Best Schools in Hereford

How many schools are there in Hereford?

Hereford has 65 open schools: 42 state primary, 9 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent, 9 special and 4 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Hereford are rated Outstanding?

14 schools in Hereford were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Riverside Primary School, The Beacon College, Fairfield High School, Hereford College of Arts, Hereford Sixth Form College and 9 more. Counting Good as well, 93% of the 55 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.

Riverside Primary SchoolThe Beacon CollegeFairfield High SchoolHereford College of ArtsHereford Sixth Form College

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Hereford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 10 schools in Hereford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at St Mary's RC High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 53.2 and 64% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Fairfield High School, with an Attainment 8 score of 51.9 and 56% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Whitecross Hereford, with an Attainment 8 score of 50.1 and 41% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

St Mary's RC High SchoolFairfield High SchoolWhitecross Hereford

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Hereford have the best SATs results?

3 of the 37 primary schools in Hereford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results had every pupil reach the expected standard in both reading and maths: Longtown Community Primary School; St Mary's Primary School, Dilwyn; and St Michael's CofE Primary School. Small schools can swing a long way from one year to the next, because each pupil is a large share of the result.

Longtown Community Primary SchoolSt Mary's Primary School, DilwynSt Michael's CofE Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Hereford?

No. None of the state secondary schools in Hereford selects pupils by ability, so every state secondary here is comprehensive.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Hereford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Hereford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Herefordshire, County of 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 Hereford?

Apply to Herefordshire, County of 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.