Defford and Besford CofE Primary School, Worcester
Defford and Besford CofE Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Worcester. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in April 2023. It was 58% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2023)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Worcestershire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Defford and Besford CofE Primary School in detail
Defford and Besford CofE Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "It is with great pride that I welcome you to Defford and Besford Church of England Primary School. We are a Church school, with a distinctive Christian character. We aim to provide a strong educational, moral and spiritual framework in which all children can grow, develop and achieve their full potential."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Defford and Besford CofE Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 11 families put Defford and Besford CofE Primary School as their first choice and 15 named it as one of their preferences, for 11 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Admissions history and your chances at Defford and Besford CofE Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Defford and Besford CofE Primary School are Eckington CofE First School (1.3 miles, Good); Abbey Park Primary School (2.2 miles, Good); Holy Redeemer Catholic Primary School (2.4 miles, Good, 94% reading, 89% maths); and Orchard Primary School (2.7 miles, Good, 62% reading, 58% maths).
Eckington CofE First SchoolAbbey Park Primary SchoolHoly Redeemer Catholic Primary SchoolOrchard Primary School
Who goes there
11.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 0% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 3 pupils (5.6%) received SEN support and 3 (5.6%) 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 a moderate learning difficulty.
Staffing
Defford and Besford CofE Primary School had 6 teachers in 2026, one for every 7 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Pershore Rail Station, about 3.5 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Church (opposite), 240 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, other crime and burglary. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Worcestershire (78).
Suspensions and exclusions
Defford and Besford CofE Primary 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 · 4 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its April 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Early years.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
At a Glance
11.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
21.0
Avg class size
21.0
Infant (KS1)
1
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Defford and Besford CofE Primary School
Newsletter Friday 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Newsletter 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Newsletter Friday 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Newsletter 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Newsletter Friday 3rd July 2026
3 Jul 2026
Newsletter 3rd July 2026
3 Jul 2026
From Defford and Besford CofE Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Defford and Besford CofE Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Defford and Besford CofE Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Defford and Besford CofE Primary School is in Worcestershire; for families living there:
Apply to Worcestershire for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
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 Worcestershire is 5.5 (the median across 276 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 Defford and Besford CofE Primary School
Will you get a place at Defford and Besford CofE Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Defford and Besford CofE Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Defford and Besford CofE Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Defford and Besford CofE Primary School.
- Worcestershire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Defford and Besford CofE Primary School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Defford and Besford CofE Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Worcestershire 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
58%
Available places
42 pupils
72 places
30 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Worcester
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Worcester
Across Worcestershire council
Places available
6,801
Applications
5,492
Got 1st preference
94.0%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Worcestershire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good, but Ofsted raised concerns; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
3
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
11.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
54
Total Pupils
30
Boys
24
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
9.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,725
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£9,087
Per pupil
£457k
Total funding
£6k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.0%
Overall absence
31.4%
Persistent absence
35
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Defford and Besford CofE Primary School
What is Defford and Besford CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Defford and Besford CofE Primary School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in April 2023.
What is the catchment area for Defford and Besford CofE Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Defford and Besford CofE Primary School is oversubscribed, Worcestershire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Defford and Besford CofE Primary School?
Defford and Besford CofE Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 58% of its 72 places.
How big are the classes at Defford and Besford CofE Primary School?
Classes at Defford and Besford CofE Primary School average 21 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Defford and Besford CofE Primary School?
Defford and Besford CofE Primary School has around 54 pupils on roll. 11% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Defford and Besford CofE Primary School?
6% of sessions were missed at Defford and Besford CofE Primary School in 2024/25. 31.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Defford and Besford CofE Primary School?
Apply through Worcestershire's coordinated admissions process, naming Defford and Besford CofE Primary 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 Defford and Besford CofE Primary 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 Worcestershire is 5.5 (the median across 276 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Defford and Besford CofE Primary School?
Defford and Besford CofE Primary School is at Hill View, Defford, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR8 9BH.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)