Roecroft Lower School, Hitchin

Requires Improvement
Primary
Community school
Mixed
Ages 59

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~665m)Possible (~950m)Unlikely (~1.2km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Hollie Cross
Pupils:359 / 450 capacity
LA:Central Bedfordshire
Phone:01462730336
Address:Buttercup Road, Stotfold, Hitchin, SG5 4PF
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Good

Quality of Education

Good

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Good

Leadership & Management

Outstanding

Early Years

Inspected 3 June 2025View full report
URN:109484
UKPRN:10077778
Diocese:Not applicable
Constituency:Hitchin
Urban/Rural:Urban: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

This school excels at creating a warm, supportive environment where children thrive both academically and personally. From early years through to year 5, pupils develop strong reading, writing and maths skills through a well-planned curriculum that makes learning connections across subjects. The school is particularly committed to including all pupils - those with additional needs receive skilled support and everyone benefits from enriching experiences like residential trips and leadership roles.

Key Strengths

  • Outstanding early years provision that gives children an excellent start with strong focus on communication, language and love of reading
  • Thoughtfully sequenced, ambitious curriculum with strong subject expertise that helps pupils remember and recall learning
  • Excellent phonics teaching and reading support, with skilled staff helping pupils become fluent, confident readers
  • Strong behaviour and respect throughout school with excellent attendance and calm, orderly environment
  • All pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well across the curriculum with skilled support

Areas for Improvement

  • Teachers need to check pupils' understanding more consistently during teaching to catch gaps and misconceptions early
  • On a few occasions, checks on what pupils know are not used effectively to inform future learning and correct misunderstandings

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.

Extracurricular Activities

Science ambassadors, Lego Enterprise projects, residentials

Roecroft Lower School is a warm and friendly school where pupils feel happy and valued. It has improved significantly from its previous 'Requires Improvement' rating and now provides good quality education with an outstanding early years provision.

At a Glance

12.5%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

118 responses
Would recommend91%
Child is happy97%
Well taught93%
Good progress92%
Feels safe98%
Well behaved96%
Bullying dealt with14%
Kept informed89%
Handles concerns60%
Wider development88%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Class Sizes

28.2

Avg class size

28.2

Infant (KS1)

28.0

KS2

13

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

Community Centre (opp)
83m · 1 min walk
Betony Gardens (opp)
140m · 2 min walk
Cowslip Drive (adj)
218m · 4 min walk
Co Operative (NW-bound)
283m · 5 min walk
Church Road (opp)
291m · 5 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

80%

Available places

359 pupils

450 capacity

91 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Hitchin

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,247
Projected new pupils:312

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Hitchin

Admissions Demand - Central Bedfordshire

Low demand0.86x oversubscription

Places available

4,163

Applications

3,574

Got 1st preference

90.0%

Got preferred school

97.0%

Primary admissions across Central Bedfordshire (2025/26)

Inspection History(5)

3 June 2025
Quality of EducationGood
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementGood
Early YearsOutstanding
13 December 2022
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesGood
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Early YearsGood
19 November 2008
OutstandingReport
Leadership & ManagementOutstanding

House Prices

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

4.26087%

Overall absence

6.13497%

Persistent absence

326

Enrolments

Authorised3.67442%
Unauthorised0.58646%
Persistent (10%+)6.13497%
Severe (50%+)0.92025%

Absence trend

3.17166%
18/19
2.43686%
20/21
6.02351%
21/22
4.61198%
22/23
4.39856%
23/24
4.26087%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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