Barkway VA Church of England First School
84 High Street, Barkway, SG8 8EF
- Phase
- Primary
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Ages
- 4 to 9
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Acting- Headteacher
- Miss Lara Miere
- Diocese
- Diocese of St Albans
- Constituency
- North East Hertfordshire
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 57
- Pupils on roll
- 24
- URN
- 117422
- Local authority
- Hertfordshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01763848283
About this school
Barkway VA Church of England First School is a Church of England voluntary aided primary school in Barkway. It teaches children aged 4 to 9 and has 24 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
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
Trends over time
How Barkway 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 | 9.1% | 6.8% |
| 2023/24 | 9.1% | 6.6% |
| 2024/25 | 12.7% | 6.2% |
Department for Education pupil absence data.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 28 |
| 2023/24 | 33 |
| 2024/25 | 33 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
How Barkway VA Church of England First School compares
Its absence rate was lower than 3% of England schools in 2024/25.
| School | KS2 RWM (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | 12.7% | 50% | 24 | — |
| Reed First School | — | 3.2% | 7.6% | 64 | 1.4 miles |
| Barley (VA) Church of England First School | — | 6.3% | 27.6% | 25 | 2.1 miles |
| Anstey First School | — | 7.8% | 34.4% | 39 | 2.1 miles |
| Therfield First School | — | 2.8% | 15.2% | 69 | 3.2 miles |
| Studlands Rise First School | — | 4.4% | 9.8% | 170 | 3.4 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)
- 50%
- English as an additional language
- 6.1%
- Overall absence
- 12.7%
- Persistent absence
- 33.33%
Location
Nearby schools
-
Reed First School1.4 miles
Primary · Royston
-
Barley (VA) Church of England First School2.1 miles
Primary · Royston
-
Anstey First School2.1 miles
Primary · Buntingford
-
Therfield First School3.2 miles
Primary · Royston
-
Studlands Rise First School3.4 miles
Primary · Royston
Common questions
- What year groups does Barkway VA Church of England First School teach?
- Barkway VA Church of England First School teaches children aged 4 to 9. It is a primary school in Barkway.
- Who is the acting- headteacher of Barkway VA Church of England First School?
- The acting- headteacher of Barkway VA Church of England First School is Miss Lara Miere, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- When was Barkway VA Church of England First School last inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected Barkway 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 big is Barkway VA Church of England First School?
- Barkway VA Church of England First School has 24 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 4 to 9.
- Is Barkway VA Church of England First School full?
- Barkway VA Church of England First School has capacity for 57 pupils and 24 on roll (42%), 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 Barkway VA Church of England First School a faith school?
- Yes. Barkway VA Church of England First School is designated Church of England, in the Diocese of St Albans.
- Does Barkway VA Church of England First School have a nursery?
- No. The schools register records Barkway VA Church of England First School as having no nursery classes.
- What is Barkway VA Church of England First School's absence rate?
- Barkway VA Church of England First School's overall absence rate is 12.7% in the latest published census, above the England average of 6.2%.
- Does Barkway 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 Barkway 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.