Best Schools in Bishop's Stortford

How many schools are there in Bishop's Stortford?

Bishop's Stortford has 31 open schools: 23 state primary, 6 state secondary or all-through and 2 independent.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Bishop's Stortford are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Bishop's Stortford were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College, Windhill21 and The Bishop's Stortford High School. Counting Good as well, 92% of the 26 graded schools here are rated Good or better. Ofsted stopped giving single-word overall grades in September 2024, so these are the grades from each school's last full inspection.

The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science CollegeWindhill21The Bishop's Stortford High School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Bishop's Stortford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 5 schools in Bishop's Stortford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Hockerill Anglo-European College, with an Attainment 8 score of 62.3 and 73% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College, with an Attainment 8 score of 62 and 70% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Bishop's Stortford High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 58.8 and 73% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Hockerill Anglo-European CollegeThe Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science CollegeThe Bishop's Stortford High School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Bishop's Stortford have the best SATs results?

Of the 22 primary schools in Bishop's Stortford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Northgate Primary School (95% in reading, 98% in maths); Thorley Hill Primary School (97% in reading, 90% in maths); and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School B/S (92% in reading, 92% in maths). Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Northgate Primary SchoolThorley Hill Primary SchoolSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School B/S

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Bishop's Stortford?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Bishop's Stortford selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Bishop's Stortford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Bishop's Stortford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, the council allocates places on its published criteria - usually looked-after children first, then siblings, then home-to-school distance - so the practical cut-off moves each year. Each school's page here shows an estimate of its catchment radius.

How do I apply for a school place in Bishop's Stortford?

Apply to your council - Hertfordshire or Essex, depending on your address - through its coordinated admissions process, even for academies and faith schools. In England the closing date is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts. Independent schools run their own admissions, so apply to those directly.