Layston Church of England First School
Voluntary controlled school in Buntingford, SG9 9EU, taking ages 5 to 9, 124 on roll.
Homes you looked at
How far each is from Layston Church of England First School, from its postcode's centre. Distance did not limit entry in the latest published year, on Hertfordshire's figure, so each reads Very likely.
Opened on this device and kept on it only: just their postcodes are sent, to this site, to measure them.
Sign up and the homes you open are kept in My properties, so this list is here on any phone or computer.
Will an address get in?
Distance did not limit entry in the latest published year: Hertfordshire records the furthest offer at 20.08 miles, further than any school run. Distance is not what will decide a place here.
Applying for September 2027? Primary applications close 15 January 2027; offers on 16 April 2027.
How this compares: every Hertfordshire school's distance, tightest first →
No circle to draw: 20.08 miles is not a distance limit.
How to read this
Most English schools do not have a catchment area. When Layston Church of England First School is oversubscribed, places go outward from the school until they run out, so the distance moves each year with how many families applied and where they lived.
Distances are measured from the postcode's centre, not a front door; a postcode covers a few houses. Siblings, looked-after children and faith criteria come before distance, so a school can fill before distance counts at all.
With no distance limit the map shows the school and the postcode you check, and claims nothing about a boundary.
The address on the closing date is the one the council uses. How admissions work.
Source: Hertfordshire, published admission distances
Two schools, both in reach
Two children, or a first and second preference? Add a second school to see where both are in reach, cheapest districts first. Only a school with a published distance can be added.
If the answer is no, you can appeal. In Hertfordshire, 109 of 519 secondary appeals succeeded in 2025 (21.0%; England 19.9%), counted for all the council's schools together. How every council compares.
Other schools nearby with a published distance
The closest schools to Layston Church of England First School that also have a council-published admission distance, nearest first.
| School | Phase | Admitted from | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edwinstree Church of England Middle School Both in reach | Secondary | 1.6 mi | 0.4 mi |
| Millfield First and Nursery School Both in reach | Primary | 2.73 mi | 0.5 mi |
| Buntingford First School Both in reach | Primary | 8.61 mi | 0.9 mi |
| Anstey First School Both in reach | Primary | 1.25 mi | 3.1 mi |
| Sandon Junior Mixed and Infant School Both in reach | Primary | 5.86 mi | 4.0 mi |
The distance as a picture
What kind of school this is
| Religious character | Church of England |
| Sixth form | Does not have a sixth form |
| How full | 124 pupils in 150 places (83% full) |
| Local authority | Hertfordshire |
Department for Education register (GIAS).
How the school is doing
| Ofsted | Requires improvement, inspected 12 February 2024 |
Ofsted, and the Department for Education's published performance data.
Who goes to Layston Church of England First School
| Girls and boys | 51.6% girls, 48.4% boys |
| English as an additional language | 3.2% of pupils |
| Free school meals | 21.8% of pupils eligible |
DfE school census, most recent published year.
Getting to Layston Church of England First School by bus
Best-served stop: The Crown Inn, 0.3 mi away, with 2.1 buses an hour on weekday daytimes; first bus 06:17, last 21:45.
Every stop within 600 m
| Stop | From the school | Weekday daytime, an hour | Evening | Sunday | Routes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgefoot | 0.2 mi | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 331, 36A, 836 |
| Bridgefoot | 0.2 mi | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 331, 36A, 836 |
| The Crown Inn | 0.3 mi | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 331, 36, 18, 36A, 831, 836 |
These are scheduled departures, not buses observed running. Two stops on opposite sides of a road are two rows.
Source: operators' timetables on the Bus Open Data Service (Department for Transport), week of 8 Sep 2026
The fee-paying alternative
Weighing Layston Church of England First School against the independent sector? Every fee-paying school around SG9: ages, selection, and how full each one is → What it costs to live at SG9 9EU, by the school: council tax, energy, prices, rent, stamp duty →
Checking the house as well as the school
The full report checks one address against every nearby school, with sold prices, flood risk and crime.
Common questions
What is the catchment area for Layston Church of England First School?
Layston Church of England First School does not have one in the sense most people mean. Like most English schools, an oversubscribed year offers places outward from the school until they run out. The nearest thing to an answer: the furthest child admitted in the latest published year lived 20.08 miles away, per Hertfordshire.
How close do I need to live to get a place at Layston Church of England First School?
Nobody can say in advance, and anyone who does is guessing. 20.08 miles was enough in the latest published year. The distance moves every year with the number of applications, so treat last year's figure as evidence, not a promise.
Does buying a house near Layston Church of England First School guarantee a place?
No. Admission criteria usually put looked-after children, siblings and faith criteria ahead of distance, so places can be filled before distance is reached. Councils also check that the address is genuinely where the child lives.
Every Hertfordshire school's distance
All Hertfordshire schools with a published admission distance, tightest first →
How school admissions actually work, and what the distance means →
Put Layston Church of England First School's figure on your own site
A small badge with the published distance that links back here, for a school website, parents' group or forum.
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Admission distance published by Hertfordshire. School details from the Department for Education's register, ratings from Ofsted. Read how every figure on this site is sourced on the methodology page. If something here looks wrong, tell us and it goes on the accuracy log.