Voluntary controlled school · Hertfordshire

Preston Primary School

4–11Ages
60Pupils
PrimaryPhase
Church of EnglandReligious character
117403URN

Back Lane, Preston, Hitchin, SG4 7UJ · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Feb 2024 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.6per place

close to Hertfordshire median (2.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther primary schools in Hertfordshire

18 applications for 7 places

Every year since 2014

SATs · reading, writing and maths · 2024/25

27%met the expected standard

Hertfordshire 67% England 64%

Reading, writing and maths

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 7 February 2024Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes	Outstanding
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good
Early years provision		Good

Inspection history

7 February 2024
Graded inspection: Good
3 February 2022
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)

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

2.6applications per place, Reception

close to Hertfordshire median (2.6) 0.4 above England median (2.2)

18 applications · 7 places offered · 6 named it first

FaithMay give priority to families of the faith.

2026 2.6; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2025 3.6; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2024 2.7; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2023 4.0; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2022 2.1; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2021 3.6; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2020 2.5; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2019 1.9; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2018 3.2; Hertfordshire median median 2.7
2017 3.6; Hertfordshire median median 2.6
2016 3.7; Hertfordshire median median 2.9
2015 2.2; Hertfordshire median median 2.8
2014 2.6; Hertfordshire median median 2.7

This school
Hertfordshire 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	7	18	2.6	6	0.86
Sep 2025	5	18	3.6	5	1.00
Sep 2024	6	16	2.7	5	0.83
Sep 2023	4	16	4.0	4	1.00
Sep 2022	11	23	2.1	9	0.82
Sep 2021	7	25	3.6	7	1.00
Sep 2020	8	20	2.5	7	0.88
Sep 2019	13	25	1.9	7	0.54
Sep 2018	10	32	3.2	10	1.00
Sep 2017	10	36	3.6	8	0.80
Sep 2016	10	37	3.7	9	0.90
Sep 2015	15	33	2.2	13	0.87
Sep 2014	14	36	2.6	11	0.79

How did pupils do in SATs?

DfE KS2 · 2024/25

Reading 64% · Writing 27% · Maths 55% → all three 27% met the expected standard, End of Year 6

Reading, writing and maths: expected standard27%326th of 331 in Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire 67% England 64%

Reading

Expected standard64%

Hertfordshire 80% England 78%

Higher standard18%

Hertfordshire 38% England 33%

Average scaled score 103 (100 = expected standard)

Writing

Expected standard27%

Hertfordshire 75% England 75%

Greater depth0%

Hertfordshire 14% England 12%

Maths

Expected standard55%

Hertfordshire 79% England 77%

Higher standard27%

Hertfordshire 30% England 24%

Average scaled score 103 (100 = expected standard)

This school
Hertfordshire median
England median

Every year as a table

Year	Expected standard	Higher standard	Reading score	Maths score
2024/25	27%	0%	103	103
2023/24	55%	18%	107	106
2022/23	71%	0%	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

Preston Primary SchoolThis school
This school

Good2024

2.6applications per place 27%met the SATs standard
St Ippolyts Church of England Aided Primary School
3.2 km · Hertfordshire

Good2023

2.1applications per place 75%met the SATs standard
St Paul's Walden Primary School
3.4 km · Hertfordshire

Good2024

1.6applications per place 71%met the SATs standard
Breachwood Green Junior Mixed and Infant School
3.7 km · Hertfordshire

2026

1.9applications per place 57%met the SATs standard
Whitehill Junior School
4.1 km · Hertfordshire

Remains Good · improving2023

72%met the SATs standard
Highbury Infant School and Nursery
4.4 km · Hertfordshire

Remains Good2022

2.9applications per place
Wymondley Junior Mixed and Infant School
4.5 km · Hertfordshire

Good2023

2.7applications per place 71%met the SATs standard
Offley Endowed Primary School and Nursery
4.6 km · Hertfordshire

Good2023

1.3applications per place 80%met the SATs standard
Samuel Lucas Primary School
4.8 km · Hertfordshire

Outstanding2023

3.6applications per place 75%met the SATs standard

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

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Voluntary controlled school
Phase: Primary
URN · DfE number: 117403 · 919/3034
Religious character: Church of England
Capacity: 105 pupils · 60 on roll
Free school meals: 3.3% of pupils (England median 23%)
Address: Back Lane, Preston, Hitchin, SG4 7UJ
Local authority: Hertfordshire · North Hertfordshire

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