The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

Ofsted: Outstanding · Nov 2023
Ages 11 to 18
Bishop's Stortford CM23
1,450 pupils

In short: a popular secondary academy with a sixth form, in a better-off part of the area. Ofsted rated it Outstanding in 2023. Recent results are above average, and attendance is below average.

A sixth-form student writing at a table with an open book

Secondary pupils outside a school entrance

Eduscope verdict

Worth a visit, with questions

Popular and well run on paper, but the top grade is old and recent results are mixed.

Illustrative example. Our scoring isn't live yet, so these ratings are not this school's.

ResultsAround average
Close to the local and England figures.
InspectionGood, but dated
Check how long ago the last inspection was.
AttendanceNeeds attention
More days missed than most schools.
Getting a placeCompetitive
More first choices than places.
Staff and moneyStrong
Qualified teachers and money in reserve.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2024 to 2025How we work this out

Good to know

Outstanding at its last graded inspection, in November 2023.
In demand. 516 applications for 178 Year 7 places in 2026.
GCSE scores above England. Attainment 8 of 62, against 46.2 across England.

Worth checking

High absence. 1 in 5 children miss a lot of school (Hertfordshire: 1 in 4).
Hard to get into. 213 families put it first for 178 places.

Check my chances

OfstedOutstandingNov 2023, 2 years ago
Strong pass in English and maths70%Hertfordshire 54% · England 46%
Year 7, 2026516 for 178applications for places
Free school meals5%Hertfordshire 17%
Pupils1,450Room for 1,360, so it's full
Days missed7.5%About 14 days a year

Then and now

Outstanding in 2023

Ofsted rated the school Outstanding in November 2023.

Every Ofsted visit

Ofsted inspects every state school every few years. Choose a year to see what they found.

What Ofsted found in November 2023

SafeguardingEffective
Quality of educationOutstanding
Behaviour and attitudesOutstanding
Personal developmentOutstanding
LeadershipOutstanding
Sixth formOutstanding

Read the 2023 report on Ofsted

A teacher helping a group of children working at their tables

2023 vs now

How the school compares now with 2023
Measure	2023	Now
Ofsted grade	Outstanding	Outstanding
Attainment 8	61.7	62.0
Pupils	1,350	1,450

Mr Richard Paul, headteacher. Part of Herts & Essex Multi Academy Trust.

GCSE results

How pupils do in their GCSEs

Pupils take their GCSEs at the end of Year 11, aged 16. Latest results: summer 2026.

Most pupils got a strong pass in English and maths

A strong pass is grade 5 or above. 89% got a standard pass (grade 4 or above). 2026 GCSEs.

70 out of every 100 Year 11 pupils

The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College70%

Hertfordshire54%

England46%

The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College among secondary schools in Hertfordshire

Each dot is one school, placed by its Attainment 8 score.

The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College is higher than 100 of 110 other Hertfordshire secondary schools.

After 16

Where pupils go next

Where pupils were 6 months after leaving: staying in education, in work or training, or not.

After GCSEs

Pupils who left in 2024, against England.

Staying in education92%England 86%
In employment1%England 3%
Apprenticeships1%England 3%
Not in education or employmentNot publishedEngland 6%
Destination unknownNot publishedEngland 3%

Getting in

Could your child get a place?

In 2026 more families wanted The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College than it had places.

516 applications for 178 Year 7 places

That's about 29 for every 10 places. 213 families put it first, so even some first-choice families missed out.

● 50 places◌ 50 more applications

Demand has stayed steady in 10 years

Applications each year. The black line is how many places were offered.

553

523

552

557

483

551

571

502

467

534

516

ApplicationsPlaces offered

Who gets a place first

When there are more children than places, most schools give places in an order like this. Check the school's own policy.

1Children in care, or who used to be
2Children with a brother or sister already at the school
3Everyone else, closest first

A parent walking two children along the pavement

Three children with backpacks crossing a street

Now
Open evenings run in the autumn. Ask the school for dates.
31 Oct 2027
Deadline to apply to Hertfordshire Council.
1 Mar 2028
Offers day. You'll hear from the council.
Sep 2028
Your child starts Year 7.

Pupils

Who goes to The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

A steady school: 1,350 pupils in 2021, 1,450 now.

186

188

187

193

185

270

241

Year 11, in darker blue, is the year group that sits the GCSEs.

90% girls10% boys

Ethnic background

63% White British · 9% White Other · 5% Chinese · 4% African · 20% other

5.4%
Free school meals
Children from lower-income families. The school gets extra money to support them.
Hertfordshire17.2%
15.1%
English as an additional language
Children who speak another language at home. It says nothing about how well they speak English.
Hertfordshire15.8%
7.1%
SEN support
Children with special educational needs who get extra help in school.
All SEN, Hertfordshire13.2%
1.1%
EHC plan
Children with a legal plan for more complex needs (an Education, Health and Care plan).

Staff and money

Teachers, and what the school spends

1 teacher for every 16 pupils

Pupils per teacher across the whole school, not class size. Hertfordshire: 17.6. England: 18.1. Counting teaching assistants, there's 1 adult for every 13 pupils.

