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Schools in Hertford

A town in Hertfordshire

  • Town
  • 26 schools and nurseries
  • 5,332 pupils

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.

Three children with backpacks crossing a street
A red-brick school building under a blue sky

Hertford at a glance

Ahead of England on attendance

How Hertford's schools compare with England, area by area.

DfE and Ofsted data, 2014 to 2026How we work this out
  • Schools and nurseries268 primary · 2 secondary · 13 nurseries
  • Primaries Good or better100%England 96%
  • Met the standard at 1162%England 62%
  • Grade 5 in English and maths51%Attainment 8 48.4, England 46.2
  • Free school meals, primary13%A sign of family income
  • Missed a lot of school14%England 18%
Top-rated

The highest-rated schools in Hertford

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.

All Hertford primary schools

Top Primary Schools in Hertford

8 mainstream schools in Hertford, best first

Simon Balle All-Through School

Hertford, SG13 8AJ · Academy · All-through · Ages 4 to 18

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

146 first choices, 124 offers made

Met the standard at 1184%

England 62%

Days missed
5.0%
Pupils
1,617
Pupils per teacher
16.8
View school Simon Balle All-Through School

Bengeo Primary School

Hertford, SG14 3DX · State · Primary · Ages 3 to 11

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results close to the England average.

58 first choices, 60 offers made

Met the standard at 1161%

England 62%

Days missed
4.3%
Pupils
449
Pupils per teacher
20.9
View school Bengeo Primary School

Mill Mead Primary Academy

Hertford, SG14 3AA · Academy · Primary · Ages 3 to 11

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

36 first choices, 30 offers made

Met the standard at 1184%

England 62%

Days missed
3.7%
Pupils
216
Pupils per teacher
20.2
View school Mill Mead Primary Academy

Top Secondary Schools in Hertford

2 mainstream schools in Hertford, best first

Simon Balle All-Through School

Hertford, SG13 8AJ · Academy · All-through · Ages 4 to 18

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

146 first choices, 124 offers made

Met the standard at 1184%

England 62%

Days missed
5.0%
Pupils
1,617
Pupils per teacher
16.8
View school Simon Balle All-Through School

Richard Hale School

Hertford, SG13 8EN · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18 · Boys

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

189 first choices, 168 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1654.0

England 46.2

Days missed
5.4%
Pupils
1,207
Pupils per teacher
16.5
View school Richard Hale School

The Sele School

Hertford, SG14 2DG · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

  • Ofsted:Good in every area

Results well below the England average.

45 first choices, 75 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1635.1

England 46.2

Days missed
12.9%
Pupils
382
Pupils per teacher
17.4
View school The Sele School

Nurseries in Hertford

13 in Hertford, highest Ofsted grade first

Sixth Forms in Hertford

3 in Hertford, by the school's Eduscope score

Simon Balle All-Through School

Hertford, SG13 8AJ · Academy · All-through · Ages 4 to 18

  • Ofsted:Outstanding

Results well above the England average.

146 first choices, 124 offers made

Met the standard at 1184%

England 62%

Days missed
5.0%
Pupils
1,617
Pupils per teacher
16.8
View school Simon Balle All-Through School

Richard Hale School

Hertford, SG13 8EN · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18 · Boys

  • Ofsted:Good

Results well above the England average.

189 first choices, 168 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1654.0

England 46.2

Days missed
5.4%
Pupils
1,207
Pupils per teacher
16.5
View school Richard Hale School

The Sele School

Hertford, SG14 2DG · Academy · Secondary · Ages 11 to 18

  • Ofsted:Good in every area

Results well below the England average.

45 first choices, 75 offers made

Attainment 8 at 1635.1

England 46.2

Days missed
12.9%
Pupils
382
Pupils per teacher
17.4
View school The Sele School

Private Schools in Hertford

2 in Hertford. Eduscope doesn't rank these.

Duncombe School

Hertford, SG14 3JA · Independent · Primary · Ages 2 to 11

  • ISI:Inspected

Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
230
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Duncombe School

Hertford Prep

Hertford, SG14 2LX · Independent · Primary · Ages 2 to 11

  • ISI:Inspected

Independent school. Results aren't published in the same way.

Results

Not published for this kind of school.

Days missed
–
Pupils
130
Pupils per teacher
–
View school Hertford Prep
The map

Every school in Hertford, on one map

Each dot is a school or nursery, coloured by its latest Ofsted grade. Point at a dot to see its name, or use the list.

