Tannery Drift First School, Royston
Tannery Drift First School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 9 in Royston. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in February 2011. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in March 2025 did not change this grade. It was 90% full in 2025.
- Ofsted
- Good (2011)
- 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
Tannery Drift First School in detail
Tannery Drift First School in its own words
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, rugby, tennis, athletics, running, ballet and drama.
The school runs a breakfast club and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 11 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Hertfordshire
Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Getting a place at Tannery Drift First School
For September 2026 entry, 52 families put Tannery Drift First School as their first choice and 124 named it as one of their preferences, for 55 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 Tannery Drift First School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Tannery Drift First School are St Mary Roman Catholic Primary School (0.4 miles, Outstanding, 83% reading, 79% maths); Studlands Rise First School (0.7 miles, Good); Roman Way Academy (0.7 miles, Good); and Icknield Walk First School (0.7 miles, Outstanding).
St Mary Roman Catholic Primary SchoolStudlands Rise First SchoolRoman Way AcademyIcknield Walk First School
What parents say
95 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Tannery Drift First School (as of September 2025): 99% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 73% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (99%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (73%).
Who goes there
7.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 42 pupils (13.1%) received SEN support and 7 (2.2%) 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
Tannery Drift First School had 19 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 Royston Rail Station, about 340 metres away (roughly a 4-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is The Green (opposite), 220 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Tannery Drift First School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Tannery Drift First School issued 2 suspensions, 0.6 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
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
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 · 2 years agoThis judgement is from February 2011, 15 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's March 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Tannery Drift creates a warm, caring environment where children feel happy and trusted. The school teaches reading exceptionally well and actively develops children's character through leadership opportunities, clubs, and role models. Staff create high expectations that children meet with enthusiasm, helping them become confident, well-rounded learners ready for the next stage.
Key Strengths
- Outstanding behaviour and attitudes - pupils are respectful, responsible and maintain consistent focus during lessons
- Strong reading instruction with effective support for pupils who need extra help to keep up
- Excellent character development and personal growth - pupils develop confidence and leadership skills through clubs and roles
- Effective support for pupils with SEND who progress well through modified activities and skilled staff
Areas for Improvement
- In some subjects, learning tasks do not match what pupils already know, meaning some pupils find work too difficult and rely too heavily on adult support
- Teachers need to better tailor activities across all subjects to help each pupil build on their existing knowledge
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective, with leaders and governors working together to ensure pupils' safety and well-being.
Extracurricular Activities
Pupil-led clubs run by children in their area of expertise, leadership roles, physical activity, music, art
Tannery Drift School is a Good rated first school where pupils are good-natured, kind to each other, and achieve well. The school has high expectations, a carefully planned curriculum, and creates a calm, purposeful learning environment.
At a Glance
7.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
95 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Class Sizes
28.9
Avg class size
29.7
Infant (KS1)
27.8
KS2
11
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Tannery Drift First School
Owl Class Gardening
2 Oct 2026
Year 2 - Autumn Leaf hunt
2 Oct 2026
LaLuke visit Tannery Drift
23 Sep 2026
Year Group Meetings - Tuesday 22nd September
18 Sep 2026
Open Mornings for Prospective New Parents
18 Sep 2026
Tannery Awarded Platinum!
15 Sep 2026
From Tannery Drift First School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Tannery Drift First School
Term dates
Tannery Drift First School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Tannery Drift First School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Tannery Drift 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
- 3
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
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 Tannery Drift First School
Will you get a place at Tannery Drift First School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Tannery Drift First School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Tannery Drift First School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Tannery Drift 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 Tannery Drift 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.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
90%
Near capacity
291 pupils
323 places
32 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Royston
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Royston
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(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
42
SEN Support
7
EHC Plans
15.3%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
320
Total Pupils
159
Boys
161
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
19
Teachers
16.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,658
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,104
Per pupil
£1615k
Total funding
£39k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
5.0%
Persistent absence
238
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
Tannery Drift First School
Questions parents ask about Tannery Drift First School
What is Tannery Drift First School's Ofsted rating?
Tannery Drift First School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in March 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in February 2011, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Tannery Drift First School?
No fixed boundary. When Tannery Drift 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 Tannery Drift First School?
Tannery Drift First School was not full in 2025: it ran at 90% of its 323 places.
How big are the classes at Tannery Drift First School?
Classes at Tannery Drift First School average 28.9 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Tannery Drift First School?
Tannery Drift First School has around 320 pupils on roll. 8% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Tannery Drift First School?
3.4% of sessions were missed at Tannery Drift First School in 2024/25. 5% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Tannery Drift First School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Tannery Drift 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.
What are Tannery Drift First School's term dates?
Tannery Drift First School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Tannery Drift First School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 3 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 2 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 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 Tannery Drift First School?
Tannery Drift First School is at Tannery Drift, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 5DE.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)