Average class: 21 pupils.

90.8teachers (full-time equivalent)

9.9teaching assistants

97%of teachers fully qualified

Pupils in a classroom while their teacher presents

£7,799 spent on each pupil a year

2024 to 2025. Up from £6,101 in 2021. Hertfordshire: £7,684. England: £7,460.

Staff (teachers, assistants and others)£5,78874%

Money in: £8,065
Spent: £7,799

The school had £241,000 saved (£166 per pupil) in 2025. Reserves are for a rainy day, but they're meant to benefit pupils. Worth asking how they'll be used.

Day to day

Life at The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

The average pupil misses about 14 days a year

That's 7.5% of the school year, for any reason including illness. And 1 in 5 pupils (22%) missed at least 1 day in 10, which counts as persistently absent. Hertfordshire: 23%. England: about 20%.

In schoolMissed

Sixth formPupils can stay on until 18.

Before and after schoolWe don't hold club times. Ask the school.

Ages: 11 to 18, with sixth form
Type: Academy Converter
Academy trust: Herts & Essex Multi Academy Trust
Boys and girls: Girls
Religious character: None
Size: 1,450 pupils, 1,360 places
Headteacher: Mr Richard Paul
Opened: April 2014
Council: Hertfordshire
Address: Warwick Road, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM23 5NJ
Phone: 0127 965 4127
Website: www.hertsandessex.herts.sch.uk
School number (URN): 140786 · See it on the government register

Open evening

What to ask when you visit

Based on what the data says about The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College. Take this list with you.

1“What are you doing about attendance?”1 in 5 children missed at least 1 day in 10 last year.
2“How will you use the money in reserve?”The school had £241,000 saved at the last count.
3“What do pupils need to get into the sixth form?”Entry grades for the sixth form vary between schools.
4“How do you support children who need extra help?”7.1% of pupils get SEN support here.

Nearby

Other secondary schools nearby

Popular schools fill up, so it's wise to list more than one. Here's how The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College compares with its neighbours.

See all Hertfordshire secondaries

Ofsted: OutstandingYou're here

The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

CM23 5NJ · Academy Converter · 1450 pupils

Days missed: 7.5%
Pupils per teacher: 16.4

Ofsted: Good

Hockerill Anglo-European College

CM23 5HX · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11–18

Progress 8: +0.38
Attainment 8: 60.7
Eng+Maths: 89%

Ofsted: Good

Birchwood High School

CM23 5BD · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11–18

Progress 8: -0.08
Attainment 8: 48.1
Eng+Maths: 69%

St Mary's Catholic School

CM23 2NQ · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11–18

Progress 8: +0.43
Attainment 8: 54.6
Eng+Maths: 81%

Keep an eye on The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

We'll email you when there's a new Ofsted report, new results or new admissions figures. Nothing else.

Questions

Questions parents ask

Is The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College a good school?

Ofsted rated it Outstanding in November 2023. In 2026, its Attainment 8 score was 62, against 46.2 across England. Visit, and read the latest inspection report.

How hard is it to get a place?

In 2026 there were 516 applications for 178 Year 7 places, and 213 families put it as their first choice. Not everyone who applied got a place, so list more than one school.

Does The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College have a sixth form?

Yes, pupils can stay on after their GCSEs.

Is it a faith school?

No, it doesn't have a religious character.

Why is absence high?

22% of children missed at least 1 day in 10, which counts as persistently absent. Absence went up across England after Covid. Ask the school what it's doing about it.

How do you work out the Eduscope verdict?

We use official data from the Department for Education, Ofsted and ISI. The verdict looks at results, inspections, attendance, getting a place, and staff and money.

Sources: Department for Education school performance tables, school census and workforce, academy accounts, admissions statistics, Ofsted and ISI. Photos are stand-ins.

The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

Worth a visit, with questions

ResultsAround average

InspectionGood, but dated

AttendanceNeeds attention

Getting a placeCompetitive

Staff and moneyStrong

Good to know

Worth checking

Outstanding in 2023

Every Ofsted visit

A shorter visit in April 2014

What Ofsted found in November 2023

How pupils do in their GCSEs

Most pupils got a strong pass in English and maths

The typical pupil gets about a grade 6 in each subject

Attainment 8, year by year

The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College among secondary schools in Hertfordshire

Where pupils go next

After GCSEs

Could your child get a place?

516 applications for 178 Year 7 places

Demand has stayed steady in 10 years

Who gets a place first

Who goes to The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

Free school meals

English as an additional language

SEN support

EHC plan

Teachers, and what the school spends

1 teacher for every 16 pupils

£7,799 spent on each pupil a year

Life at The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

The average pupil misses about 14 days a year

What to ask when you visit

Other secondary schools nearby

The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

Hockerill Anglo-European College

Birchwood High School

St Mary's Catholic School

Keep an eye on The Hertfordshire & Essex High School and Science College

Questions parents ask