Widford School, Widford Herts
Widford School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Widford Herts. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in June 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 267th-highest of the 340 schools in Hertfordshire with published results, and 10,716th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.2 first-choice applications for every place. It was 80% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Below England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Below 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
Widford School in detail
Results
In 2025, 75% of Year 6 pupils at Widford School reached the expected standard in reading and 63% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Widford School
For September 2026 entry, 11 families put Widford School as their first choice and 30 named it as one of their preferences, for 9 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 Widford School are Hunsdon Junior Mixed and Infant School (1 mile, Outstanding, 80% reading, 73% maths); St Andrew's CE Primary School and Nursery (2 miles, Good, 80% reading, 83% maths); High Wych Church of England Primary School (3 miles, Good, 72% reading, 78% maths); and Priors Wood Primary School (3.1 miles, Good, 76% reading, 76% maths).
Each of them had higher 2025 results than Widford School.
Hunsdon Junior Mixed and Infant SchoolSt Andrew's CE Primary School and NurseryHigh Wych Church of England Primary SchoolPriors Wood Primary School
What parents say
26 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Widford School (as of September 2025): 100% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 75% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (75%).
Who goes there
3.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 6.2% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (80%) and Mixed (15%).
In 2026, 4 pupils (6.2%) received SEN support and 3 (4.6%) 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
Widford School had 6 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 Harlow Town Rail Station, about 3.3 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bell Lane (adjacent), 140 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 5 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences and drug offences. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).
Suspensions and exclusions
Widford School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); 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
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from June 2019, 7 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 February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Widford School offers pupils a well-rounded education with strong practical learning experiences and excellent support for individual needs. Staff model effective communication skills and help pupils develop confidence in using subject-specific vocabulary. The federation has brought additional resources and enrichment opportunities that pupils really value.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on developing pupils' language and communication skills across all year groups
- Effective identification and specialist support for pupils with SEND, including one-to-one bespoke support
- Excellent behaviour and peer relationships, with older pupils mentoring younger ones
- Well-managed federation transition with clear curriculum planning for move to single-age classes
- Enrichment activities that broaden horizons, such as visits to Duxford war museum and local polo club
Areas for Improvement
- School attendance rates for some pupils remain below target and require renewed efforts to work with families to remove barriers
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and the school has created an open and positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Visits to Duxford war museum, theatre workshops, polo club visit, school council
Widford School has maintained good standards following its federation with another school in September 2024. The school has successfully revamped its curriculum and introduced new initiatives that are improving pupil achievement and engagement.
At a Glance
3.1%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
26 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
2024/25 academic year
Class Sizes
21.7
Avg class size
21.7
Infant (KS1)
3
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Widford School
Term dates
Widford 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
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Widford School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Widford 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
- 0
- 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, 0 serious and 3 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 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 Widford School
Will you get a place at Widford School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Widford School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Widford School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Widford School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Widford 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
80%
Available places
45 pupils
56 places
11 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Widford Herts
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Widford Herts
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: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
Ungraded inspection: Standards have been maintained.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
4
SEN Support
3
EHC Plans
10.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
65
Total Pupils
28
Boys
37
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
6
Teachers
10.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,289
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£8,858
Per pupil
£455k
Total funding
£17k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
6.5%
Overall absence
15.4%
Persistent absence
39
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Questions parents ask about Widford School
What are SATs results like at Widford School?
Of the pupils at Widford School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 75% reached the expected standard in reading and 63% did so in maths.
What is Widford School's Ofsted rating?
Widford School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in June 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Widford School?
No fixed boundary. When Widford 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 Widford School?
Widford School was not full in 2025: it ran at 80% of its 56 places.
How big are the classes at Widford School?
Classes at Widford School average 21.7 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Widford School?
Widford School has around 65 pupils on roll. 3% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Widford School?
6.5% of sessions were missed at Widford School in 2024/25. 15.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Widford School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Widford 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 Widford School's term dates?
Widford 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 Widford 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, 0 serious and 3 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 Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Widford School?
Widford School is at Ware Road, Widford, Widford Herts, Hertfordshire, SG12 8RE.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)