Roecroft Lower School, Hitchin
Roecroft Lower School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 9 in Hitchin. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in December 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in June 2025 did not change this grade. It was 88% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
- 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 Central Bedfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Roecroft Lower School in detail
Getting a place at Roecroft Lower School
For September 2026 entry, 75 families put Roecroft Lower School as their first choice and 157 named it as one of their preferences, for 81 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 Roecroft Lower School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Roecroft Lower School are St Mary's CofE Academy Stotfold (0.4 miles, Good); The Grange Academy (1.1 miles, Good, 72% reading, 83% maths); Fairfield Park Lower School (1.2 miles, Good); and Northfields Infants and Nursery School (1.2 miles, Requires improvement).
St Mary's CofE Academy StotfoldThe Grange AcademyFairfield Park Lower SchoolNorthfields Infants and Nursery School
What parents say
118 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Roecroft Lower School (as of September 2025): 91% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 77% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (98%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (77%).
Who goes there
12.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 1.7% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (76%), Mixed (10%) and Asian (5%).
In 2026, 16 pupils (4.5%) received SEN support and 12 (3.3%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Arlesey Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Community Centre (opposite), 80 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Roecroft Lower School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 8th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Roecroft Lower School issued 10 suspensions, 2.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Roecroft Lower School are Pix Brook Academy (0.5 miles) and Etonbury Academy (0.9 miles).
Sources: DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's June 2025 inspection report.
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 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
27.6
Avg class size
26.4
Infant (KS1)
29.6
KS2
13
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Roecroft Lower School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Roecroft Lower School.
- Kidz Zone Club - Roecroft Lower SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Roecroft Lower School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Roecroft Lower School is in Central Bedfordshire; for families living there:
- Central Bedfordshire's school travel policy: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 6
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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 Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 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 Roecroft Lower School
Will you get a place at Roecroft Lower School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Roecroft Lower School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Roecroft Lower School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Roecroft Lower School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Central Bedfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Roecroft Lower School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Central Bedfordshire 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
88%
Available places
394 pupils
450 places
56 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hitchin
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hitchin
Across Central Bedfordshire council
Places available
4,158
Applications
3,678
Got 1st preference
90.3%
Got preferred school
97.7%
All primary applications across Central Bedfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
16
SEN Support
12
EHC Plans
7.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
359
Total Pupils
193
Boys
166
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
17.9:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£49,388
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,159
Per pupil
£2208k
Total funding
£45k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.3%
Overall absence
6.1%
Persistent absence
326
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
Roecroft Lower School
Questions parents ask about Roecroft Lower School
What is Roecroft Lower School's Ofsted rating?
Roecroft Lower School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in June 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in December 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Roecroft Lower School?
No fixed boundary. When Roecroft Lower School is oversubscribed, Central Bedfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Roecroft Lower School?
Roecroft Lower School was not full in 2025: it ran at 88% of its 450 places.
How big are the classes at Roecroft Lower School?
Classes at Roecroft Lower School average 27.6 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Roecroft Lower School?
Roecroft Lower School has around 359 pupils on roll. 13% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Roecroft Lower School?
4.3% of sessions were missed at Roecroft Lower School in 2024/25. 6.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Roecroft Lower School?
Apply through Central Bedfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Roecroft Lower 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 Roecroft Lower School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kidz Zone Club - Roecroft Lower School (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Roecroft Lower School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 6 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 4 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 Central Bedfordshire is 6 (the median across 135 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Roecroft Lower School?
Roecroft Lower School is at Buttercup Road, Stotfold, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 4PF.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)