Longdean School

Longdean School has been effective in maintaining the standards identified during its previous inspection. The school, which is part of the Scholars’ Education Trust, offers a nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and supported. While the school has a broad and ambitious curriculum, there are concerns regarding the performance of some students, particularly in their end-of-year examinations, which have shown a decline, partially due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, sixth form students demonstrate stronger achievement and readiness for their next steps in education or employment.

Strengths

• The school provides a friendly and nurturing environment.
• Effective behaviour management policies create a conducive learning atmosphere.
• Strong support for pupils with SEND, enabling them to thrive.
• A broad and ambitious curriculum that caters to pupils' interests.
• High-quality extracurricular activities that enrich student experiences.
• Effective reading support for pupils to improve their skills.

Areas for Improvement

• Some students do not achieve as well as they should by the end of Year 11.
• Inconsistent implementation of curriculum standards across subjects.
• High absence rates among disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

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 Longdean School attended 90.3% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 25.2% 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, 4.9% of pupils at Longdean 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 Longdean School had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.6% 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, 23.6% of pupils at Longdean School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 6.8% 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 Longdean School received £7,883 and spent £8,207 for each of its 1,443 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,248,000 (£865 per pupil).

Across all 12 schools of Scholars' Education Trust, income was £7,571 and spending £7,610 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 Hemel Hempstead · Hertfordshire local authority: places and applications

Longdean School is part of Scholars' Education Trust, which runs 13 schools. The nearest others:

• The Hemel Hempstead School Hemel Hempstead
• Oakleaf Primary Hemel Hempstead
• Samuel Ryder Academy St Albans
• Harpenden Academy Harpenden
• Sir John Lawes School Harpenden
• Watling Lower School Dunstable
• Priory Academy Dunstable
• Dunstable Icknield Lower School Dunstable
• The Highfield School Letchworth Garden City
• Robert Barclay Academy Hoddesdon

What is Longdean School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Longdean School is Good, from an inspection in April 2025.

When was Longdean School last inspected by Ofsted?

Longdean School was last inspected in April 2025.

How many pupils does Longdean School have?

Longdean School has 1,436 pupils on roll.

What age range does Longdean School cover?

Longdean School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Longdean School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 43.7, and 40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Longdean School?

Longdean School is at Rumballs Rd, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP3 8JB.