The King's School
The King's School is an independent school in Harpenden for pupils aged 4 to 16. It has a Christian religious character. It has 169 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for The King's School is Good, from an inspection in January 2017. In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.3, and 73% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.
Ofsted inspection: January 2017. GCSE results: 2026.
| Type | Independent School / Other independent school |
| Age Range | 4-16 |
| Religion | Christian |
| Address | Elmfield Ambrose Lane Harpenden Hertfordshire AL5 4DU |
| Phone | 01582767566 |
| Reference Number | 117650 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 169 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 50.89%
Girls: 49.11% |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 2 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 3 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 4 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 5 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 6 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 7 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 8 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 9 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 10 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
| 11 | Unknown | Unknown | Unknown |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|
The King's School is performing well overall, maintaining a good standard of education as noted during its previous inspection. It boasts a strong Christian ethos and provides a supportive, nurturing environment for its students, which fosters outstanding personal development, behavior, and welfare. Pupils make good progress across various subjects and the most able students particularly benefit from good teaching. However, the school faces certain challenges, including inconsistency in teaching practices and the need for improved clarity in communication regarding pupils' individual progress.
| Overall Ofsted Rating | Good |
| Last Report Date | 06 Dec 2016 |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 06 Dec 2016 | Standard inspection: |
| 19 Nov 2013 | Standard inspection: |
| 30 Nov 2010 | Standard inspection: |
| 28 Nov 2007 | Standard inspection: |
Strengths
- Strong leadership and clear vision for the school
- Outstanding personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils
- Good subject knowledge among teachers
- Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress
- Exceptional safeguarding measures in place
- Broad and balanced curriculum with a range of extra-curricular activities
- High levels of pupil attendance and pride in their school
Areas for Improvement
- Inconsistent adherence to the school’s marking policy among some teachers
- Some teaching does not fully meet the needs of individual pupils
- Limited partnership work with other schools
- Underdeveloped systems for monitoring and evaluating school performance
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
- English
- Maths
- 3 subjects from qualifications that count towards the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), like sciences, language and history
- 3 more GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or technical awards from a list approved by the Department for Education
Each grade a pupil gets is assigned a point score from 9 (the highest) to 1 (the lowest). These scores are added up, with English and maths counted twice.
| School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|
| 58.3 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
GCSE Results
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 73.3% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| 5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) | 73.3% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Attainment 8 Score
Attaimenment 8 is a measure of a pupil's average grade across a set of 8 subjects. The 8 subjects which make up Attainment 8 are:
Sample
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See how The King's School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99In 2025–26, 16.0% of pupils at The King's School were on SEN support (nationally 18.4%) and 0.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 7.9%).
Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded independent school schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.
| Name | Distance |
|
The Lea Primary School and Nursery
Moorland Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4LE |
0.46 miles |
|
St Hilda's School
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0.68 miles |
|
Roundwood Primary School
Roundwood Park, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 3AD |
0.73 miles |
|
Wood End School
Yeomans Avenue, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 3EF |
0.76 miles |
|
Manland Primary School
Sauncey Avenue, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4QW |
0.8 miles |
|
St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School
Church Green, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2TP |
0.89 miles |
|
Harpenden Academy
25 Vaughan Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4EL |
1.04 miles |
|
Batford Nursery School
Holcroft Road, Harpenden, AL5 5BQ |
1.17 miles |
|
Sauncey Wood Primary School
Pickford Hill, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 5HL |
1.17 miles |
|
St Dominic Catholic Primary School
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1.34 miles |
|
Crabtree Junior School
Crabtree Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 5PU |
1.37 miles |
|
Crabtree Infants' School
Crabtree Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 5PU |
1.37 miles |
|
High Beeches Primary School
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1.61 miles |
|
The Grove Junior School
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1.84 miles |
|
The Grove Infant and Nursery School
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1.88 miles |
|
Aldwickbury School
|
1.89 miles |
|
Redbourn Primary School
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2.6 miles |
|
Claystone School
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3.1 miles |
|
St Helen's Church of England Primary School
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3.24 miles |
|
Flamstead Village School
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3.25 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
St George's School
Sun Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4TD |
0.66 miles |
|
Roundwood Park School
Roundwood Park, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 3AE |
0.74 miles |
|
Sir John Lawes School
Manland Way, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4QP |
0.9 miles |
|
Katherine Warington School
Lower Luton Road, Harpenden, AL5 5FH |
1.43 miles |
|
St Luke's School
Crouch Hall Lane, Redbourn, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 7ET |
2.45 miles |
|
Chiltern Academy
Gipsy Lane, Luton, LU1 3GF |
3.39 miles |
|
Townsend Church of England School
High Oaks, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6DR |
3.93 miles |
|
The Stockwood Park Academy
Rotheram Avenue, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 5PP |
4.12 miles |
|
Lime Academy Hartwell
1 York Street, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU2 0EZ |
4.25 miles |
|
St Albans Girls' School
Sandridgebury Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6DB |
4.31 miles |
|
Queen Elizabeth School
Crawley Green Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU2 9AG |
4.34 miles |
|
Batchwood School
Townsend Drive, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 5RP |
4.53 miles |
|
Bury Park Educational Institute (Al - Hikmah Secondary School)
82 - 86 Dunstable Road, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU1 1EH |
4.64 miles |
|
Sandringham School
The Ridgeway, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 9NX |
4.71 miles |
|
Heathlands School
Heathlands Drive, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 5AY |
4.73 miles |
All schools in Harpenden · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications
What is The King's School's Ofsted rating?
The latest Ofsted rating for The King's School is Good, from an inspection in January 2017.
When was The King's School last inspected by Ofsted?
The King's School was last inspected in January 2017.
How many pupils does The King's School have?
The King's School has 169 pupils on roll.
What age range does The King's School cover?
The King's School for pupils aged 4 to 16.
What are The King's School's GCSE results?
In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 58.3, and 73% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.
Where is The King's School?
The King's School is at Elmfield, Ambrose Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4DU.