Watford Grammar School for Girls

Watford Grammar School for Girls has been deemed outstanding in all areas during this first routine inspection since its conversion to an academy. The school boasts a strong sense of community among its diverse student body, who feel proud and valued. With high ambitions for all students, the school provides a broad curriculum that ensures pupils achieve well academically while also receiving essential personal development. Staff are recognized for their effective teaching and support, particularly for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), ensuring all pupils receive quality education and care.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve exceptionally well in national examinations.
• The school offers a well-balanced and ambitious curriculum across various subjects.
• Strong support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Teachers possess strong subject knowledge and receive regular training.
• A well-planned programme of personal development is in place.
• Positive relationships are fostered among staff and pupils.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Watford Grammar School for Girls attended 93.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 19.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.7% of pupils at Watford Grammar School for Girls were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). One pupil was permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Watford Grammar School for Girls had 18.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 4.2% of pupils at Watford Grammar School for Girls were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 1.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

Pupils by main type of need

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Watford Grammar School for Girls received £7,366 and spent £7,406 for each of its 1,430 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,716,000 (£1,200 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

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All schools in Watford · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

What is Watford Grammar School for Girls's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Watford Grammar School for Girls is Outstanding, from an inspection in April 2024.

When was Watford Grammar School for Girls last inspected by Ofsted?

Watford Grammar School for Girls was last inspected in April 2024.

How many pupils does Watford Grammar School for Girls have?

Watford Grammar School for Girls has 1,427 pupils on roll.

What age range does Watford Grammar School for Girls cover?

Watford Grammar School for Girls for pupils aged 11 to 19.

What are Watford Grammar School for Girls's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 65.5, and 80% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Watford Grammar School for Girls?

Watford Grammar School for Girls is at Lady's Close, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD18 0AE.