Hertswood Academy, Borehamwood

In its own words: "Peter was the founding Headteacher of the Hertswood Academy Trust in 2013 and has led our academy through an era of significant, positive transformation. Under his leadership, the school successfully transitioned from a split site with outdated facilities to our state-of-the-art £34 million academy buildings , which opened in 2019."

From the headteacher's welcome: "We are delighted to welcome you to Hertswood Academy, a vibrant and ambitious school where we believe every student is capable of extraordinary achievement. We provide an engaging learning environment with an innovative curriculum, state of the art technology, quality personalised care and support, and a broad enrichment programme for all students."

Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, tennis, basketball, badminton, swimming, dance, drama, choir and chess.

Coming up: an open evening on Thursday 26 November 2026 at 5pm. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.

In 2026, pupils at Hertswood Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 35.4, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.6 in Hertfordshire and 47 across England.

29% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 53% in Hertfordshire and 47% in England.

That is down from 38.3 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.19: 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 31.1, against 37.4 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 6.3 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Social Studies, Combined Science and History.

For September 2026 entry, 165 families put Hertswood Academy as their first choice and 212 named it as one of their preferences, for 209 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 Hertswood Academy are Elstree Screen Arts Academy (0.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 33.2); Yavneh College (0.9 miles, Good, Attainment 8 59.5); Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet (2.4 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 87.1); and Mill Hill County High School (2.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 60.8).

Hertswood Academy's 2026 results were higher than 1 of these 4 schools.

71 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hertswood Academy (as of September 2025): 54% would recommend the school, 65% say their child is happy there and 51% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they are kept well informed about progress (66%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (41%).

Of the 201 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 85% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 31% to a further education college, 5% to an apprenticeship and 3% into work.

Of the 82 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 50% went on to university or other higher education, 2% to apprenticeships and 22% into work. 11% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

32.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (49%), Black (12%) and Mixed (8%).

In 2026, 120 pupils (10.5%) received SEN support and 40 (3.5%) 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.

The nearest railway station is Elstree & Borehamwood Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Hertswood Academy (opposite), 80 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 289 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Hertswood Academy issued 283 suspensions, 24.1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to Hertswood Academy are Woodlands Primary School (0.2 miles), Cowley Hill School (0.3 miles), St Teresa Catholic Primary School (0.5 miles) and Parkside Community Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.