Essendon CofE (VC) Primary School

What the figures show

• In 2024/25, 17% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (England 62%), the lowest of 9 schools: this one and the 8 nearest primary schools in Hertfordshire.
• The Reception 2026 last distance offered was 1.35 miles, the 17th longest of the 275 Hertfordshire primary schools with a published last distance, where the middle figure was 0.46 miles.
• Reception 2026 had 1 first-choice application for 1 offer, and every first-choice family was offered a place.
• 27.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, against a middle figure of 12.6% across the 8 nearest primary schools in Hertfordshire.

Worked out by Catchmently from the published figures on this page and those for other Hertfordshire schools. Distances are as published; how they were measured differs between admission authorities.

Key facts

Address

School Lane, Essendon, AL9 6HD

Type

Voluntary controlled school

Phase

Primary

Ages

3–11

Religious character

Church of England

Council

Hertfordshire

Pupils on roll

77 January 2026 school census

Free school meals

27.3% of pupils eligible

Pupils per teacher

15.3

Official record: Get Information about Schools · as at 15 September 2026

Ofsted

School remains Good Inspected 20 July 2022

Strengths

• “Pupils quickly learn and live up to the school’s values, encapsulated in the ‘Essendon Way’.”
• “Pupils behave with tolerance and respect, showing the love for others that ties in with the Christian ethos of the school.”
• “As a result, bullying is rare.”

To improve

• “Pupils sometimes forget some of what they have learned when they next come to study these subjects.”
• “This means they sometimes struggle to apply what they have learned in the past to new learning.”
• “Some aspects of early years provision are not as strong as provision elsewhere in the school.”

Safeguarding: Effective

Quoted from the Ofsted report published 21 September 2022 (read the report). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Exam results

Department for Education school performance data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Applications and offers

• 2026 Reception entry: 1 first-preference applications, 1 offers in total, 1 offers to first-preference applicants.

Department for Education, school-level applications and offers, figures on national offer day. Earlier years are in the pass.

Nearby primary schools

Straight-line distance, in Hertfordshire.

• Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School 1.9 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
• Commonswood Primary & Nursery School 2.0 mi Good Last distance published
• Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School 2.1 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
• Ponsbourne St Mary's Church of England Primary School 2.7 mi Standards maintained Last distance published
• Watchlytes Primary School 2.7 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published
• The Ryde School 2.8 mi School remains Good Last distance published
• Swallow Dell Primary and Nursery School 2.8 mi Not judged Last distance published
• Creswick Academy 2.8 mi No Ofsted grade Last distance published

More in Hertfordshire

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