Roecroft Lower School

Roecroft Lower School is a warm, friendly and inclusive school where pupils feel happy, valued and safe. Following a previous judgement of requires improvement, this inspection found the school performing well across the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management, with early years provision outstanding. No overall effectiveness grade was given under the current graded inspection arrangements. The curriculum is thoughtfully sequenced and ambitious from the early years. Children get an excellent start, particularly in communication and language and early reading, and strong phonics, writing and mathematics foundations help pupils achieve well across the curriculum. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported skilfully. Behaviour is respectful, attendance is strong, and pupils benefit from a wide range of personal development opportunities. Leaders are well regarded by staff, governors work closely with the school, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The main area to improve is teachers’ use of assessment during lessons. On a few occasions, checks on pupils’ understanding are not consistently used to inform future learning or to correct gaps and misconceptions, so some pupils do not build securely on prior learning. Overall, the school is well placed to build further on its progress.

Strengths

• Warm, friendly and inclusive school where pupils feel happy, valued and safe.
• Thoughtfully sequenced and ambitious curriculum from the early years.
• Outstanding early years provision with excellent communication, language and reading foundations.
• Strong writing and mathematics foundations that support achievement across the curriculum.
• Quick identification and skilful support for pupils with SEND.
• Structured phonics teaching and targeted support develop fluent, confident readers.
• Pupils behave respectfully, attend well and contribute to a calm, orderly school.
• Pupils develop confidence, empathy and responsibility through values and pupil roles.
• Staff feel respected and supported, with strong collaboration between leaders and governors.
• Effective safeguarding arrangements.

Areas for Improvement

• Teachers’ checks on pupils’ understanding are not consistently used to adapt teaching and correct gaps or misconceptions.
• Some pupils do not build securely on prior learning when misconceptions go unnoticed.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Roecroft Lower School attended 95.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 6.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.3% of pupils at Roecroft Lower School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Roecroft Lower School had 19.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.9% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 4.5% of pupils at Roecroft Lower School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Roecroft Lower School received £6,777 and spent £7,184 for each of its 359 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £56,000 (-£157 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Hitchin · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Roecroft Lower School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Roecroft Lower School is Good, from an inspection in July 2025.

When was Roecroft Lower School last inspected by Ofsted?

Roecroft Lower School was last inspected in July 2025.

How many pupils does Roecroft Lower School have?

Roecroft Lower School has 359 pupils on roll.

What age range does Roecroft Lower School cover?

Roecroft Lower School for pupils aged 5 to 9.

Where is Roecroft Lower School?

Roecroft Lower School is at Buttercup Road, Stotfold, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG5 4PF.