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Schools across Hertfordshire

Local authority · 590 schools across 57 towns

New inspection results and open days, weekly by email.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close in 4 days

Deadline Saturday 31 October 2026. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 1 March.

Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days

Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.

Year 7 dates to calendar Reception dates to calendarHow to apply in Hertfordshire →

Schools in Hertfordshire (590)

Showing 20 of 590 schools

Total Schools

590

398 primary · 82 secondary

Total Pupils

222,742

93% capacity used

Ofsted Rated

166

38 outstanding · 128 good

Capacity

240,218

17,476 spare places

Ofsted Ratings

128
420
Outstanding: 38
Good: 128
Requires Improvement: 4
Not inspected: 420

Best Schools in Hertfordshire

View the full league table - ranked by Ofsted, Progress 8, KS2 results and more

Area Performance (2026)

Attainment 8

44.5

GCSE Eng+Maths

42.3%

School Capacity

Primary Schools

90% full
100,098 pupils111,763 capacity

11,665 spare places

Secondary Schools

97% full
91,323 pupils94,260 capacity

2,937 spare places

Pupil Absence

Avg Overall Absence

6.1%

2024/25

Avg Persistent Absence

15.2%

2024/25

Schools Reporting

496

2024/25

Absence trend across Hertfordshire schools

4.6%
18/19
4.2%
20/21
7%
21/22
6.7%
22/23
6.5%
23/24
6.1%
24/25

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Average across all open schools in this LA.

EHCP Timeliness

Issued Within 20 Weeks

60%

Plans Issued

2,631

Assessment Requests

3,340

Tribunal Cases

168

EHCP timeliness trend (% issued within 20 weeks)

87%
2019
79%
2020
77%
2021
32%
2022
42%
2023
55%
2024
60%
2025

Source: DfE EHCP timeliness statistics. Shows how quickly this LA issues Education, Health and Care Plans.

Admission Appeals

2026 admission appeals by school phase

Primary

17,411 admissions

319

Lodged

(1.8%)

155

Heard

21

Successful

(14%)

Primary (infant classes)

13,861 admissions

185

Lodged

(1.3%)

92

Heard

5

Successful

(5%)

Secondary

18,290 admissions

722

Lodged

(3.9%)

515

Heard

92

Successful

(18%)

Total

35,701 admissions

1,041

Lodged

(2.9%)

670

Heard

113

Successful

(17%)

Total appeals lodged per year

2826
2019
2830
2020
2444
2021
2498
2022
2412
2023
2070
2024
2578
2025
2267
2026

Source: DfE admission appeals statistics. Shows how competitive school places are in this area.

Towns in Hertfordshire

St Albans

57 schools

Watford

51 schools

Hemel Hempstead

50 schools

Stevenage

42 schools

Hitchin

30 schools

Waltham Cross

24 schools

Ware

23 schools

Rickmansworth

23 schools

Hertford

22 schools

Welwyn Garden City

22 schools

Bishop's Stortford

19 schools

Harpenden

19 schools

Bushey

19 schools

Hatfield

19 schools

Borehamwood

14 schools

Berkhamsted

14 schools

Letchworth Garden City

14 schools

Potters Bar

13 schools

Hoddesdon

11 schools

Royston

9 schools

Questions parents ask about schools in Hertfordshire

How many schools are there in Hertfordshire?

Hertfordshire has 590 open schools: 398 state primary, 85 state secondary or all-through, 47 independent, 36 special and 24 others.

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Which schools in Hertfordshire are rated Outstanding?

97 schools in Hertfordshire were rated Outstanding at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection: Rhodes Wood Hospital School; Letchmore Infants' and Nursery School; St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St Albans; Abel Smith School; Parmiter's School; and 92 more. Counting Good as well, 94% of the 493 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.

Rhodes Wood Hospital SchoolLetchmore Infants' and Nursery SchoolSt Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, St AlbansAbel Smith SchoolParmiter's School

Source: Ofsted

Which secondary schools in Hertfordshire get the best GCSE results?

Of the 85 schools in Hertfordshire with 2026 GCSE results, the highest Attainment 8 scores - the average grade across a pupil's best eight GCSEs - were at Dame Alice Owen's School, with an Attainment 8 score of 73.6 and 91% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; Watford Grammar School for Boys, with an Attainment 8 score of 66.3 and 84% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above; and Sandringham School, with an Attainment 8 score of 65.7 and 84% passing English and maths at grade 5 or above. Progress 8, the DfE's value-added measure, was not published for 2026.

Dame Alice Owen's SchoolWatford Grammar School for BoysSandringham School

Source: DfE school performance data

Which primary schools in Hertfordshire have the best SATs results?

Of the 334 primary schools in Hertfordshire with 2025 Key Stage 2 results, the highest shares of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and maths were at Great Gaddesden Church of England Primary School (100% in reading, 100% in maths); Rickmansworth Park Junior Mixed and Infant School (100% in reading, 97% in maths); and St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School (100% in reading, 95% 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.

Great Gaddesden Church of England Primary SchoolRickmansworth Park Junior Mixed and Infant SchoolSt Nicholas CofE VA Primary School

Source: DfE school performance data

Are there grammar schools in Hertfordshire?

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

Source: DfE Get Information About Schools

Do schools in Hertfordshire have catchment areas?

Most state schools in Hertfordshire 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 Hertfordshire?

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.

Explore More

The Great School Divide
Anatomy of Outstanding
League Tables