Howe Dell Primary School: admissions history
How many families applied, how many places there were, and how far the last place went - every year we hold.
For September 2026 entry, 31 families put Howe Dell Primary School as their first choice and 111 named it as one of their preferences, for 42 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places, so in 2026 a family who put it first could expect an offer unless the school's other criteria ruled them out.
First-choice demand has fallen from 56 in 2021 to 31 in 2026, while places went from 59 to 42.
Across Hertfordshire, 89% of families were offered their first-choice primary school for 2026 entry, and 98% were offered one of the schools they named.
In 2025, families in Hertfordshire lodged 378 appeals against primary school offers; 177 reached a hearing and 18 succeeded (10.2% of those heard).
Applications and offers by year
| Entry year | Places offered | First choices | Named at all | First choices per place | First choices not offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 42 | 31 | 111 | 0.7 | 0 |
| 2025 | 59 | 59 | 143 | 1.0 | 6 |
| 2024 | 60 | 56 | 162 | 0.9 | 4 |
| 2023 | 60 | 67 | 172 | 1.1 | 12 |
| 2022 | 60 | 57 | 152 | 0.9 | 5 |
| 2021 | 59 | 56 | 158 | 0.9 | 3 |
| 2020 | 60 | 71 | 193 | 1.2 | 13 |
| 2019 | 60 | 57 | 173 | 0.9 | 12 |
| 2018 | 60 | 54 | 166 | 0.9 | 3 |
| 2017 | 59 | 38 | 166 | 0.6 | 1 |
| 2016 | 60 | 47 | 162 | 0.8 | 3 |
| 2015 | 60 | 53 | 174 | 0.9 | 4 |
| 2014 | 60 | 64 | 184 | 1.1 | 9 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers (school-level file). "Places offered" is the number of offers made on national offer day, which can differ from the school's published admission number.