Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School

Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School has effectively maintained the standards achieved in its previous inspection and continues to provide a supportive and engaging environment for its pupils. The school offers a well-structured curriculum that fosters both academic achievement and personal growth, with a strong emphasis on values that enhance the pupils' respect for diversity and mutual understanding. Parents are very positive about the school, noting the supportive staff and the positive atmosphere that contributes to pupils' well-being and sense of belonging. While there are many strengths, including effective teaching of reading and a successful adaptation of the curriculum to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the school has identified a need for improvement in how frequently staff assess pupils' understanding. Addressing this matter will ensure that all pupils solidify their learning and meet their potential consistently over time.

Strengths

• Pupils feel proud and happy to attend the school.
• The school has developed an ambitious curriculum.
• All pupils benefit from a carefully constructed curriculum.
• There is a strong emphasis on reading, starting from early years.
• Pupils behave well and are motivated to learn.
• Parents and carers express overwhelmingly positive feedback about the school.

Areas for Improvement

• Staff do not consistently check pupils' knowledge regularly enough.

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 Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School attended 95.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.8% 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, 0.9% of pupils at Hertingfordbury Cowper 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 Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School had 21.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 34.3% 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, 9.2% of pupils at Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% 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 Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School received £6,324 and spent £6,395 for each of its 218 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £121,000 (£556 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).

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What is Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School have?

Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School has 229 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School cover?

Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 76% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School?

Hertingfordbury Cowper Primary School is at Birch Green, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG14 2LR.