See them as a list
Show
Abel Smith School, OutstandingHollybush Primary School, Requires improvement in 2 areasWheatcroft Primary School, GoodBengeo Primary School, OutstandingMorgans Primary School & Nursery, GoodHertford St Andrew CofE Primary School, GoodDuncombe School, InspectedHertford Prep, InspectedThe Sele School, Good in every areaRichard Hale School, GoodSimon Balle All-Through School, OutstandingSt Joseph's Catholic Primary School (Hertford), GoodMill Mead Primary Academy, GoodBusy Lizzies At Simon Balle, OutstandingBengeo Playgroup, OutstandingBright Horizons Hertford Day Nursery and Preschool, GoodTiny Toes Day Nursery & Pre-School (Hertford) Limited, GoodAshbourne Day Nurseries at Hertford, GoodThe Pines Pre School, GoodRiver View Day Nursery, OutstandingTiddley Tots Nursery, Needs attention in 4 areasMini Morgans NurseryHygge Bears NurserySt. Joseph's Playgroup, GoodBusy Bees Day Nursery at Hertford Hartham Park, OutstandingBrightside Preschool (Hertford) CIC
  • Outstanding7
  • Good11
  • Not graded yet8
Before you apply

Apply through the council where you live

Your home council handles your application, wherever the school is. Living nearby doesn't guarantee a place: each school's admission rules decide.

Postcodes

Browse Hertford by postcode

Some areas, like parts of a bigger town, are easiest to find by postcode.

Hertford vs England

How good are Hertford's schools?

Inspections, exam results and attendance, next to the figure for England where we have it.

Worked out by Eduscope from each school's published figures. Not an official statistic for this town.

Numbers that sum up Hertford

HertfordEngland

  • Primaries rated Good or Outstanding

    Latest Ofsted grade, 8 primaries with one.

    100%

    England 96%

    Close to England

  • Secondaries rated Good or Outstanding

    2 of the 2 with a grade.

    100%

    England 93%

    Above England

  • Met the expected standard at 11

    Reading, writing and maths.

    62%

    England 62%

    Close to England

  • Grade 5 or above in English and maths

    At GCSE.

    51%

  • Pupils who miss a lot of school

    Missed 1 in 10 days or more. Lower is better.

    14%

    England 18%

    Better than England

  • Primary pupils on free school meals

    A sign of family income, not of school quality.

    13%

Ofsted grades

Latest graded inspection for the 9 schools that have one.

100%

Good or Outstanding

  • Outstanding3
  • Good6
  • Requires improvement0
  • Inadequate0

How it has changed

Hertford in blue. There were no tests in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

Met the expected standard at 11
Covid gap50%65%80%20182019202320242025
62% in 2025. England now 62% (dashed line).
Grade 5 or above in English and maths
Covid gap40%55%70%2018201920222023202420252026
54% in 2026.
Pupils who miss a lot of school
Covid gap0%15%30%20142015201620172018201920212022202320242025
14% in 2025. England now 18% (dashed line).
Living here

What it's like for families

Hertford has 26 schools and nurseries.

There are 2% more pupils than in 2018.

13% of primary pupils here get free school meals. Schools get extra money for each of them.

Pupil numbers

Pupils in Hertford's state schools each January.

Up 2% since 2018. More children can mean popular schools fill up faster.

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.

Hertford13%

Dates to know

Apply through your local council, even for academies and faith schools.

  • 31 OctSecondary deadlineFor children starting Year 7.
  • 15 JanPrimary deadlineFor children starting Reception.
  • 1 MarSecondary offersOffers day for Year 7 places.
  • 16 AprPrimary offersOffers day for Reception places.

Keep up with schools in Hertford

Follow any school and we'll email you when it gets a new Ofsted report or new results are out. Nothing else.

Questions

Questions parents ask about Hertford

How many schools are in Hertford?

Hertford has 26 schools, including 11 primary schools, 3 secondary schools, 13 nurseries, 2 independent schools. Some count in more than one group. You can browse each category using the filters on Eduscope.

What are the best schools in Hertford?

The highest-ranked schools in Hertford on Eduscope are Simon Balle All-Through School, Bengeo Primary School, Mill Mead Primary Academy. 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 Hertford are rated Good or Outstanding?

100% of inspected schools in Hertford hold a Good or Outstanding Ofsted rating, which is above the England average of 94.8%. This includes 3 schools rated Outstanding and 6 rated Good.

How do primary schools in Hertford perform at Key Stage 2?

Across primary schools in Hertford, 62% 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 Hertford?

The average pupil-teacher ratio across schools in Hertford is 17.9:1. 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 Hertford schools?

The persistent absence rate across schools in Hertford is 14.2%. 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 Hertford?

There are 5,332 pupils enrolled across schools in Hertford, with 2,126 in primary and 3,206 in secondary. 13.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals.

How many private schools are in Hertford?

There are 2 independent schools in Hertford. 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 Hertford on Eduscope, including ISI inspection ratings where available.

How do I choose the right school in Hertford?

Start by considering your child's age, your location, and whether you prefer a state or independent school. Use Eduscope to compare 26 schools in Hertford 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.

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