Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Ashendene Road, Bayford, Hertford, SG13 8PX
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 3 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Dr Malcom Foster
- 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
- 105
- Pupils on roll
- 87
- URN
- 117387
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01992511259
About this school
Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Hertford. It teaches children aged 3 to 11 and has 87 pupils on roll.
You can read Ofsted's latest judgement for the school 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
Ofsted's most recent visit was a short inspection on 11 February 2025, where inspectors found that standards have been maintained. The school's last full inspection took place before September 2019, so its area grades are not part of Ofsted's current published data. Older reports are on the school's Ofsted page.
Exam results
Key stage 2 (end of primary school)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 2 | 10 | 11 | 13 |
| Met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 40% | 55% | 23% |
| Reached the higher standard in reading, writing and maths | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Expected standard in reading | 70% | 91% | 62% |
| Expected standard in maths | 60% | 82% | 38% |
| Expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling | 60% | 91% | 62% |
| Average scaled score in reading | 105.0 | 105.0 | 104.0 |
| Average scaled score in maths | 104.0 | 104.0 | 99.0 |
| Reading progress | -0.60 | - | - |
| Writing progress | -3.90 | - | - |
| Maths progress | -1.10 | - | - |
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 Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 | Hertfordshire average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 40% | 59.1% | 57.9% |
| 2023/24 | 55% | 60.6% | 58.8% |
| 2024/25 | 23% | 61% | 60.3% |
Department for Education KS2 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school | England average |
|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 6.7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6.5% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 7.2% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 99 |
| 2023/24 | 95 |
| 2024/25 | 87 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School compares
Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranked 336th of 339 primary schools in Hertfordshire for KS2 results in 2024/25. Its KS2 result was higher than 6% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 23% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 23% | 7.2% | 11.8% | 87 | — |
| Essendon CofE (VC) Primary School | 17% | 6.1% | 25.7% | 77 | 1.9 miles |
| Ponsbourne St Mary's Church of England Primary School | 83% | 6.6% | 6.9% | 110 | 2.1 miles |
| Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School | 76% | 4.1% | 2.9% | 229 | 2.3 miles |
| Morgans Primary School & Nursery | 58% | 6.1% | 19.1% | 346 | 2.3 miles |
| Hollybush Primary School | 32% | 5.5% | 38.4% | 190 | 2.7 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)
- 11.76%
- English as an additional language
- 2.3%
- Overall absence
- 7.21%
- Persistent absence
- 20.73%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Essendon CofE (VC) Primary School1.9 miles
Primary · Essendon
-
Ponsbourne St Mary's Church of England Primary School2.1 miles
Primary · Hertford
-
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School2.3 miles
Primary · Hertford
-
Morgans Primary School & Nursery2.3 miles
Primary · Hertford
-
Hollybush Primary School2.7 miles
Primary · Hertford
Other schools in Hertford
Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranks 12th of the 12 ranked primary schools in Hertford.
- Abel Smith School Primary
- Bengeo Primary School Primary
- Hertford Heath Primary and Nursery School Primary
- Hertford St Andrew CofE Primary School Primary
- Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School Primary
- Hollybush Primary School Primary
- Mill Mead Primary Academy Primary
- Morgans Primary School & Nursery Primary
- Ponsbourne St Mary's Church of England Primary School Primary
- St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Hertford) Primary
- Stapleford Primary School Primary
- Watton-at-Stone Primary and Nursery School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School teach?
- Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School teaches children aged 3 to 11. It is a primary school in Hertford.
- Who is the headteacher of Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
- The headteacher of Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Dr Malcom Foster, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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 big is Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?
- Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 87 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 3 to 11.
- Is Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School full?
- Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has capacity for 105 pupils and 87 on roll (83%), 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 Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School a faith school?
- Yes. Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of St Albans.
- Does Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have a nursery?
- Yes. The schools register records Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School as having nursery classes.
- How have Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's results changed over recent years?
- Its share of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths was 40% in 2022/23 and 23% in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- How does Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School rank locally?
- Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School ranked 336th of 339 primary schools in Hertfordshire for key stage 2 results. Its KS2 result was higher than 6% of England primary schools that published results in 2024/25. Its absence rate was lower than 23% of England schools in 2024/25. Results reflect each cohort as well as the school, so treat rankings as a starting point.
- What is Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's absence rate?
- Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's overall absence rate is 7.2% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- What are Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Bayford Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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.