Hailey Hall School, Hertford
Hailey Hall School is a special school for boys aged 11 to 16 in Hertford, part of Hailey Hall Academy Trust. It was rated Requires improvement at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in September 2022. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in May 2025 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Requires improvement (2022)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Hailey Hall School in detail
Hailey Hall School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "To be a centre of excellence for SEMH, where every pupil thrives and leaves confident, resilient, and ready for the next stage of life."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Hailey Hall School are Amwell View School (0.8 miles, Outstanding); Middleton School (1.6 miles, Outstanding); Pinewood School (1.7 miles, Requires improvement); and St Elizabeth's School (5.8 miles, Good).
Amwell View SchoolMiddleton SchoolPinewood SchoolSt Elizabeth's School
The trust
Hailey Hall School is run by its own single-school academy trust.
What parents say
11 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hailey Hall School (as of September 2025): 55% would recommend the school, 55% say their child is happy there and 29% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (82%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (29%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 21 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 81% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 71% to a further education college.
Who goes there
56.8% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Hailey Hall School has an education, health and care plan (81 of 81 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Hailey Hall School provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is St Margarets (Herts) Rail Station, about 1 mile away in a straight line.
8 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Margaret's Road (opposite), 220 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Hailey Hall School issued 131 suspensions, 157.8 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 1 year agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's May 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Hailey Hall School excels at helping boys who have experienced disrupted education to re-engage with learning through high expectations and well-trained staff support. The school provides excellent mental health support and teaches pupils practical strategies to manage their emotions, helping them focus in lessons and show respect. By the end of Year 11, pupils leave with secured places in college, training or work, and benefit from a mature understanding of the modern world through an outstanding personal development programme.
Key Strengths
- Strong focus on reading development with targeted interventions helping reluctant readers improve fluency and confidence
- Well-structured curriculum that builds knowledge over time with staff having strong subject knowledge
- Comprehensive personal development and careers programme including business visits, mock elections and job interview practice
- Effective emotional and mental health support with pupils learning strategies to manage emotions independently
- Clear behaviour expectations and fair consequences with tailored support for pupils who need additional help
Areas for Improvement
- Some pupils are not receiving work that is ambitious enough, limiting how highly they can achieve or delaying access to higher qualification pathways
- Whole-school approach to tackling attendance and disengagement needs strengthening - some pupils continue to miss too much school despite individual behaviour management strategies
- Attendance remains a concern for a small number of pupils, with current interventions not yet delivering sustained improvement quickly enough
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective with a strong culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Gym, computing, pool, go-karting trips, mental health ambassador roles, business visits, mock elections, job interview practice
Hailey Hall School is a special school for boys with social, emotional and mental health needs that has made significant improvements since its last inspection. The school provides well-structured education and strong pastoral support to help pupils re-engage with learning and progress to positive post-16 outcomes.
At a Glance
56.8%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
11 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Hailey Hall School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hailey Hall School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hailey Hall 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
- 7
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
3 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
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(5)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
81
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Hailey Hall School provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Source: GIAS, Department for Education.
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
81
Total Pupils
81
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
20
Teachers
4.0:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£46,859
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
23.9%
Overall absence
48.8%
Persistent absence
86
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Hailey Hall School
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Hailey Hall School
What are GCSE results like at Hailey Hall School?
In the 2026 results, pupils at Hailey Hall School achieved an Attainment 8 score of 10. 0% passed GCSE English and maths at grade 5 or above.
What is Hailey Hall School's Ofsted rating?
Hailey Hall School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in May 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in September 2022, it was rated Requires Improvement.
What is the catchment area for Hailey Hall School?
No fixed boundary. When Hailey Hall School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Hailey Hall School?
Hailey Hall School has around 81 pupils on roll. 57% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Hailey Hall School have specialist SEN provision?
Hailey Hall School provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is attendance like at Hailey Hall School?
23.9% of sessions were missed at Hailey Hall School in 2024/25. 48.8% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hailey Hall School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Hailey Hall School on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Hailey Hall School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 7 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 2 serious and 5 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 3 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 Hailey Hall School?
Hailey Hall School is at Hailey Lane, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 7PB.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)