Fairfields Primary School and Nursery

Fairfields Primary School and Nursery continues to deliver a good quality of education, showcasing warm and respectful pupils who engage positively in their learning. The school offers a broad curriculum and prioritizes the development of children's language and communication skills from the early years. Pupils feel safe and happy, supported by high expectations from staff, and participate in a variety of extracurricular activities that enhance their learning experience. Overall, the environment is nurturing, fostering resilience and a positive attitude towards mistakes as part of the learning process. However, there are some areas for improvement, specifically regarding the subject knowledge of a few teachers which impacts the effectiveness of teaching in some subjects. Leaders are aware and are addressing this issue to ensure all pupils receive a consistent and comprehensive learning experience across the curriculum. This is the first inspection since the school's last rating of good in September 2017, and the staff are committed to maintaining and improving the standards of education.

Strengths

• Pupils display warm manners and mature attitudes.
• Strong emphasis on personal development alongside academics.
• Broad and rich curriculum that engages pupils.
• Effective early reading and phonics programs in place.
• Skilled teachers support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
• Pupils feel safe and are happy at school.
• High expectations from staff leading to positive pupil engagement.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent subject knowledge among some teachers affects teaching effectiveness.
• Gaps in knowledge for pupils in a few subjects due to teaching issues.

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 Fairfields Primary School and Nursery attended 95.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.9% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Fairfields Primary School and Nursery 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 Fairfields Primary School and Nursery had 22.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 9.4% of pupils at Fairfields Primary School and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% 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 Fairfields Primary School and Nursery received £6,442 and spent £6,591 for each of its 458 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £162,000 (£354 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 Waltham Cross · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Fairfields Primary School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Fairfields Primary School and Nursery is Good, from an inspection in May 2023.

When was Fairfields Primary School and Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Fairfields Primary School and Nursery was last inspected in May 2023.

How many pupils does Fairfields Primary School and Nursery have?

Fairfields Primary School and Nursery has 467 pupils on roll.

What age range does Fairfields Primary School and Nursery cover?

Fairfields Primary School and Nursery for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Fairfields Primary School and Nursery's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 68% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Fairfields Primary School and Nursery?

Fairfields Primary School and Nursery is at Rosedale Way, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, EN7 6JG.