Walford Nursery & Primary School, Ross-on-Wye
Walford Nursery & Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Ross-on-Wye. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the highest of the 11 schools in Ross-on-Wye with published results, and 1,036th of 14,452 across England. It was 92% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Herefordshire, County of (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Walford Nursery & Primary School in detail
Walford Nursery & Primary School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "At Walford Nursery & Primary School, children, parents, staff and governors are valued for the contribution they make to the work and life of the school and we pride ourselves on being a TEAM because we believe that T ogether E veryone A chieves M ore!"
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:45am.
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 92% of Year 6 pupils at Walford Nursery & Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 92% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 78% and 77% in Herefordshire, County of; and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 97% in reading and 94% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Walford Nursery & Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 26 families put Walford Nursery & Primary School as their first choice and 51 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 Walford Nursery & Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Walford Nursery & Primary School are Goodrich CofE Primary School (1.6 miles, 92% reading, 83% maths); St Joseph's RC Primary School and Nursery (1.6 miles, Good, 81% reading, 90% maths); Ashfield Park Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 80% reading, 76% maths); and Bridstow CofE Primary School (2.3 miles, Good, 57% reading, 43% maths).
Walford Nursery & Primary School's 2025 results were higher than all 4 of them.
Goodrich CofE Primary SchoolSt Joseph's RC Primary School and NurseryAshfield Park Primary SchoolBridstow CofE Primary School
Who goes there
6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.6% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
Staffing
Walford Nursery & Primary School had 7 teachers in 2026, one for every 26 pupils: fewer 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 Walford Nursery & Primary School.
3 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Primary School (adjacent), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 2 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Herefordshire, County of (4).
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Walford Nursery & Primary School issued 1 suspension, 0.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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
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 agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
The moment you step over the threshold at Walford Nursery & Primary School, you know this is a school that values education; a place where pupils are happy, confident and immersed in their learning. In lessons, pupils are highly engaged and have an evident thirst for knowledge, which they love sharing with visitors. The school's motto is 'every child, every opportunity, every day', and this really matches what is seen here. Not a moment that can be spent learning and developing is wasted.
Pupils' behaviour is exemplary, and on the rare occasion it falls below the high expectations, pupils have absolute confidence that adults will help put it right. Both in lessons and around the school, pupils are respectful, kind and welcoming.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Three words that sum up the Walford curriculum are: precise, deliberate and innovative. There is a tangible ambition for success. In all subjects and areas of learning, starting in the early years, there has been careful thought about what teachers will teach and when they will teach it. This ensures that learning is sequenced coherently and that pupils build on what they already know. The school has identified the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils will need for their next steps. Teachers make these 'knowledge nuggets' explicit in lessons and this helps pupils remember what is most important.
Pupils speak confidently about their work. They make meaningful connections between subjects, including using their mathematical expertise in computing lessons. In history, they make links to previous learning about concepts such as monarchy. They also connect history to their work in geography and art. For instance, when learning about the Mayan civilisation, pupils learn about locational and climate features of South America.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
6.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 97% to 92% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 92% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 84% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
26.0
Avg class size
25.7
Infant (KS1)
26.3
KS2
7
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Walford Nursery & Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Walford Nursery & Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Walford Nursery & Primary School is in Herefordshire, County of; for families living there:
- Herefordshire, County of's school travel policy: School transport policy
- How to apply: Apply for school transport
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 1
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
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.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
0 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 Herefordshire, County of is 2 (the median across 115 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 Walford Nursery & Primary School
Will you get a place at Walford Nursery & Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Walford Nursery & Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Walford Nursery & Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Walford Nursery & Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Herefordshire, County of, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Walford Nursery & Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Herefordshire, County of 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
92%
Near capacity
181 pupils
196 places
15 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Ross-on-Wye
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Ross-on-Wye
Across Herefordshire, County of council
Places available
2,131
Applications
1,553
Got 1st preference
96.3%
Got preferred school
99.0%
All primary applications across Herefordshire, County of council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(8)
Ungraded inspection: The school remains Good and may be improving; its next inspection will be a full graded one.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
37
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
23.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
182
Total Pupils
74
Boys
108
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
7
Teachers
26.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,394
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,117
Per pupil
£1035k
Total funding
£21k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
2.9%
Overall absence
4.8%
Persistent absence
166
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Walford Nursery & Primary School
What are SATs results like at Walford Nursery & Primary School?
Of the pupils at Walford Nursery & Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 92% reached the expected standard in reading and 92% did so in maths.
What is Walford Nursery & Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Walford Nursery & Primary School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024. At its previous graded inspection in 2013 it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Walford Nursery & Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Walford Nursery & Primary School is oversubscribed, Herefordshire, County of allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Walford Nursery & Primary School?
Walford Nursery & Primary School was not full in 2025: it ran at 92% of its 196 places.
How big are the classes at Walford Nursery & Primary School?
Classes at Walford Nursery & Primary School average 26 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Walford Nursery & Primary School?
Walford Nursery & Primary School has around 182 pupils on roll. 6% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Walford Nursery & Primary School?
2.9% of sessions were missed at Walford Nursery & Primary School in 2024/25. 4.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Walford Nursery & Primary School?
Apply through Herefordshire, County of's coordinated admissions process, naming Walford Nursery & Primary 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.
How many road collisions happen near Walford Nursery & Primary 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. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 0 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 Herefordshire, County of is 2 (the median across 115 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Walford Nursery & Primary School?
Walford Nursery & Primary School is at Walford, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 5SA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)