Hormead Church of England (VA) First School, Buntingford
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 9 in Buntingford. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2024. It was 86% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School in detail
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We also hope it gives you a feel for the, "Love of Learning, Love of Life and Love of God." that permeates throughout our wonderful little school. Hormead School is a fully inclusive Church of England school founded in 1815."
The school runs after-school care.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Hormead Church of England (VA) First School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Hormead Church of England (VA) First School as their first choice and 38 named it as one of their preferences, for 27 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 Hormead Church of England (VA) First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Hormead Church of England (VA) First School are Anstey First School (1.9 miles, Good); Layston Church of England First School (2 miles, Requires improvement); Buntingford First School (2 miles); and Millfield First and Nursery School (2.3 miles, Good).
Anstey First SchoolLayston Church of England First SchoolBuntingford First SchoolMillfield First and Nursery School
Who goes there
11.9% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 14 pupils (9.8%) received SEN support and 8 (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 social, emotional and mental health needs.
Staffing
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School had 9 teachers in 2026, one for every 11 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 Hormead Church of England (VA) First School.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 3 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, burglary and criminal damage and arson. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).
Suspensions and exclusions
Hormead Church of England (VA) 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 · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its May 2024 inspection.
Rated Good for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
11.9%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Class Sizes
23.8
Avg class size
20.0
Infant (KS1)
41.0
KS2
6
Total classes
1 class with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Hormead Church of England (VA) First School
No 01 18th Sep 2026
18 Sep 2026
No 21 22nd July 2026
22 Jul 2026
No 20 10th July 2026
10 Jul 2026
No 19 25 June 2026
25 Jun 2026
No 18 12 June 2026
12 Jun 2026
No 17 22 May 2026
22 May 2026
From Hormead Church of England (VA) First School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Hormead Church of England (VA) First School
Before and after school care
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Hertfordshire
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Hormead Church of England (VA) First School.
- SSS Provision Hormead First SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Hormead Church of England (VA) 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 Hormead Church of England (VA) First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hormead Church of England (VA) 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
- 1
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.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
1 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 Hormead Church of England (VA) First School
Will you get a place at Hormead Church of England (VA) First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hormead Church of England (VA) First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hormead Church of England (VA) First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hormead Church of England (VA) 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 Hormead Church of England (VA) 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
86%
Available places
99 pupils
115 places
16 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Buntingford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Buntingford
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(10)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
8
EHC Plans
15.4%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
143
Total Pupils
85
Boys
58
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
15.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,912
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£6,613
Per pupil
£703k
Total funding
£20k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.9%
Overall absence
3.8%
Persistent absence
80
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Hormead Church of England (VA) First School
What is Hormead Church of England (VA) First School's Ofsted rating?
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School was rated Good at its most recent Ofsted inspection in May 2024.
What is the catchment area for Hormead Church of England (VA) First School?
No fixed boundary. When Hormead Church of England (VA) 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 Hormead Church of England (VA) First School?
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 86% of its 115 places.
How big are the classes at Hormead Church of England (VA) First School?
Classes at Hormead Church of England (VA) First School average 23.8 pupils (2025/26). 1 class has more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Hormead Church of England (VA) First School?
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School has around 143 pupils on roll. 12% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Hormead Church of England (VA) First School?
3.9% of sessions were missed at Hormead Church of England (VA) First School in 2024/25. 3.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hormead Church of England (VA) First School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Hormead Church of England (VA) 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.
Does Hormead Church of England (VA) First School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: SSS Provision Hormead First School (registered, not yet graded).
How many road collisions happen near Hormead Church of England (VA) 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. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 1 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 Hormead Church of England (VA) First School?
Hormead Church of England (VA) First School is at Great Hormead, Buntingford, Hertfordshire, SG9 0NR.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)