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Therfield First School

Primary · Royston · SG8 9PP

Data updated

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Good

Graded inspection under the pre-November 2025 system

This is an overall-effectiveness grade from the previous inspection framework. The school has not yet had a report-card inspection.

Quality of education: GoodBehaviour & attitudes: GoodPersonal development: OutstandingLeadership & management: GoodSafeguarding effective: Yes

Inspected 17 October 2023

Read the Ofsted report ↗

At a glance

69 pupils · 92% of 75 capacity (January 2026 census)

School type
Community school
Age range
4–9
Gender
Mixed
Free school meals
15.9% of pupils (January 2026)
English as additional language
0% of pupils (2024/2025)
SEN support
18.2% of pupils (2024/2025)
EHC plan
4.5% of pupils (2024/2025)
Website
http://www.therfield.herts.sch.uk
URN
117153

In figures

For September 2026 entry, 14 families named it first for 13 Reception places, 1.08 first choices per place. Its last Reception place offered on distance for 2026 entry went to 4659.79 m (≈2.90 mi); distance decided places in 4 of the 12 years of Reception rounds we hold, 2015 to 2026. Ofsted last graded it Good on 17 October 2023, under the framework used before November 2025. In the 2025/26 autumn and spring terms its pupils missed 3.4% of sessions, against 6.6% across England.

Admissions demand: Reception entry, September 2026

1.08 first-choice applications per place

13 places offered · 14 first-choice applications · oversubscribed

First-choice applications per place, by entry year

19/20
20/21
21/22
22/23
23/24
24/25
25/26
26/27

Source: DfE applications and offers on national offer day · how demand is measured

Catchment area

Catchment area: not named in the council's figures. Places by distance, last offered at 4659.79 m (≈2.90 mi) for 2026 entry.

Admissions cutoff distance: Reception

Last child offered a place under the distance criterion (2026 entry) lived within 4659.79 m (≈2.90 mi)

measured in a straight line.

Cutoff by admission criterion (2026 entry)

Nearest School
818.19 m (≈0.51 mi)

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Source: the admissions authority's published figures · how cutoffs work

Pupils by ethnicity (January 2026)

White British 88% (Hertfordshire 58%, England 60%) · Mixed White and Black Caribbean 4% (Hertfordshire 2%, England 2%) · Asian Indian 3% (Hertfordshire 4%, England 4%) · Any other Mixed background 1% (Hertfordshire 4%, England 3%) · Mixed White and Black African 1% (Hertfordshire 1%, England 1%) · Any other White background 1% (Hertfordshire 11%, England 7%)

Source: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026 census · how to read these figures

Attendance (2025/26 autumn and spring terms)

Sessions missed (overall absence)
3.4%
England 6.6%
Pupils missing 10%+ of sessions (persistent absence)
1.8%
England 17.5%

Suspensions and permanent exclusions (2024/25)

0.00 suspensions per 100 pupils and 0 permanent exclusions · England, primary schools: 2.47 suspensions and 0.03 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils · Hertfordshire: 2.92 suspensions and 0.02 permanent exclusions per 100 pupils

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Source: DfE pupil absence data, autumn and spring terms, and DfE suspensions and permanent exclusions, school-level file · how absence is measured · how to read exclusions

Staffing

Pupils per qualified teacher
16.4
England 18.5

Full-time-equivalent, 2025/26.

Vacancies (November 2025)

0% of teaching posts vacant, 0% filled temporarily · England, council-maintained primaries: 0.18% vacant, 0.36% temporary

Teacher sickness absence (reported in the November 2024 census)

57.1% of teachers took sickness absence, 4.3 days each on average · England, all state-funded schools: 61.8%, 8.1 days

Teacher pay (November 2025)

Mean salary of full-time qualified teachers £48,855; 25% on the leadership pay range · England, primary schools: £50,856, 17.3%

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Source: DfE School Workforce Census · how these figures are counted

Spending per pupil (2025-26)

This school£8,739
Typical primary school£7,202

Where the money went (2025-26)

Share of spending, with the median for primary schools in brackets: Staff 79% (76%) · premises 4% (5%) · occupation (energy, rates, cleaning) 10% (8%) · supplies and services 8% (9%) · educational supplies 4% (4%) · bought-in professional services 3% (3%) · catering 7% (5%)

Reserves (2025-26)

Revenue reserve £42,975; in-year balance +£8,803

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Higher spending is not a measure of quality. Source: council-maintained school finance return, 2025-26, DfE · how spending is compared

Inspection history since 2015

Source: Ofsted management information · ungraded visits and the two inspection systems

The area around the school

Child poverty (IDACI)
8/10less deprived than most of England
Overall deprivation (IMD)
6/10around the middle for England
Census 2021This areaEngland
Adults with a degree or higher41.5%33.9%
Adults with no qualifications12.1%18.1%
In managerial or professional work42.2%33.2%
Households deprived in two or more ways9.5%18.1%
Residents in very good health51.7%48.5%
Homes owned by the occupier68.6%62.3%
Social housing16.6%17.1%
Privately rented14.8%20.5%
Detached houses47.6%22.9%
Flats3.1%22.2%
Homes with four or more bedrooms41.8%21.1%
Households with no car or van4.4%23.5%

These figures describe the area, not the pupils. Source: Census 2021 (ONS) and English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG) for small area E01023598 · how to read area figures

Roads around the school

Child pedestrian casualties
0a rural school averages 0.3
Collisions at school-run times
0a rural school averages 0.7
All reported collisions
1a rural school averages 3.4
Of those, serious or fatal
0a rural school averages 0.9

A high count usually reflects traffic, not an unsafe school. Source: DfT road casualty statistics (STATS19), collisions within 500 m, 2021–2025 · what is counted

Nearby schools