Layston Church of England First School
Primary · Voluntary controlled school · Mixed · Hertfordshire
The Causeway, Buntingford, SG9 9EU
–
headline score
Ranking (England)
—
No ranked results
Ofsted
Requires improvement
Graded 31/10/2023
Application demand
100%
1st preference success · Not oversubscribed
Attendance
94.4%
12.7% persistently absent
At a glance
Pupils on roll
124
Capacity used
Has space83%
150 places
GCSE rank (England)
—
KS2 rank (England)
—
Application demand
Primary entry · official council applications and offers
100%
1st preference success rate
18 of 18 families who put it first got an offer
18
Places offered
59
Total applications
3.3
Applications per place
| Preference (Sept 2025 entry) | Applications | Offers | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st preference | 18 | 18 | ● 100% |
| 2nd preference | 22 | 0 | ● 0% |
| 3rd preference | 16 | 0 | ● 0% |
| 4th preference | 3 | 0 | ● 0% |
| Total | 59 | 18 | 31% |
1st preference success by year
Hertfordshire lets families list 4 preferences. Source: Department for Education, school-level applications and offers. Offers are made on each school's admissions criteria (e.g. siblings, distance, faith), so check the school's policy.
Last distance offered
From Hertfordshire council's allocation report on offer day. It changes every year, so treat it as a guide.
September 2026 entry
32.32 km
Furthest child offered under "Not Nearest School"
37 applications · 30 places · 10 offered
| Siblings | 5 |
| Nearest School | 3 |
| Not Nearest School | 2 |
September 2025 entry
1.00 km
Furthest child offered under "Not Nearest School"
60 applications · 30 places · 19 offered
| Siblings | 9 |
| Nearest School | 5 |
| Not Nearest School | 4 |
Currently available for Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Enfield schools, from council allocation reports. Distances are straight-line from home to school.
Details
- Type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Phase
- Primary
- Age range
- 5–9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Sixth form
- No
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Boarding
- No boarders
- Headteacher
- Adele McMurrough
- Address
- The Causeway, Buntingford, SG9 9EU
- Phone
- 01763271235
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Ward / constituency
- Buntingford · North East Hertfordshire
- Area
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 117390
Pupils
| Measure | School | LA | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free school meals | 22% | — | — |
| English as additional language | 3% | — | — |
| SEN support | 13% | — | — |
Local deprivation (IDACI quintile 1 of 5)
1 = least deprived area, 5 = most deprived. Context only.
124 pupils · 150 places. Intake figures describe the school's community — they aren't good or bad.
Ofsted inspections
- 23
31 October 2023
Full graded inspection
Requires improvement overall effectivenessEarly years Inadequate Personal development Good Quality of education Requires improvement Safeguarding effective Yes Behaviour and attitudes Good Leadership and management Requires improvement
Attendance
2024/2025 school year · 118 pupils
Attendance
94.4%
Share of sessions attended · England 94.5%
Overall absence
5.6%
Sessions missed, any reason · England 5.5%
Persistent absence
12.7%
Pupils missing 10%+ of school · England 14.6%
Severe absence
0.0%
Pupils missing 50%+ of school · England 2.3%
Unauthorised absence
1.6%
Absences the school didn't approve
Persistent absence by year
Source: Department for Education, pupil absence by school (pupils aged 5–15). Lower absence is better. England figures are approximate 2023/24 averages.
House prices near the school
Typical sold prices (Land Registry) within 5 km — based on the last distance offered, last 12 months.
Loading prices…
Key application dates
National deadlines in England. Apply through Hertfordshire council, not the school.
| Entry | Deadline | Offer day |
|---|---|---|
| Reception (primary) | 15 January | 16 April (or next working day) |
Source: Get Information About Schools and the DfE school and college performance tables (2023-2024); Oxbridge figures from the University of Cambridge's admissions by UCAS apply centre (Oxford doesn't publish per-school figures). Read the method.