Layston Church of England First School
The Causeway, Buntingford, SG9 9EU
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary controlled school
- Ages
- 5 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Headteacher
- Mrs Adele McMurrough
- Diocese
- Diocese of St Albans
- Constituency
- North East Hertfordshire
- Setting
- Larger rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 150
- Pupils on roll
- 124
- URN
- 117390
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01763271235
About this school
Layston Church of England First School is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school in Buntingford. It teaches children aged 5 to 9 and has 124 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. 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
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Requires improvement
- Early years
- Inadequate
- Safeguarding
- Effective
Trends over time
How Layston 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 | 8.7% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 7.3% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 5.6% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 145 |
| 2023/24 | 146 |
| 2024/25 | 139 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Layston Church of England First School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 47% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 5.6% | 21.6% | 124 | — |
| Millfield First and Nursery School | — | 4.4% | 10.2% | 311 | 0.5 miles |
| Buntingford First School | — | 8.2% | 23.1% | 165 | 0.9 miles |
| Hormead Church of England (VA) First School | — | 3.9% | 14.6% | 143 | 2.0 miles |
| Anstey First School | — | 7.8% | 34.4% | 39 | 3.1 miles |
| Jenyns First School and Nursery | — | 4.4% | 7.1% | 66 | 3.5 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)
- 21.58%
- English as an additional language
- 4.3%
- Overall absence
- 5.56%
- Persistent absence
- 12.71%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Millfield First and Nursery School0.5 miles
Primary · Buntingford
-
Buntingford First School0.9 miles
Primary · Buntingford
-
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School2.0 miles
Primary · Buntingford
-
Anstey First School3.1 miles
Primary · Buntingford
-
Jenyns First School and Nursery3.5 miles
Primary · Ware
Other schools in Buntingford
- Anstey First School Primary
- Buntingford First School Primary
- Hormead Church of England (VA) First School Primary
- Millfield First and Nursery School Primary
- Edwinstree Church of England Middle School Middle deemed secondary
- Freman College Secondary
Common questions
- What year groups does Layston Church of England First School teach?
- Layston Church of England First School teaches children aged 5 to 9. It is a primary school in Buntingford.
- Who is the headteacher of Layston Church of England First School?
- The headteacher of Layston Church of England First School is Mrs Adele McMurrough, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Layston Church of England First School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Layston 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 big is Layston Church of England First School?
- Layston Church of England First School has 124 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 5 to 9.
- Is Layston Church of England First School full?
- Layston Church of England First School has capacity for 150 pupils and 124 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 Layston Church of England First School a faith school?
- Yes. Layston Church of England First School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of St Albans.
- Does Layston Church of England First School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Layston Church of England First School as having no nursery classes.
- What is Layston Church of England First School's absence rate?
- Layston Church of England First School's overall absence rate is 5.6% in the latest published census, at or below the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Layston 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 Layston 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.