In short: Most primary schools here are rated Good or better, about the same as across England. Results at 11 are close to England, and results at 16 were close to England in 2026. Fewer pupils miss a lot of school than across England.
Schools and nurseries17178 primary · 14 secondary · 58 nurseries
Primaries Good or better97%England 96%
Met the standard at 1163%England 62%
Grade 5 in English and maths42%Attainment 8 45.3, England 46.2
Free school meals, primary19%A sign of family income
Missed a lot of school16%England 18%
Top-rated
The highest-rated schools in Herefordshire
Primary and secondary schools are ranked by Eduscope score, which weighs up results, inspections, attendance and more. Nurseries, special and independent schools aren't ranked. A high score isn't everything: always visit.
Apply through the council where you live, even for a school in another council's area. Independent schools take applications directly.
About Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a unitary authority in the West Midlands with 78 mainstream primary schools and 14 mainstream secondary schools. Towns with the most schools include Hereford, Ross-on-Wye and Leominster. 91.9% got their first-choice secondary school, against 83.6% across England.
Good to know in Herefordshire
If your child does not qualify for free school transport in Herefordshire, you may be able to buy a spare seat on a school bus through the vacant space payment scheme. Source
Herefordshire charges parents £1,060 a year for a paid school transport place in 2026/27. Source
Herefordshire offers a personal transport budget, a payment you can use to get your child to school in your own way instead of using shared school transport. Source
For paid transport to a faith school in Herefordshire, your child must live between 3 and 15 miles away, or between 2 and 15 miles if under eight. Source
Herefordshire school transport vehicles wait a maximum of 5 minutes at a stop, and children should be at their collection point at least 5 minutes early. Source
From Herefordshire council's website, checked 7 November 2026. Check the council's pages before you apply.
If a date falls on a weekend or bank holiday, offers go out the next working day.
96.3%got their first-choice primary school in Herefordshire in 2026. England: 92.4%. Ranked 19 of 151 councils. 99.0% got one of their top three.2.1% were offered a primary school in another council. England: 3.6%.
91.9%got their first-choice secondary school in Herefordshire in 2026. England: 83.6%. Ranked 31 of 151 councils. 98.2% got one of their top three.6.6% were offered a secondary school in another council. England: 8.0%.
Source: DfE applications and offers, 2026. A low rate shows high demand, not poor schools.
4 of 9 primary appeals heard in Herefordshire succeeded in 2025. 6 of 34 secondary appeals heard in Herefordshire succeeded in 2025.
For schools that follow the council's dates. Academies, faith and foundation schools can set their own, and schools add training days. Source, checked 6 November 2026.
Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.
Numbers that sum up Herefordshire
HerefordshireEngland
Primaries rated Good or Outstanding
Latest Ofsted grade, 58 primaries with one.
97%
England 96%
Close to England
Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding
9 of the 10 with a grade.
90%
England 93%
Close to England
Met the expected standard at 11
Reading, writing and maths.
63%
England 62%
Close to England
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
At GCSE.
42%
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.
16%
England 18%
Better than England
Primary pupils on free school meals
A sign of family income, not of school quality.
19%
Ofsted grades
Latest graded inspection for the 81 schools that have one.
94%
Good or Outstanding
Outstanding12
Good64
Requires improvement4
Inadequate1
How it has changed
Herefordshire in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.
Met the expected standard at 1163% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).Grade 5 or above in English and maths42% in 2026.Pupils who miss a lot of school16% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
The figures in full
The latest published year for each measure. Sources and years are on our data sources page.
Measure
Herefordshire
England
Good or Outstanding (Ofsted)
94%
95%
Met the expected standard at 11 (KS2)
63%
62%
Attainment 8
45.3
46.2
Persistent absence
16%
18%
Pupils per teacher
17.0:1
17.9:1
Spending per pupil
£7,858
£8,120
In education or work after 16
90%
91%
Went on to higher education
39%
56%
Pupils with special educational needs
23%
21%
Pupils with English as an additional language
12%
22%
Pupils on free school meals
20%
27%
DfE local authority code 884, ONS code E06000019.
Living here
What it's like for families
Herefordshire has 171 schools and nurseries across 3 towns and villages, the biggest being Hereford, Ross-on-Wye and Leominster.
Pupil numbers are about the same as in 2018.
19% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.
Pupil numbers
Pupils in Herefordshire's state schools each January.
23.5k2018
23.7k2019
23.6k2021
23.6k2022
23.8k2023
23.8k2024
23.6k2025
23.4k2026
Up 0% since 2018.
Free school meals
Out of every 10 primary pupils, how many get free school meals. It's a sign of family income, not of school quality.
Herefordshire19%
Keep up with schools in Herefordshire
Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.
Herefordshire has 171 schools, including 89 primary schools, 29 secondary schools, 58 nurseries, 12 independent schools, 13 special schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.
What are the best schools in Herefordshire?+
The highest-ranked schools in Herefordshire on Eduscope are Walford Nursery & Primary School, Eastnor Parochial Primary School, St Francis Xavier's Primary School. We rank each state school against schools of the same phase across England on its Ofsted inspection, results and attendance. Independent, special and nursery schools aren't ranked.
What percentage of schools in Herefordshire are rated Good or Outstanding?+
94% of inspected schools in Herefordshire hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is below the England average of 94.8%. This includes 12 schools rated Outstanding and 64 rated Good.
How do primary schools in Herefordshire perform at Key Stage 2?+
Across primary schools in Herefordshire, 63% of pupils meet the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths at Key Stage 2. This is based on the latest published results from the Department for Education.
What is the average pupil-teacher ratio in Herefordshire?+
The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Herefordshire is 17.0:1. While not a direct measure of class size, this indicates the level of teaching resource available per pupil. Across England it is 17.9:1.
What is the persistent absence rate in Herefordshire schools?+
The persistent absence rate across schools in Herefordshire is 15.9%. A pupil is classed as persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of school sessions. Across England it is 18.1%.
How many pupils attend schools in Herefordshire?+
There are 23,392 pupils enrolled across schools in Herefordshire, with 13,284 in primary and 10,069 in secondary. 20.1% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.
How many private schools are in Herefordshire?+
There are 12 independent schools in Herefordshire. Fees vary by school and age group, with day school fees typically ranging from £10,000 to £20,000 per year. You can compare all private schools in Herefordshire on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.
How do I choose the right school in Herefordshire?+
Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 171 schools in Herefordshire by Ofsted ratings, exam results, and distance. Filter by school type, gender, religious character, and admissions policy to narrow your options.
Sources: DfE school performance tables, DfE school census and workforce, DfE pupil absence, Ofsted. Photos are stand-ins.
