Abel Smith School, Hertford
Abel Smith School is a primary school for pupils aged 3 to 11 in Hertford. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in July 2024. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 7th-highest of the 12 schools in Hertford with published results, and 8,618th of 14,452 across England. It was full in 2025, at 101% of capacity.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2024)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Abel Smith School in detail
Abel Smith School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "At Abel Smith School, everything we do is guided by a shared belief that every child deserves a stimulating and engaging education that nurtures both academic success and personal development. Our aim is for all children to enjoy learning, grow in confidence and leave us as independent, life-long learners."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Coming up: an open day on Wednesday 4 November 2026, an open day on Wednesday 11 November 2026 and an open day on Wednesday 9 December 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Hertfordshire
Headteacher's welcome (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 83% of Year 6 pupils at Abel Smith School reached the expected standard in reading and 66% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 90% in reading and 93% in maths in 2024.
With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.
Getting a place at Abel Smith School
For September 2026 entry, 32 families put Abel Smith School as their first choice and 177 named it as one of their preferences, for 29 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 5 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Abel Smith School are Mill Mead Primary Academy (0.5 miles); Morgans Primary School & Nursery (0.6 miles, Good, 72% reading, 74% maths); Wheatcroft Primary School (0.8 miles, Good, 83% reading, 77% maths); and Bengeo Primary School (1 mile, Outstanding, 82% reading, 79% maths).
Abel Smith School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 3 schools.
Mill Mead Primary AcademyMorgans Primary School & NurseryWheatcroft Primary SchoolBengeo Primary School
Who goes there
8.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 28 pupils (12.4%) received SEN support and 14 (6.2%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hertford East Rail Station, about 420 metres away (roughly a 5-minute walk).
18 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Park Road (opposite), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Abel Smith School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Abel Smith School issued 2 suspensions, 0.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Abel Smith School are Simon Balle All-Through School (0.2 miles), Richard Hale School (0.3 miles), The Sele School (1.3 miles) and The Chauncy School (1.8 miles).
Simon Balle All-Through SchoolRichard Hale SchoolThe Sele SchoolThe Chauncy School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are extremely proud of their school. They believe in themselves and are aspirational for their futures. Pupils enthusiastically engage in exciting learning activities that are well designed to develop their knowledge. They work hard to meet their teacher's high expectations. As a result, the writing in their books is exceptionally well crafted and beautifully presented.
Teachers use their expert subject knowledge to teach the well-constructed curriculum. As a result, pupils are highly knowledgeable about the subjects they learn. They can use complex vocabulary to explain their thinking. This means pupils are articulate and ready for the next stage in education and their futures.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum plans are meticulously well structured and logically ordered. They provide teachers with detailed guidance on what to teach and when. Effective staff training means teachers have strong subject knowledge. They impart this well to pupils. As a result, pupils show a deep understanding of each subject. Staff break down learning into small steps. This supports pupils to learn new knowledge securely. Teachers skilfully check pupils' understanding and address misconceptions quickly and accurately. This means that pupils do not develop and use errors. The children in the early years are remarkably well prepared for Year 1. Their work shows that they are working above age-expected standards. This continues to be the case as they proceed through the school. Pupils achieve exceptionally well across all subjects.
From Ofsted's July 2024 inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its July 2024 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
8.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 90% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 93% to 66% (2024 to 2025). Writing has declined from 80% to 72% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
28.3
Avg class size
29.3
Infant (KS1)
29.3
KS2
8
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Abel Smith School
Abel Smith Spotlight Summer 1 2026
4 Sep 2026
Abel Smith Spotlight Summer 2 2026
24 Jul 2026
Abel Smith Spotlight Spring 2 2026
1 Apr 2026
Abel Smith Spotlight Spring 1 2026
1 Feb 2026
Abel Smith Spotlight Autumn 1 2025
23 Jan 2026
Abel Smith Spotlight Autumn 2 2025
23 Jan 2026
From Abel Smith School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Abel Smith School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Abel Smith School.
- Sports NinjasAt the school · Not yet graded
Term dates
Abel Smith School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Abel Smith School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Abel Smith School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 40
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 40 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 33 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle.
6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Abel Smith School
Will you get a place at Abel Smith School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Abel Smith School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Abel Smith School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Abel Smith School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Abel Smith School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hertfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
101%
Over capacity
208 pupils
205 places
3 pupils over capacity in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Hertford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hertford
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
14,776
Applications
12,543
Got 1st preference
89.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
28
SEN Support
14
EHC Plans
18.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
226
Total Pupils
109
Boys
117
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
20.5:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£48,386
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,593
Per pupil
£1269k
Total funding
£41k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
4.4%
Overall absence
10.1%
Persistent absence
188
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Abel Smith School
What are SATs results like at Abel Smith School?
Of the pupils at Abel Smith School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 83% reached the expected standard in reading and 66% did so in maths.
What is Abel Smith School's Ofsted rating?
Abel Smith School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in July 2024.
What is the catchment area for Abel Smith School?
No fixed boundary. When Abel Smith School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Abel Smith School?
Abel Smith School was full in 2025, at 101% of its capacity, so places are allocated on the oversubscription criteria.
How big are the classes at Abel Smith School?
Classes at Abel Smith School average 28.3 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Abel Smith School?
Abel Smith School has around 226 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Abel Smith School?
4.4% of sessions were missed at Abel Smith School in 2024/25. 10.1% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Abel Smith School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Abel Smith School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
Does Abel Smith School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Sports Ninjas (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
What are Abel Smith School's term dates?
Abel Smith School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Abel Smith School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 40 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 33 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on a bicycle. 6 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Hertfordshire is 9 (the median across 590 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Abel Smith School?
Abel Smith School is at Churchfields, Greencoates, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 8AE.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)