The Purcell School, Bushey
The Purcell School is an independent school for pupils aged 8 to 19 in Bushey. It is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted; its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in April 2025.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
The Purcell School in detail
The Purcell School in its own words
In its own words: "The Purcell School is honoured to have His Majesty King Charles III as our Royal Patron. The former Prince of Wales became Patron of The Purcell School in March 1985 and, following his accession, has confirmed the continued patronage of the School."
From the headteacher's welcome: "The Purcell School is a lively, vibrant and energetic community of young musicians who are united by a common passion for music and driven by a collective ambition to become the finest version of themselves possible."
Clubs and activities named on the school's website include football, netball, basketball, badminton, multi-sports, running, yoga, dance and art.
Coming up: an open day on Sunday 31 January 2027. Check the school's website before you go, as dates can change.
All school open days in Hertfordshire
Vision and values (school website)Headteacher's welcome (school website)Clubs (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Purcell School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other independent schools to The Purcell School are Gurukula - The Hare Krishna Primary School (0.5 miles); Longwood School (0.5 miles, Good); Edge Grove School (1.5 miles, selective); and St Margaret's School (1.5 miles).
Gurukula - The Hare Krishna Primary SchoolLongwood SchoolEdge Grove SchoolSt Margaret's School
Where pupils go next
Of the 36 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 97% went on to university or other higher education.
Who goes there
In 2026, 27 pupils (14.1%) received SEN support and 2 (1%) had an education, health and care plan.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Watford High Street Rail Station, about 1.2 miles away in a straight line.
4 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Queens' School (ne-bound), 130 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood The Purcell School stands in is among the 20% least deprived neighbourhoods in England. On income deprivation affecting children it is in the 7th decile, where the 1st is the most deprived. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE destination measures; 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
29 April 2025
Short Visit
27 February 2023
Educational Quality / Focused Compliance
10 May 2022
Short Visit
2 November 2020
Regulatory Compliance
7 February 2018
Integrated
11 November 2014
About
The Purcell School for Young Musicians is a specialist private music school for children, located in the town of Bushey, south Hertfordshire, England, and is the oldest specialist music school in the UK. The school was awarded the UNESCO Mozart Medal in 2003, which was received on behalf of the school by Charles III, who is a patron of the...
From Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
At a Glance
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Secondary Performance (GCSE)
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Purcell School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
GCSE Subjects Offered
2025/26 academic year - entries by number of pupils
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby all-through schools
Latest from The Purcell School
Weekly Highlights 2nd October 2026
1 Oct 2026
Weekly Highlights 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Weekly Highlights 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Weekly Highlights 3rd July 2026
3 Jul 2026
Weekly Highlights 22nd June 2026
22 Jun 2026
Weekly Highlights 12th June 2026
12 Jun 2026
From The Purcell School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with The Purcell School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near The Purcell School.
- North Bushey Baptist Church540m away · Not yet graded
- Marie Redmond Tuition860m away · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 10
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 3
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 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
87%
Available places
192 pupils
220 places
28 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Bushey
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Bushey
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
27
SEN Support
2
EHC Plans
15.1%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
No need-level breakdown available
Pupil Demographics
Key Indicators
192
Total Pupils
91
Boys
101
Girls
2026 academic year
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
The Purcell School
Showing 10 of 11 linked schools
Questions parents ask about The Purcell School
What are GCSE results like at The Purcell School?
The Department for Education's GCSE measures do not count IGCSEs, which many independent schools take instead of GCSEs, so the Attainment 8 and English and maths figures it publishes for The Purcell School can understate its results. We do not rank or compare them; ask the school for its own GCSE and IGCSE results.
When was The Purcell School last inspected?
The Purcell School is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) rather than Ofsted. Its most recent ISI inspection was a routine inspection in April 2025.
How many pupils go to The Purcell School?
The Purcell School has around 192 pupils on roll.
How do I apply to The Purcell School?
The Purcell 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.
Does The Purcell School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists 2 out-of-school clubs within a kilometre of The Purcell School: North Bushey Baptist Church (540m away, registered, not yet graded) and Marie Redmond Tuition (860m away, registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near The Purcell School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 10 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 3 serious and 7 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 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 The Purcell School?
The Purcell School is at Aldenham Road, Bushey, Bushey, WD23 2TS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)