Barley (VA) Church of England First School
Church End, Barley, Royston, SG8 8JW
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 3 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Miss Lara Miere
- Diocese
- Diocese of St Albans
- Nursery provision
- Has Nursery Classes
- Constituency
- North East Hertfordshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 90
- Pupils on roll
- 25
- URN
- 117386
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01763848281
About this school
Barley (VA) Church of England First School is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school in Royston. It teaches children aged 3 to 9 and has 25 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has inspected Barley (VA) Church of England First School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit 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
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Barley (VA) Church of England First 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 | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 7.6% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5.4% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 6.3% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 32 |
| 2023/24 | 33 |
| 2024/25 | 29 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Barley (VA) Church of England First School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 35% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 6.3% | 27.6% | 25 | — |
| Barkway VA Church of England First School | — | 12.7% | 50% | 24 | 2.1 miles |
| Reed First School | — | 3.2% | 7.6% | 64 | 2.7 miles |
| Studlands Rise First School | — | 4.4% | 9.8% | 170 | 2.7 miles |
| Icknield Walk First School | — | 4.2% | 10.1% | 335 | 2.8 miles |
| Chrishall Holy Trinity and St Nicholas CofE (Aided) Primary School and Pre-School | 73% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 124 | 2.8 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.
Inspection history
- 17 January 2023
-
Ungraded inspection report15 January 2020
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 27.59%
- English as an additional language
- 10.3%
- Overall absence
- 6.27%
- Persistent absence
- 24.14%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Barkway VA Church of England First School2.1 miles
Primary · Barkway
-
Reed First School2.7 miles
Primary · Royston
-
Studlands Rise First School2.7 miles
Primary · Royston
-
Icknield Walk First School2.8 miles
Primary · Royston
- 2.8 miles
Other schools in Royston
- Bassingbourn Primary School Primary
- Chrishall Holy Trinity and St Nicholas CofE (Aided) Primary School and Pre-School Primary
- Fowlmere Primary School Primary
- Icknield Walk First School Primary
- Melbourn Primary School Primary
- Petersfield CofE Aided Primary School Primary
- Reed First School Primary
- Roman Way Academy Primary
- St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School Primary
- Steeple Morden CofE VC Primary School Primary
- Studlands Rise First School Primary
- Tannery Drift School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does Barley (VA) Church of England First School teach?
- Barley (VA) Church of England First School teaches children aged 3 to 9. It is a primary school in Royston.
- Who is the headteacher of Barley (VA) Church of England First School?
- The headteacher of Barley (VA) Church of England First School is Miss Lara Miere, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Barley (VA) Church of England First School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Barley (VA) Church of England First 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 Barley (VA) Church of England First School?
- Barley (VA) Church of England First School has 25 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 9.
- Is Barley (VA) Church of England First School full?
- Barley (VA) Church of England First School has capacity for 90 pupils and 25 on roll (28%), 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 Barley (VA) Church of England First School a faith school?
- Yes. Barley (VA) Church of England First School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of St Albans.
- Does Barley (VA) Church of England First School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Barley (VA) Church of England First School as having nursery classes.
- What is Barley (VA) Church of England First School's absence rate?
- Barley (VA) Church of England First School's overall absence rate is 6.3% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Barley (VA) Church of England First School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for Barley (VA) Church of England First School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
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.