Year 6, bringing together relationships education, health education, emotional literacy, social skills and spiritual development.

A helpful detail for parents is that learning is reinforced through routines. The school day begins with early morning classroom activities from the start of the day, which can be particularly supportive for children who benefit from predictable settling-in time.

As a primary, the key destination is Year 7 transfer. The school does not publish a single named secondary destination pathway in the core materials reviewed, which is common for rural primaries drawing from multiple villages.

What is clear is that transition is planned and structured in the wider Warwickshire system. Families should check Warwickshire secondary priority areas and admission criteria early, especially if they are weighing travel time to Warwick, Leamington Spa, or further afield.

For pupils, the stronger indicator of readiness is the school’s KS2 profile. Very high rates of expected standard and high standard outcomes suggest that children finishing Year 6 are likely to be well prepared for a secondary curriculum with greater pace and independence, provided the pastoral fit is right.

Reception entry for September 2026 is coordinated through Warwickshire County Council. The application window opens on 01 November 2025 and closes at 4.00pm on 15 January 2026, with National Offer Day on 16 April 2026.

The admissions policy for 2026 to 2027 sets a published admission number of 30 in Reception and uses priority area, sibling, and distance criteria when oversubscribed. Within each oversubscription category, places are prioritised by straight-line distance, and the final place can be allocated by an independent draw if distances cannot be separated.

Demand is the lived reality. In the most recent admissions dataset for primary entry, the school was oversubscribed, with 58 applications for 19 offers, around 3.05 applications per place. That level of demand means families should take admissions planning seriously and list realistic alternative preferences.

If you are relying on distance, use the FindMySchoolMap Search to check your measured distance versus recent offer patterns. Even when a school uses distance, small shifts in applicant distribution can change outcomes year to year.

Pastoral care here blends Christian ethos with practical systems. The school explicitly uses restorative approaches to help children take responsibility for behaviour and strengthen community, a useful signal for parents who prefer repair and reflection over purely punitive consequences.

Safeguarding is a clear baseline expectation. The most recent Ofsted report states safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Day to day wellbeing also shows up in routine health and safety choices. The parent handbook flags a nut-free approach, sets clear expectations on punctuality and attendance, and spells out how lateness is recorded as unauthorised absence after the registration period ends.

Enrichment is treated as a core feature rather than an optional add-on. In Key Stage 2, the school runs an Enrichment Hour in small groups, with activities listed including Eco-warriors, Crime Lab, Ceramics, Ukulele, First Aid and Mindfulness. The practical implication is that pupils can build wider competencies without needing external clubs or private tuition to provide variety.

Outdoor learning is unusually concrete for a primary of this size. Forest Schools is delivered through regular visits to a local privately-owned woodland, planned by a trained Forest Schools leader alongside the class teacher. That kind of repeated access to a consistent woodland site supports confidence, teamwork, safe risk management, and curriculum extension beyond the classroom.

Wider experiences are embedded through visits and theme weeks. The school lists curriculum focus weeks such as Democracy Week, Poetry Week, and Victorian Week, and also schedules educational visits such as Warwick Castle and Coventry Cathedral in its events programme.

Sport and physical development appear in both formal and informal ways. Swimming is part of the offer, with the handbook explicitly including swimming within physical education, and the staff list including a named swimming teacher, suggesting this is a planned component rather than ad hoc provision.

The school day runs from 8.45am to 3.15pm, with gates opening from 8.30am to allow pupils to go straight to classrooms for the 8.45am start.

Wraparound care is provided on-site through Wren’s Nest. Morning sessions run 8.00am to 8.30am, and after-school sessions run from 3.15pm to either 5.15pm or 6.00pm, with published charges for each session.

Travel and parking are practical considerations in a village setting. A Warwickshire travel plan describes the school as being off the A4177 and notes that parents often park on surrounding roads, with a voluntary one-way system referenced to reduce congestion at busy times. It also mentions a bus link to Hatton Park.

• Oversubscription pressure. With 58 applications for 19 offers in the latest admissions dataset, demand is high. Families should plan for realistic alternatives and be clear-eyed about how priority area and distance criteria play out.

• Governance follow-through. The January 2024 Ofsted report highlights that leaders identify when important actions are needed, but the checking of implementation and impact is not always consistent. This is not an academic results issue, but it does matter for operational assurance.

• Rural access and parking. The setting brings a village feel, but also traffic pinch points. Expect on-street parking and think early about safe drop-off, especially for families coming from surrounding villages.

• Distinct Church of England character. Christian worship and Christian framing are integral. Families who want a secular approach should check that the ethos matches their expectations for daily school life.

For a state primary, the results profile is exceptional, with both expected standard and higher standard figures well ahead of England averages. The faith character is clear and embedded, and the curriculum model puts real weight behind enrichment and outdoor learning rather than treating them as occasional extras.

Best suited to families who value a Christian ethos, a close-knit village community feel, and a school that pushes for high academic standards while still making room for woodland learning and practical life skills. Admission is the obstacle; the education looks strong once a place is secured.