Studlands Rise First School

Studlands Rise First School is performing well overall. It is a community first school for pupils aged 3 to 9, and this was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. The school has had a new headteacher since September 2023 and a new chair of governors. Inspectors found the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management to be good, with early years provision outstanding. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school has a well-organised, ambitious and broad curriculum, and reading and phonics are given high priority. Early years staff are highly skilled and focus sharply on communication and vocabulary, helping children become well prepared for Year 1. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and achieve well. Pupils are respectful, behave well, and benefit from a range of clubs, responsibilities and personal development opportunities. Governors provide effective challenge and support, and staff enjoy working at the school. The main area for improvement is that staff do not always respond quickly enough when pupils have finished their learning and are ready for the next step. On these occasions, pupils are not moved on swiftly enough to new learning, which can limit their progress. The school should ensure all staff are equipped to adapt learning so that all pupils progress through the curriculum.

Strengths

• Outstanding early years provision with a sharp focus on vocabulary and communication
• Ambitious and well-organised curriculum that builds logically on prior learning
• High priority given to reading and phonics, with consistently strong teaching
• Highly effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Warm, respectful relationships and a strong culture of kindness
• Pupils behave well in calm learning environments
• Effective action to improve attendance and punctuality
• Well-planned personal development, clubs and opportunities for pupils to become active citizens
• Governors provide effective challenge and support and consider staff well-being

Areas for Improvement

• Some staff do not move pupils on swiftly enough when they have finished their learning
• Staff are not consistently equipped to adapt learning so all pupils progress through the curriculum

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 Studlands Rise First School attended 95.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.1% 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, 1.2% of pupils at Studlands Rise First 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 Studlands Rise First School had 20.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.0% 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, 17.1% of pupils at Studlands Rise First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% 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 Studlands Rise First School received £6,942 and spent £6,865 for each of its 166 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £123,000 (£744 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 Royston · Cambridgeshire local authority: places and applications

What is Studlands Rise First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Studlands Rise First School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Studlands Rise First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Studlands Rise First School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Studlands Rise First School have?

Studlands Rise First School has 170 pupils on roll.

What age range does Studlands Rise First School cover?

Studlands Rise First School for pupils aged 3 to 9.

Where is Studlands Rise First School?

Studlands Rise First School is at Studlands Rise, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 9HB.