Much Birch CofE Primary School
Much Birch, Hereford, HR2 8HL
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mrs Bernadette Davies
- Diocese
- Diocese of Hereford
- Federation
- Grow Learn and Flourish Herefordshire partnership
- Constituency
- Hereford and South Herefordshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 210
- Pupils on roll
- 176
- URN
- 116833
- Local authority
- Herefordshire, County of
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01981540254
About this school
Much Birch CofE Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Hereford. It teaches children aged 4 to 11 and has 176 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Much Birch CofE Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Overall judgement at the last full inspection
This inspection took place under the previous framework, which gave a single overall grade. Ofsted now publishes report cards instead, so newer inspections of other schools will look different. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 14 | 33 | 25 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 50% | 64% | 64% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 7% | 6% | 8% |
| Expected standard in reading | 79% | 82% | 76% |
| Expected standard in maths | 64% | 79% | 76% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 79% | 61% | 80% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 106.0 | 104.0 | 107.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 103.0 | 102.0 | 105.0 |
| Reading progress | +0.30 | - | - |
| Writing progress | +2.20 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.40 | - | - |
Progress measures ended nationally after the 2022/23 school year, when the key stage 1 assessments they were based on were stopped. Blank progress figures in later years are not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Much Birch CofE Primary School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Herefordshire, County of average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 50% | 62.2% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 64% | 61.7% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 64% | 62.3% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 5.7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 3.8% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 179 |
| 2023/24 | 193 |
| 2024/25 | 182 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Much Birch CofE Primary School compares
Much Birch CofE Primary School ranked 39th of 72 primary schools in Herefordshire, County of for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 50% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 87% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 64% | 3.8% | 2.8% | 176 | — |
| Little Dewchurch CofE Primary School | 89% | 3.3% | 23.6% | 49 | 2.1 miles |
| King's Caple Primary Academy | — | 7.5% | 4.4% | 26 | 4.1 miles |
| St Weonard's Academy | — | 16.7% | 12.5% | 38 | 4.1 miles |
| Marlbrook Primary School | — | 5.9% | 33.2% | 578 | 4.5 miles |
| Our Lady's RC Primary School | 60% | 4.5% | 19% | 181 | 4.9 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 2.75%
- English as an additional language
- 2.2%
- Overall absence
- 3.8%
- Persistent absence
- 5.03%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Little Dewchurch CofE Primary School2.1 miles
Primary · Hereford
-
King's Caple Primary Academy4.1 miles
Primary · Hereford
-
St Weonard's Academy4.1 miles
Primary · Hereford
-
Marlbrook Primary School4.5 miles
Primary · Hereford
-
Our Lady's RC Primary School4.9 miles
Primary · Hereford
Other schools in Hereford
Much Birch CofE Primary School ranks 18th of the 38 ranked primary schools in Hereford.
- Almeley Primary School Primary
- Broadlands Primary School Primary
- Burghill Community Academy Primary
- Burley Gate CofE Primary School Primary
- Canon Pyon CofE Academy Primary
- Clehonger CofE Primary School Primary
- Eardisley CofE Primary School Primary
- Ewyas Harold Primary School Primary
- Garway Primary School Primary
- Hampton Dene Primary School Primary
- Holmer CofE Academy Primary
- King's Caple Primary Academy Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Much Birch CofE Primary School teach?
- Much Birch CofE Primary School teaches children aged 4 to 11. It is a primary school in Hereford.
- Who is the headteacher of Much Birch CofE Primary School?
- The headteacher of Much Birch CofE Primary School is Mrs Bernadette Davies, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Much Birch CofE Primary School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Much Birch CofE Primary School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- How many pupils are at Much Birch CofE Primary School?
- Much Birch CofE Primary School has 176 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 11.
- Is Much Birch CofE Primary School full?
- Much Birch CofE Primary School has capacity for 210 pupils and 176 on roll (84%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Much Birch CofE Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Much Birch CofE Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of Hereford.
- Does Much Birch CofE Primary School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Much Birch CofE Primary School as having no nursery classes.
- Is Much Birch CofE Primary School part of an academy trust?
- Much Birch CofE Primary School is part of the Grow Learn and Flourish Herefordshire partnership federation. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- How have Much Birch CofE Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 50% in 2022/23 and 64% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Much Birch CofE Primary School compare with other schools in Herefordshire, County of?
- Much Birch CofE Primary School ranked 39th of 72 primary schools in Herefordshire, County of for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 50% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 87% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Much Birch CofE Primary School's absence rate?
- Much Birch CofE Primary School's overall absence rate is 3.8% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Much Birch CofE Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Much Birch CofE Primary School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 30 June 2026.