John F Kennedy Catholic School, Hemel Hempstead

Ofsted's report card from its 12 May 2026 inspection grades John F Kennedy Catholic School on 7 areas: 1 strong standard and 6 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The well-planned programme of personal development enables pupils to develop a secure and detailed understanding of key topics such as healthy relationships and living in the wider world."

Achievement - Expected standard. "Typically, pupils at this school achieve well, which is reflected in their results in national examinations."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Pupils enjoy coming to school."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "The curriculum is ambitious and well planned."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have created a culture of inclusion in the school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The caring and committed leadership team is ambitious for all pupils in the school."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "Leaders have a secure understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the sixth form."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to implement strategies to improve attendance for disadvantaged pupils"; "Leaders should ensure that teachers confidently and consistently implement adaptations to their teaching based on pupils' identified additional needs"; "Leaders should continue to use their thorough analysis of post-16 students' learning and performance to inform adaptations to teaching and the curriculum to improve students' outcomes".

From the headteacher's welcome: "I hope the information it contains will give you a flavour of our school. JFK is a successful school with a real sense of purpose. At the heart of our endeavours is our very understanding of the word 'education' - its Latin derivation meaning 'to draw out'."

In 2026, pupils at John F Kennedy Catholic School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 51.9, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 50.6 in Hertfordshire and 47 across England.

63% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 53% in Hertfordshire and 47% in England.

That is up from 47.9 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.15: pupils made above 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 39.7, against 53.9 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.2 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 22 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Religious Studies, Combined Science and Business Studies.

For September 2026 entry, 169 families put John F Kennedy Catholic School as their first choice and 452 named it as one of their preferences, for 174 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 18 families who put it first were not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to John F Kennedy Catholic School are Laureate Academy (0.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 42.7); The Hemel Hempstead School (1.2 miles, Attainment 8 47.3); The Adeyfield Academy (2.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 38.7); and The Astley Cooper School (2.5 miles, Good, Attainment 8 33.5).

John F Kennedy Catholic School's 2026 results were higher than all 4 of them.

John F Kennedy Catholic School is one of 14 schools run by All Saints Catholic Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Of the 178 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 38% to a further education college, 2% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 119 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 70% went on to university or other higher education, 1% to apprenticeships and 22% into work. 19% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

15.5% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 142 pupils (13.2%) received SEN support and 24 (2.2%) 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 Hemel Hempstead Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is John F Kennedy School Grounds (in), 80 metres away.

In 2024/25, John F Kennedy Catholic School issued 132 suspensions, 12.2 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to John F Kennedy Catholic School are Micklem Primary School (0.3 miles), Galley Hill Primary School and Nursery (0.5 miles), Oakleaf Primary (0.6 miles) and Pixies Hill Primary School (0.7 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.