Wood End School, Harpenden
Wood End School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Harpenden. It was rated Outstanding at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in November 2023. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 5th-highest of the 10 schools in Harpenden with published results, and 1,757th of 14,452 across England. For 2026 entry it had 1.3 first-choice applications for every place. It was 98% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Outstanding (2023)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- Better than England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Hertfordshire (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Wood End School in detail
Results
In 2025, 87% of Year 6 pupils at Wood End School reached the expected standard in reading and 92% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 79% and 76% in Hertfordshire and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 95% in reading and 93% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Wood End School
For September 2026 entry, 76 families put Wood End School as their first choice and 159 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.3 first choices for every place. 17 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Wood End School are Roundwood Primary School (0.6 miles, Good, 89% reading, 84% maths); St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School (1.2 miles, Good, 100% reading, 95% maths); The Lea Primary School and Nursery (1.2 miles, Good, 77% reading, 77% maths); and Harpenden Academy (1.4 miles, Good, 91% reading, 81% maths).
Wood End School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Roundwood Primary SchoolSt Nicholas CofE VA Primary SchoolThe Lea Primary School and NurseryHarpenden Academy
Who goes there
2% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.1% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (69%), Mixed (12%) and Asian (10%).
In 2026, 24 pupils (5.3%) received SEN support and 6 (1.3%) 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 autism.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Harpenden Rail Station, about 1.5 miles away in a straight line.
2 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Ridgewood Drive (adjacent), 320 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Wood End 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 11 crimes within a mile of the school, most often vehicle crime, violence and sexual offences and anti-social behaviour. That is well below the typical figure around schools in Hertfordshire (138).
Suspensions and exclusions
Wood End School recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Secondary schools nearby
The secondary schools closest to Wood End School are Roundwood Park School (0.6 miles), St George's School (1.2 miles) and Sir John Lawes School (1.5 miles).
Roundwood Park SchoolSt George's SchoolSir John Lawes School
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 3 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
Ofsted rated this school Outstanding at its November 2023 inspection.
Rated Outstanding for
Quality of education, Behaviour & attitudes, Personal development, Leadership & management, Early years.
At a Glance
2.0%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 95% to 87% (2024 to 2025). Maths has remained stable at around 92% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 92% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
30.0
Avg class size
30.0
Infant (KS1)
30.0
KS2
15
Total classes
2 classes with more than 30 pupils
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Wood End School
Term dates
Wood End School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. Training (INSET) days, when pupils are not in school, vary by school: check the school's own calendar.
2026 to 2027
- Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026)
- Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027)
- Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027)
2027 to 2028
- Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027)
- Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028)
- Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028)
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Wood End School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Wood End School is in Hertfordshire; for families living there:
- Hertfordshire's school travel policy: Read the home to school transport policy
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 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
Your chances of a place at Wood End School
Will you get a place at Wood End School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Wood End School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Wood End School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Wood End School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Hertfordshire, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Wood End School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Hertfordshire got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
98%
Near capacity
422 pupils
432 places
10 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Harpenden
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Harpenden
Across Hertfordshire council
Places available
14,776
Applications
12,543
Got 1st preference
89.1%
Got preferred school
98.4%
All primary applications across Hertfordshire council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(3)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
24
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
6.6%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
457
Total Pupils
230
Boys
227
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
17.6:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,267
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,048
Per pupil
£2245k
Total funding
£9k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
3.4%
Overall absence
5.2%
Persistent absence
366
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Questions parents ask about Wood End School
What are SATs results like at Wood End School?
Of the pupils at Wood End School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 87% reached the expected standard in reading and 92% did so in maths.
What is Wood End School's Ofsted rating?
Wood End School was rated Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection in November 2023.
What is the catchment area for Wood End School?
No fixed boundary. When Wood End School is oversubscribed, Hertfordshire allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Wood End School?
Wood End School was close to full in 2025, at 98% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Wood End School?
Classes at Wood End School average 30 pupils (2025/26). 2 classes have more than 30 pupils - infant classes are capped at 30 by law, with limited exceptions.
How many pupils go to Wood End School?
Wood End School has around 457 pupils on roll. 2% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Wood End School?
3.4% of sessions were missed at Wood End School in 2024/25. 5.2% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Wood End School?
Apply through Hertfordshire's coordinated admissions process, naming Wood End School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
What are Wood End School's term dates?
Wood End School is a community school, so its term dates are set by Hertfordshire. In 2026 to 2027: Autumn term: Tuesday 1 September to Friday 18 December 2026 (half term Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October 2026); Spring term: Monday 4 January to Thursday 25 March 2027 (half term Monday 15 February to Friday 19 February 2027); Summer term: Monday 12 April to Thursday 22 July 2027 (half term Monday 31 May to Friday 4 June 2027). In 2027 to 2028: Autumn term: Wednesday 1 September to Friday 17 December 2027 (half term Monday 25 October to Friday 29 October 2027); Spring term: Tuesday 4 January to Friday 31 March 2028 (half term Monday 14 February to Friday 18 February 2028); Summer term: Tuesday 18 April to Monday 24 July 2028 (half term Monday 29 May to Friday 2 June 2028).
How many road collisions happen near Wood End School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 0 serious and 2 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 Wood End School?
Wood End School is at Yeomans Avenue, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 3EF.
Sources: Hertfordshire term dates; Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)