Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School

Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School is a small, welcoming village school that has been judged to be meeting the expected standard in all areas except achievement, which needs attention. The school provides a calm, nurturing environment where pupils behave well, feel safe and develop a strong sense of belonging. The curriculum has been adapted effectively for mixed-aged classes, with particular strengths in early years, reading and mathematics. Pupils' personal development is well supported through a structured programme and strong pastoral care. Safeguarding standards are met. The school is part of The River Wye Federation and serves a small cohort of 71 pupils, with a higher-than-average proportion eligible for free school meals.

Strengths

• Pupils behave well in a calm, nurturing environment with rare disruptions
• Strong pastoral care and effective support for pupils' social, emotional and mental health needs
• Curriculum is well adapted for mixed-aged classes and sequenced to build knowledge over time
• Early years provision is purposeful and effectively develops children's speech, language and vocabulary
• Pupils with SEND are well supported through accurate identification and effective adaptations
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics
• Pupils develop a strong sense of belonging and positive relationships with staff and peers
• Leaders have a clear vision and have made improvements to the curriculum, particularly in reading and mathematics
• Governors are effective in their strategic work and make a positive difference
• Attendance is broadly in line with national averages and persistent absence has improved

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' writing knowledge is less secure, with gaps in grammar, punctuation and spelling, and some struggle with letter formation
• Assessment information is not used consistently or precisely enough to help pupils close gaps in writing
• Governors' focus on academic achievement is not as sharp and robust as it could be
• Pupils' knowledge of the personal, social and health education curriculum is not consistently secure across all areas
• Leaders need to further strengthen teachers' use of assessment to ensure gaps in foundational knowledge close quickly, particularly in writing

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 Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.4% 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, 2.8% of pupils at Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary 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 Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School had 8.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 20.8% 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, 16.1% of pupils at Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.5% 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 Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School received £11,304 and spent £11,811 for each of its 62 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £5,000 (-£80 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 Ross-On-Wye · Herefordshire, County of local authority: places and applications

What is Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in July 2026.

When was Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School was last inspected in July 2026.

How many pupils does Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School have?

Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School has 62 pupils on roll.

What age range does Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School cover?

Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 71% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School?

Weston-under-Penyard CofE Primary School is at School Lane, Weston-under-Penyard, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7PA.