Best Schools in Hertford

How many schools are there in Hertford?

Hertford has 22 open schools: 14 state primary, 3 state secondary or all-through, 4 independent and 1 special.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Hertford are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Hertford were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Abel Smith School, Bengeo Primary School and Simon Balle All-Through School. Counting Good as well, 88% of the 16 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.

Abel Smith SchoolBengeo Primary SchoolSimon Balle All-Through School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Hertford get the best GCSE results?

Of the 4 schools in Hertford with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Richard Hale School, with an Attainment 8 score of 54 and 61% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Simon Balle All-Through School, with an Attainment 8 score of 52.9 and 57% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Sele School, with an Attainment 8 score of 35.1 and 28% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Richard Hale SchoolSimon Balle All-Through SchoolThe Sele School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Hertford have the best SATs results?

Of the 12 primary schools in Hertford with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Ponsbourne St Mary's Church of England Primary School (92% in reading, 100% in maths); Simon Balle All-Through School (91% in reading, 95% in maths); and Watton-at-Stone Primary and Nursery School (91% in reading, 91% 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.

Ponsbourne St Mary's Church of England Primary SchoolSimon Balle All-Through SchoolWatton-at-Stone Primary and Nursery School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Hertford?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Hertford have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Hertford have no fixed catchment boundary. When a school is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire 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 Hertford?

Apply to Hertfordshire 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.