Voluntary controlled school · Essex

Birchanger Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

4–11Ages
93Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
115127URN

Birchwood, Birchanger, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 5QL · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Report card · inspected Apr 2026

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement

Safeguarding standards met

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.8per place

0.4 above Essex median (2.4)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Essex

28 applications for 10 places

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

64%met the expected standard

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Report card · inspected 28 April 2026Published 16 June 2026 · safeguarding standards met · no overall grade
Area	Exceptional	Expected standard
Inclusion		Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching		Expected standard
Achievement		Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour		Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing		Expected standard
Early years		Expected standard
Post-16 provision	Does not apply to this school
Leadership and governance		Expected standard

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

Inspection history

28 April 2026
Report card · 7 Expected standard
5 May 2022
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.8applications per place, Reception

0.4 above Essex median (2.4) 0.6 above England median (2.2)

28 applications · 10 places offered · 10 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.8; Essex median median 2.4
2025 2.6; Essex median median 2.4
2024 3.9; Essex median median 2.4
2023 3.2; Essex median median 2.4
2022 3.5; Essex median median 2.4
2021 3.9; Essex median median 2.3
2020 3.7; Essex median median 2.4
2019 4.7; Essex median median 2.5
2018 4.3; Essex median median 2.5
2017 6.3; Essex median median 2.6
2016 3.1; Essex median median 2.8
2015 3.8; Essex median median 2.7
2014 2.8; Essex median median 2.8

More applications per place than the Essex median in 13 of 13 years.

This school
Essex median

Reception applications for September 2027 close 15 January 2027, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	10	28	2.8	10	1.00
Sep 2025	9	23	2.6	8	0.89
Sep 2024	10	39	3.9	10	1.00
Sep 2023	13	41	3.2	13	1.00
Sep 2022	15	53	3.5	21	1.40
Sep 2021	12	47	3.9	9	0.75
Sep 2020	15	56	3.7	15	1.00
Sep 2019	14	66	4.7	13	0.93
Sep 2018	15	65	4.3	17	1.13
Sep 2017	6	38	6.3	4	0.67
Sep 2016	20	61	3.1	11	0.55
Sep 2015	15	57	3.8	9	0.60
Sep 2014	15	42	2.8	10	0.67

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 91% · Writing 82% · Maths 73% → all three 64% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard64%205th of 387 in Essex

Essex 66% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard91%

Essex 79% England 78%

Higher standard0%

Essex 33% England 33%

Average scaled score 104 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard82%

Essex 76% England 75%

Greater depth18%

Essex 13% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard73%

Essex 78% England 77%

Higher standard9%

Essex 24% England 24%

Average scaled score 104 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Essex median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	64%	0%	104	104
2023/24	29%	0%	102	98
2022/23	63%	4%	107	103

Subject results are published for the latest year only. Scaled scores run from 80 to 120.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest primary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

Birchanger Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary SchoolThis school
This school

2026

2.8applications per place 64%met the SATs standard
St Mary's CofE Foundation Primary School
1.3 km · Essex

Good2022

2.2applications per place 75%met the SATs standard
All Saints Church of England Primary School and Nursery, Bishop's Stortford
1.5 km · Hertfordshire

Remains Good2023

3.2applications per place 61%met the SATs standard
Summercroft Primary School
1.5 km · Hertfordshire

Remains Good2022

2.1applications per place 73%met the SATs standard
Avanti Meadows Primary School
2.0 km · Hertfordshire

Good2024

2.6applications per place 47%met the SATs standard
Magna Carta Primary Academy
2.1 km · Essex

Standards maintained2024

3.6applications per place 69%met the SATs standard
Thorn Grove Primary School
2.6 km · Hertfordshire

Standards maintained2024

2.8applications per place 60%met the SATs standard
Bentfield Primary School and Nursery
2.7 km · Essex

Remains Good2024

2.5applications per place 71%met the SATs standard
Windhill21
3.0 km · Hertfordshire

Standards maintained2025

4.3applications per place 70%met the SATs standard

School details

Type: Voluntary controlled school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 115127 · 881/3241
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 117 pupils · 93 on roll
Free school meals: 10.8% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Birchwood, Birchanger, Bishop's Stortford, CM23 5QL
Local authority: Essex · Uttlesford

Data last changed 3 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources