Haywood Grove School, Hemel Hempstead
Haywood Grove School is a special school for pupils aged 5 to 11 in Hemel Hempstead. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2014. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2024 did not change this grade.
- Ofsted
- Good (2014)
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Haywood Grove School in detail
Haywood Grove School in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "Haywood Grove is a Hertfordshire maintained special school for primary aged children with social, emotional, and mental health difficulties (SEMH). This means that they have extremely complex needs and experience high levels of stress that impacts on their daily functioning through behaviour that is detrimental to their own well-being and sometimes to the well-being of those around them."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Haywood Grove School are Redbourn Park School (0.3 miles, Good); The Collett School (1.8 miles, Good); Woodfield School (2.1 miles, Outstanding); and St Luke's School (2.8 miles, Good).
Redbourn Park SchoolThe Collett SchoolWoodfield SchoolSt Luke's School
Who goes there
80.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 1.6% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (74%) and Mixed (10%).
Almost every pupil at Haywood Grove School has an education, health and care plan (62 of 62 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Haywood Grove School provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hemel Hempstead Rail Station, about 2.8 miles away in a straight line.
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Eastbrook Schools (near), 20 metres away.
The area around the school
In August 2026, police recorded 213 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138), as is usual near a town centre.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Haywood Grove School issued 2 suspensions, 3.3 for every 100 pupils, and no permanent exclusions.
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; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoThis judgement is from October 2014, 12 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Latest (ungraded) inspection: The school remains Good.
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Good at its October 2014 inspection - up from Requires Improvement.
Rated Good for
Leadership & management.
At a Glance
80.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
SEMH
SEN Provision
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Latest from Haywood Grove School
Family Lives
29 Sep 2026
MHST Parent/Carer Workshops
21 Sep 2026
Family Lives
21 Sep 2026
Family Lives
16 Sep 2026
Family Lives
11 Sep 2026
DSPL8
8 Sep 2026
From Haywood Grove School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Keep up with Haywood Grove School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Haywood Grove School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Haywood Grove 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
- 14
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 - Hemel Hempstead
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hemel Hempstead
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(8)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
62
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Haywood Grove 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
62
Total Pupils
55
Boys
7
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
11
Teachers
5.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£52,334
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
10.6%
Overall absence
28.3%
Persistent absence
60
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Haywood Grove School
Questions parents ask about Haywood Grove School
What are SATs results like at Haywood Grove School?
Of the pupils at Haywood Grove School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Haywood Grove School's Ofsted rating?
Haywood Grove School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2014, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Haywood Grove School?
No fixed boundary. When Haywood Grove School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Haywood Grove School?
Haywood Grove School has around 62 pupils on roll. 81% are eligible for free school meals.
Does Haywood Grove School have specialist SEN provision?
Haywood Grove School provides for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
What is attendance like at Haywood Grove School?
10.6% of sessions were missed at Haywood Grove School in 2024/25. 28.3% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Haywood Grove School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Haywood Grove 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 Haywood Grove School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 14 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 11 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was 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 Haywood Grove School?
Haywood Grove School is at St Agnell's Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 7BG.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)