Parmiter's School

Parmiter’s School is performing exceptionally well, achieving an overall grade of outstanding in all inspected domains, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and sixth form provision. This marks the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite its earlier exemption from inspections due to past success, the comprehensive evaluation confirms its continued high standards. Pupils engage in rigorous academic pursuits while also thriving socially, thanks to a robust co-curricular program that fosters well-rounded development.

Strengths

• Exceptional standard of education with high academic success.
• Strong integration and community spirit among pupils.
• Excellent co-curricular opportunities enhancing pupil well-being.
• Well-designed curriculum that builds on prior knowledge.
• Expert subject knowledge and effective teaching strategies.
• High levels of pupil engagement and enthusiasm for learning.
• Exemplary pupil conduct and supportive peer relationships.
• Strong leadership with a clear strategic vision.

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 Parmiter's School attended 94.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 17.3% 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, 1.4% of pupils at Parmiter's School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). No pupils were 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 Parmiter's School had 15.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 8.0% 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, 8.2% of pupils at Parmiter's School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 3.5% 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 Parmiter's School received £8,646 and spent £8,675 for each of its 1,464 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £324,000 (-£221 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.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

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

What is Parmiter's School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Parmiter's School is Outstanding, from an inspection in September 2024.

When was Parmiter's School last inspected by Ofsted?

Parmiter's School was last inspected in September 2024.

How many pupils does Parmiter's School have?

Parmiter's School has 1,496 pupils on roll.

What age range does Parmiter's School cover?

Parmiter's School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Parmiter's School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 65.0, and 78% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Parmiter's School?

Parmiter's School is at High Elms Lane, Garston, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD25 0UU.