Bushey Meads School, Bushey

From the headteacher's welcome: "In line with our school motto Aspire to Achieve and coupled with our growth mindset culture and strong ethos, firmly underpinned by our 3Rs of Respect, Responsibility and Relationships and epitomised in our mantra ‘Our School has a Mind to Be Kind,’ we are hugely ambitious for all our students."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include STEM and Duke of Edinburgh.

In 2026, pupils at Bushey Meads School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 42.5, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.6 in Hertfordshire and 47 across England.

43% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 53% in Hertfordshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 43.6 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.45: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 24, against 48.7 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 24.7 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 27 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

For September 2026 entry, 85 families put Bushey Meads School as their first choice and 368 named it as one of their preferences, for 184 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Bushey Meads School are The Grange Academy (0.9 miles, Attainment 8 48.2); Queens' School (1.1 miles, Good, Attainment 8 56.2); Watford Grammar School for Girls (2.1 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 65.5); and Bentley Wood High School (2.3 miles, Outstanding, Attainment 8 56.6).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than Bushey Meads School.

Bushey Meads School is one of 3 schools run by Bushey St James Trust, an academy trust.

458 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Bushey Meads School (as of September 2025): 64% would recommend the school, 72% say their child is happy there and 48% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that their child feels safe (77%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (48%).

Of the 184 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 90% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 36% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 116 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 63% went on to university or other higher education, 6% to apprenticeships and 16% into work. 12% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

In 2026, 182 pupils (15.2%) received SEN support and 109 (9.1%) 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 social, emotional and mental health needs.

Bushey Meads School has a resourced provision for speech, language and communication needs: 20 places, 19 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Bushey Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.

5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Meads School (near), 130 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 81 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).

In 2024/25, Bushey Meads School issued 582 suspensions, 47.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Bushey Meads School are Little Reddings Primary School (0.3 miles), Bournehall Primary School (0.6 miles), Ashfield Junior School (0.7 miles) and Merry Hill Infant School and Nursery (0.8 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.