Hereford College of Arts, Hereford
Hereford College of Arts is a post-16 school for pupils aged 16 to 99 in Hereford. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2023.
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Hereford College of Arts in detail
Hereford College of Arts in its own words
Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 10 December 2026, an open evening on Thursday 21 January 2027 and an open evening on Thursday 22 April 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Herefordshire, County of
Source: The school's own website
Where pupils go next
Of the 229 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 37% went on to university or other higher education, 1% to apprenticeships and 25% into work. 3% went to one of the most selective third of universities.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Hereford Rail Station, about 770 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).
10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Whittern Way Shops (opposite), 70 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hereford College of Arts stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 289 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and public order offences. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Herefordshire, County of (4), as is usual near a town centre.
Sources: DfE destination measures; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
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 · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Safeguarding: effective
Contribution to meeting skills needs: Reasonable
Source: Ofsted, further education and skills inspections and outcomes (Open Government Licence)
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its October 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management.
About
Hereford College of Arts (HCA) is an art school based in Herefordshire, United Kingdom.
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Special Measures
Sixth Form Performance (A-Level)
A-Level Results
c
Average grade
z
Best 3 A-Levels
z
Value added
1
A-Level students
2024/25 academic year
A-Level Subjects Offered
2024/25 academic year - entries by number of students
After A-Levels - Leaver Destinations
After A-Levels (Year 13) - 229 students
2023/24 data
University & Higher Education Destinations
3%
Top-third university
48%
Degree course
48%
Any L4+ destination
0%
Apprenticeships
Based on 184 students completing 16-18 study
2022/23 cohort - "Top-third" = most selective third of UK universities by student intake
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Latest from Hereford College of Arts
HCA celebrates Class of 2026 at its graduation ceremony
11 Sep 2026
New bursary to support access to degrees for Herefordshire students
4 Sep 2026
Level 2 and GCSE Results celebrations for HCA students
24 Aug 2026
Hereford named one of the UK’s top emerging creative cities
24 Aug 2026
RESULTS DAY: Students embark on an amazing range of courses and careers following another outstanding set of results at HCA
13 Aug 2026
Gallery: images from the 2026 MA Show (Fine Art)
5 Aug 2026
From Hereford College of Arts's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Hereford College of Arts
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 21
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 2
- Children hurt
- 6
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 18 slight.
6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 3 on a bicycle.
7 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 Herefordshire, County of is 2 (the median across 115 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 - Hereford
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Hereford
Across Herefordshire, County of council
Places available
1,920
Applications
1,685
Got 1st preference
91.9%
Got preferred school
98.2%
All secondary applications across Herefordshire, County of council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History(10)
Questions parents ask about Hereford College of Arts
What is Hereford College of Arts's Ofsted rating?
Hereford College of Arts was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in October 2023.
What is the catchment area for Hereford College of Arts?
No fixed boundary. When Hereford College of Arts is oversubscribed, Herefordshire, County of allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How do I apply to Hereford College of Arts?
Apply through Herefordshire, County of's coordinated admissions process, naming Hereford College of Arts 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 Hereford College of Arts?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 21 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 2 serious and 18 slight. 6 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 3 on foot and 3 on a bicycle. 7 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 Herefordshire, County of is 2 (the median across 115 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hereford College of Arts?
Hereford College of Arts is at Folly Lane, Hereford, Herefordshire, HR1 1LT.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)