Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School, Hertford
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Hertford. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in October 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 4th-highest of the 12 schools in Hertford with published results, and 2,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than 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
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School in detail
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "A very warm welcome to Hertingfordbury Cowper C of E (VA) Primary School. Hertingfordbury Cowper C of E (VA) Primary School is a one form entry, nursery and primary school situated between Hertford and Welwyn Garden City in the village of Birch Green."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 93% of Year 6 pupils at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results rose from 86% in reading and 75% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 29 families put Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School as their first choice and 79 named it as one of their preferences, for 30 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 9 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School are Hollybush Primary School (1.3 miles, Good, 64% reading, 44% maths); Hertford St Andrew CofE Primary School (1.4 miles, Good, 61% reading, 50% maths); St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Hertford) (1.6 miles, 68% reading, 71% maths); and Mill Mead Primary Academy (2 miles).
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 2 of them.
Hollybush Primary SchoolHertford St Andrew CofE Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Hertford)Mill Mead Primary Academy
What parents say
122 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 84% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (84%).
Who goes there
2.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (88%) and Mixed (7%).
In 2026, 21 pupils (9.2%) received SEN support and 4 (1.7%) 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 speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School had 14 teachers in 2026, one for every 15 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hertford North Rail Station, about 1.7 miles away in a straight line.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is War Memorial (near), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School issued 5 suspensions, 2.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; 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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2019, 7 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: Standards have been maintained.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are proud and happy to be part of this warm and welcoming school. They talk fondly about how they celebrated the recent 175th anniversary of the school by spending the day living like Victorians. Older pupils speak about being role models for younger children in the school. They show high levels of respect and care for each other and are outspoken about any form of discrimination. Pupils feel safe and are confident that adults will swiftly deal with any worries they have.
There are high expectations for all pupils, both in their learning and behaviour. They meet these expectations each day. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from a carefully constructed curriculum and work hard in lessons. They learn well.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school has developed an ambitious curriculum. It is designed to build on prior learning in a logical way. Starting in the early years, the curriculum helps teachers to know what to teach and when to teach it. Training supports all staff to develop their expertise to teach subjects well.
The school ensures that the curriculum meets the needs of pupils with SEND. Where appropriate, teachers make adaptations to activities. Well-considered additional resources and adults support pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. This helps them to learn alongside their peers and to achieve well. Pupils develop a secure understanding of the curriculum. They explain their learning using relevant subject-specific vocabulary. For example, Year 5 pupils explained their learning in a religious education lesson by talking about justice and tolerance.
From Ofsted's October 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2019 inspection - unchanged since its previous inspection.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
2.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
122 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has improved from 86% to 93% (2024 to 2025). Maths has improved from 75% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has improved from 79% to 86% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.6
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
29.5
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School
September (2) 2026 Newsletter
2 Oct 2026
September 2026 Newsletter
8 Sep 2026
July (2) 2026 Newsletter
23 Jul 2026
July 2026 Newsletter
14 Jul 2026
June 2026 Newsletter
18 Jun 2026
May 2026 Newsletter
19 May 2026
From Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School
Term dates
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary 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 Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary 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)
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025.
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 Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School
Will you get a place at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary 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
98%
Near capacity
206 pupils
210 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hertford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hertford
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
21
SEN Support
4
EHC Plans
10.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
229
Total Pupils
112
Boys
117
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
14
Teachers
16.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£51,509
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,181
Per pupil
£1154k
Total funding
£11k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.1%
Overall absence
8.8%
Persistent absence
181
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School
Questions parents ask about Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School
What are SATs results like at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School?
Of the pupils at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 93% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in October 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary 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 Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School?
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School?
Classes at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School average 28.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School?
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School has around 229 pupils on roll. 3% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School?
4.1% of sessions were missed at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School in 2024/25. 8.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Hertingfordbury Cowper 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 Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School?
No injury road collisions were reported to the police within 500 m of the school's mapped location in 2021 to 2025. The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School?
Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School is at Birch Green, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG14 2LR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)