Duncombe School, Hertford
Duncombe School is an independent school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Hertford. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in July 2025.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Duncombe School in detail
Duncombe School in its own words
In its own words: "At Duncombe, we truly believe that every child is unique and possesses a set of talents that are all their own. It is our mission to discover and cultivate those talents in each child, providing them with the tools they need to succeed both academically and personally."
The school runs a breakfast club from 7:30am and after-school care.
Coming up: an admissions event on Thursday 5 November 2026, an open evening on Thursday 5 November 2026 and an admissions event on Thursday 19 November 2026. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Hertfordshire
Vision and values (school website)Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to Duncombe School are Hertford Prep (1.1 miles), Haileybury College (2.6 miles) and Heath Mount School (3.5 miles).
Who goes there
In 2026, 14 pupils (6.1%) received SEN support and 2 (0.9%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hertford East Rail Station, about 680 metres away (roughly a 9-minute walk).
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Cross Road (adjacent), 120 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Duncombe School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted. Ofsted last inspected this school in 3 March 2009, before the latest ISI inspection.
Routine Inspection
1 July 2025
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
14 June 2022
Regulatory Compliance
7 February 2018
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 1 nearby school
Keep up with Duncombe School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 5
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot.
2 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
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
76%
Available places
230 pupils
301 places
71 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Hertford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hertford
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
15,222
Applications
13,456
Got 1st preference
77.5%
Got preferred school
94.9%
All secondary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
14
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
7.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
230
Total Pupils
113
Boys
117
Girls
2026 academic year
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about Duncombe School
When was Duncombe School last inspected?
Duncombe School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in July 2025.
How many pupils go to Duncombe School?
Duncombe School has around 230 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to Duncombe School?
Duncombe School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near Duncombe School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 5 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 5 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt: 1 on foot. 2 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 Duncombe School?
Duncombe School is at 4 Warren Park Road, Bengeo, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG14 3JA.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)