Speen CofE VA School, Princes Risborough
Speen CofE VA School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 7 in Princes Risborough. It has a Church of England religious character. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2015. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in December 2024 did not change this grade. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was 93% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2015)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Buckinghamshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Speen CofE VA School in detail
Speen CofE VA School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I warmly welcome you to Speen Church of England School. We are a happy, nurturing school where both children and adults share in the joy of learning. Here all our children, from when they arrive at the age of 2 ½ to when they leave at age 7, learn in a happy, safe and stimulating environment."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include tennis, athletics, dance, Lego, French and maths club.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Tuesday 3 November 2026 and an open day on Thursday 19 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Buckinghamshire
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Speen CofE VA School
For September 2026 entry, 17 families put Speen CofE VA School as their first choice and 31 named it as one of their preferences, for 14 places offered. That is 1.2 first choices for every place. 3 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Speen CofE VA School are Naphill and Walters Ash School (0.9 miles, Good, 81% reading, 77% maths); St John's Church of England Primary School, Lacey Green (0.9 miles, Good, 90% reading, 90% maths); Hughenden Primary School (2 miles, 79% reading, 68% maths); and Prestwood Junior School (2.1 miles, 85% reading, 85% maths).
Naphill and Walters Ash SchoolSt John's Church of England Primary School, Lacey GreenHughenden Primary SchoolPrestwood Junior School
What parents say
43 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Speen CofE VA School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that their child is happy at the school (100%).
Who goes there
2.3% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 2.3% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (77%) and Mixed (9%).
In 2026, 10 pupils (22.7%) received SEN support and 2 (4.5%) 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.
Staffing
Speen CofE VA School had 5 teachers in 2026, one for every 8 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Saunderton Rail Station, about 1.9 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Studridge Lane South (southbound), 190 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 4 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and public order offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Buckinghamshire (44).
Suspensions and exclusions
Speen CofE VA School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: 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 2015, 11 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 Insights
From Ofsted's December 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Your child will be welcomed into a kind, supportive community where they are encouraged to become responsible, caring and courageous learners. The school excels at teaching reading through expert phonics and a rich selection of books that build children's knowledge of different cultures and beliefs. Staff have high expectations and provide particularly strong support for children with additional needs, ensuring every pupil can access the ambitious curriculum and thrive.
Key Strengths
- Pupils develop a genuine love of reading from an early age, with expert phonics teaching helping all children learn to read well and quickly
- Staff have strong subject knowledge and frequently check understanding to address misconceptions effectively
- The school has embedded an impressive character development programme through enrichment activities, assemblies and discussions that help pupils understand democracy, British values and how to make a difference
- Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils means they engage well in learning and participate fully in school life
- Very high pupil attendance achieved through highly ambitious leadership strategy
Areas for Improvement
- Tasks set for pupils are not always designed as precisely as they could be, which means some pupils do not benefit as fully as possible from the challenging curriculum and struggle to recall what they have learned from activities
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with staff creating an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Forest school, eco-council, fundraising for school in India and local Wycombe Food Hub
Speen CofE VA School is a welcoming, nurturing community where pupils are excited to learn and achieve very well. The school has maintained good standards with excellent leadership securing tangible improvements across many aspects of school life.
At a Glance
2.3%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
43 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
22.0
Avg class size
22.0
Infant (KS1)
2
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Speen CofE VA School
Picture News Take Home 28.9.26
28 Sep 2026
Pre School Monday Newsletter 28.09.26
28 Sep 2026
Monday Newsletter 28.09.26
28 Sep 2026
Picture News Take Home 21/9/26
21 Sep 2026
Pre School Monday Newsletter 21.09.26
21 Sep 2026
Monday Newsletter 21.09.26
21 Sep 2026
From Speen CofE VA School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Speen CofE VA School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Speen CofE VA School.
- Addventure Club @ Speen SchoolAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Speen CofE VA School is a voluntary aided school, so it sets its own term dates: check the school's website. As a guide, see Buckinghamshire's term dates for its community schools.
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Speen CofE VA School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Speen CofE VA School is in Buckinghamshire; for families living there:
- Buckinghamshire's school travel policy: Home to School Transport Policy (0 to 25 Year Olds)
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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 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 Speen CofE VA School
Will you get a place at Speen CofE VA School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Speen CofE VA School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Speen CofE VA School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Speen CofE VA School.
- Buckinghamshire publishes last distance offered figures, but none for Speen CofE VA School that we hold, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Speen CofE VA School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Buckinghamshire 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
93%
Near capacity
42 pupils
45 places
3 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Princes Risborough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Princes Risborough
Across Buckinghamshire council
Places available
6,722
Applications
5,630
Got 1st preference
91.6%
Got preferred school
98.6%
All primary applications across Buckinghamshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
10
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
27.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
44
Total Pupils
23
Boys
21
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
5
Teachers
8.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,511
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,202
Per pupil
£386k
Total funding
£5k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.8%
Overall absence
10.7%
Persistent absence
28
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Speen CofE VA School
What is Speen CofE VA School's Ofsted rating?
Speen CofE VA School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in December 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2015, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Speen CofE VA School?
No fixed boundary. When Speen CofE VA School is oversubscribed, Buckinghamshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Speen CofE VA School?
Speen CofE VA School was not full in 2025: it ran at 93% of its 45 places.
How big are the classes at Speen CofE VA School?
Classes at Speen CofE VA School average 22 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Speen CofE VA School?
Speen CofE VA School has around 44 pupils on roll. 2% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Speen CofE VA School?
3.8% of sessions were missed at Speen CofE VA School in 2024/25. 10.7% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Speen CofE VA School?
Apply through Buckinghamshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Speen CofE VA 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 Speen CofE VA School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Addventure Club @ Speen 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 Speen CofE VA 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 Buckinghamshire is 4 (the median across 274 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Speen CofE VA School?
Speen CofE VA School is at Flowers Bottom Lane, Speen, Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, HP27 0SX.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)