Best Schools in Hitchin

How many schools are there in Hitchin?

Hitchin has 33 open schools: 27 state primary, 3 state secondary or all-through, 1 independent, 1 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Hitchin are rated Outstanding?

7 schools in Hitchin were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Samuel Lucas Primary School; St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hitchin; Hitchin Boys' School; William Ransom Primary School; York Road Nursery School; and 2 more. Counting Good as well, 91% of the 32 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.

Samuel Lucas Primary SchoolSt Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, HitchinHitchin Boys' SchoolWilliam Ransom Primary SchoolYork Road Nursery School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Hitchin get the best GCSE results?

Of the 3 schools in Hitchin with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Hitchin Girls' School, with an Attainment 8 score of 61.8 and 75% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Hitchin Boys' School, with an Attainment 8 score of 56.8 and 65% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and The Priory School, with an Attainment 8 score of 46.5 and 51% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Hitchin Girls' SchoolHitchin Boys' SchoolThe Priory School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Hitchin have the best SATs results?

Of the 22 primary schools in Hitchin with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hitchin (94% in reading, 90% in maths); Ickleford Primary School (90% in reading, 90% in maths); and Offley Endowed Primary School and Nursery (88% in reading, 88% 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.

St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, HitchinIckleford Primary SchoolOffley Endowed Primary School and Nursery

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Hitchin?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Hitchin have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Hitchin 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 Hitchin?

Apply to your council - Hertfordshire or Central Bedfordshire, 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.