Best Schools in Welwyn Garden City

How many schools are there in Welwyn Garden City?

Welwyn Garden City has 23 open schools: 16 state primary, 3 state secondary or all-through, 3 special and 1 other.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Welwyn Garden City are rated Outstanding?

3 schools in Welwyn Garden City were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Knightsfield School, Ludwick Nursery School and Lakeside School. Counting Good as well, 89% of the 18 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.

Knightsfield SchoolLudwick Nursery SchoolLakeside School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Welwyn Garden City get the best GCSE results?

Of the 4 schools in Welwyn Garden City with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Stanborough School, with an Attainment 8 score of 49.3 and 52% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Monk's Walk School, with an Attainment 8 score of 47.9 and 46% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Ridgeway Academy, with an Attainment 8 score of 37.4 and 27% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Stanborough SchoolMonk's Walk SchoolRidgeway Academy

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Welwyn Garden City have the best SATs results?

Of the 15 primary schools in Welwyn Garden City with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Panshanger Primary School (90% in reading, 90% in maths); Holwell Primary School (86% in reading, 88% in maths); and Commonswood Primary & Nursery School (88% in reading, 82% 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.

Panshanger Primary SchoolHolwell Primary SchoolCommonswood Primary & Nursery School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Welwyn Garden City?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Welwyn Garden City have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Welwyn Garden City 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 Welwyn Garden City?

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.