St Hilda's School, Harpenden
St Hilda's School is an independent school for girls aged 2 to 11 in Harpenden. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in February 2024.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
St Hilda's School in detail
St Hilda's School in its own words
In its own words: "St Hilda's is an independent school in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, for girls from rising 2 to 11 years. St Hilda's also admits a limited number of boys into each of the Pre-Nursery and Nursery classes to accommodate sibling requirements. At St Hilda's School, we welcome all children irrespective of race, religion, culture or disability."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, cricket, tennis, athletics, gymnastics, dance, drama, choir and orchestra.
The school runs after-school care until 6:00pm.
Coming up: an open day on Thursday 12 November 2026 at 9.30am. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Hertfordshire
Vision and values (school website)Clubs (school website)Wraparound care (school website)Open days on the school's site (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to St Hilda's School are The King's School (0.7 miles); Aldwickbury School (1.6 miles); Oakwood Primary School (4.1 miles); and St Albans High School for Girls (4.5 miles, selective).
The King's SchoolAldwickbury SchoolOakwood Primary SchoolSt Albans High School for Girls
Who goes there
In 2026, 48 pupils (35.8%) received SEN support and 0 (0%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Harpenden Rail Station, about 1040 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Aplins Clopse, 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood St Hilda's School stands in is among the 10% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
In August 2026, police recorded 71 crimes within a mile of the school, most often anti-social behaviour, violence and sexual offences and other theft. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).
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
Key Information
DfE GIASISI Inspection Reports
Independent schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted.
Routine Inspection
13 February 2024
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
1 October 2019
Regulatory Compliance
22 November 2016
Integrated
12 February 2013
Fees for 2026/27
Day fees, per year
£17,496 to £20,088
depending on year group
| Reception - standard fee | £17,496 a year |
| Forms I & II (Years 1 & 2) | £18,180 a year |
| Forms III & IV (Years 3 & 4) | £19,566 a year |
| Forms V & VI (Years 5 & 6) | £20,088 a year |
Including VAT. From the school's own fee schedule; check with the school before you rely on it.
Private school fees in Hertfordshire - 12 schools' published fees side by side
At a Glance
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 2 nearby schools
Latest from St Hilda's School
Prep School vs State Primary: What Hertfordshire Parents Should Know
30 Sep 2026
A Royal Visit
29 Sep 2026
Finding their Voice: Celebrating National Poetry Day
28 Sep 2026
What to Expect at Our Open Morning on 3rd October
24 Sep 2026
St Hilda’s Hub is Here: Helping Every Child Thrive in Maths
21 Sep 2026
A Warm Welcome to Our New Nursery and Reception Families
18 Sep 2026
From St Hilda's School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with St Hilda's School
Getting There
Train Stations
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 9
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 1
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
2 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
School Occupancy
74%
Available places
134 pupils
182 places
48 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Harpenden
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Harpenden
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.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
48
SEN Support
0
EHC Plans
35.8%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
134
Total Pupils
10
Boys
124
Girls
2026 academic year
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about St Hilda's School
When was St Hilda's School last inspected?
St Hilda's School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in February 2024.
How many pupils go to St Hilda's School?
St Hilda's School has around 134 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to St Hilda's School?
St Hilda's School is an independent school and runs its own admissions rather than going through the local authority. Contact the school directly for entry requirements, assessment dates, fees and any bursaries.
How many road collisions happen near St Hilda's School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 9 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 1 serious and 8 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 2 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 St Hilda's School?
St Hilda's School is at 28 Douglas Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2ES.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)