Barkway VA Church of England First School, Barkway
Barkway VA Church of England First School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 9 in Barkway. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. It was 47% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Barkway VA Church of England First School in detail
Getting a place at Barkway VA Church of England First School
For September 2026 entry, 4 families put Barkway VA Church of England First School as their first choice and 14 named it as one of their preferences, for 5 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Barkway VA Church of England First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Barkway VA Church of England First School are Reed First School (1.4 miles, Good); Barley (VA) Church of England First School (2.1 miles, Good); Anstey First School (2.1 miles, Good); and Therfield First School (3.2 miles, Good).
Reed First SchoolBarley (VA) Church of England First SchoolAnstey First SchoolTherfield First School
Who goes there
8.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 0 pupils (0%) received SEN support and 3 (12.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Barkway VA Church of England First School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 4 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Barkway VA Church of England First School.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Burrs Lane (opposite), 90 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 5 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).
Suspensions and exclusions
Barkway VA Church of England First School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
25.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
7.7
Avg class size
10.5
Infant (KS1)
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Barkway VA Church of England First School
Term dates
Barkway VA Church of England First School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Hertfordshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Barkway VA Church of England First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Barkway VA Church of England First School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Barkway VA Church of England First School
Will you get a place at Barkway VA Church of England First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Barkway VA Church of England First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Barkway VA Church of England First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Barkway VA Church of England First School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Barkway VA Church of England First School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hertfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
47%
Available places
22 pupils
47 places
25 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Barkway
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Barkway
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
14,776
Applications
12,543
Got 1st preference
89.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
12.5%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
24
Total Pupils
14
Boys
10
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
4.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,157
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£13,338
Per pupil
£329k
Total funding
£5k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
12.7%
Overall absence
33.3%
Persistent absence
9
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Barkway VA Church of England First School
What is Barkway VA Church of England First School's Ofsted rating?
Barkway VA Church of England First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for Barkway VA Church of England First School?
No fixed boundary. When Barkway VA Church of England First School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Barkway VA Church of England First School?
Barkway VA Church of England First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 47% of its 47 places.
How big are the classes at Barkway VA Church of England First School?
Classes at Barkway VA Church of England First School average 7.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Barkway VA Church of England First School?
Barkway VA Church of England First School has around 24 pupils on roll. 25% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Barkway VA Church of England First School?
12.7% of sessions were missed at Barkway VA Church of England First School in 2024/25. 33.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Barkway VA Church of England First School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Barkway VA Church of England First School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Barkway VA Church of England First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 1 road collision in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Barkway VA Church of England First School?
Barkway VA Church of England First School is at 84 High Street, Barkway, Hertfordshire, SG8 8EF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)