Sir John Lawes School

Type Secondary / Academy converter
Age Range 11-18
Religion Unknown
Address Manland Way
Harpenden
Hertfordshire
AL5 4QP
Phone 01582760043
Reference Number 137270

Sir John Lawes School in Harpenden has been inspected for the first time since 2008 and has maintained its outstanding status across all areas evaluated. The school provides an exceptional environment for pupils, emphasizing its core values of Achievement, Care, and Excellence. With a well-planned curriculum and extensive support mechanisms in place, pupils are making significant academic strides, and the overall educational experience is enriched with a variety of extracurricular activities. The school community enjoys a culture of respect, safety, and high expectations, contributing positively to their personal and academic development.

General Makeup

Number of pupils 1356
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 53.91%
Girls: 46.09%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 8.9%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 12.9%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 21.7

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
7 112 97 209
8 108 104 212
9 116 92 208
10 109 83 192
11 101 91 192
12 91 87 178
13 94 71 165

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, British 63.7%
Chinese 6.7%
White, Other 5.5%
Mixed, Other 5.2%
Indian 3.5%
White & Asian 2.9%
African 2.1%
Asian, Other 2.1%
Pakistani 1.3%
White & Black (Caribbean) 1.1%
Irish 0.4%
Caribbean 0.3%
White & Black (African) 0.2%
Unclassified 0.1%

Overall Ofsted Rating Outstanding
 >  Quality of education Outstanding
  >  Behaviour & Attitude Outstanding
  >  Personal Development Outstanding
  >  Leadership & Management Outstanding
  >  Sixth Form Provision Outstanding
Last Report Date 28 Mar 2023
Date Report
28 Mar 2023 School inspection:
14 Feb 2012 Academy conversion letter
07 Jan 2011 Interim assessment
Previously as Sir John Lawes School
07 Jan 2011 Interim assessment
23 Feb 2009 Curriculum and development visit
23 Feb 2009 Curriculum and development visit
27 Feb 2008 Full inspection:
27 Feb 2008 Full inspection:
22 Sep 2003 Full inspection
22 Sep 2003 Full inspection

Strengths

  • Exceptional curriculum designed to support long-term knowledge and skills development.
  • Strong extracurricular activities that positively impact student life.
  • High expectations for pupil behaviour and performance.
  • Excellent provision and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
  • Effective reading interventions promoting literacy and a love for reading.
  • Strong emphasis on personal development and student leadership opportunities.
  • A dedicated focus on high-quality careers advice and guidance.

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)
62.8

GCSE Results

Metric School Score Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Grade 5 or above in English and maths 75.5%
5 or more GCSEs at grade 9-4 (or A-C) 85.4%

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:

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GCSE Results

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Points

Points Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Average Points 42.59
Average Points (best 3) 43.58

Grades

School Local Nationwide
Average Grade B+ B- C+
Average Grade (best 3) B+ B- C+
Percentage Percentile (local) Percentile (nationwide)
Students getting AAB or better 27.5%
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2025 Admissions

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 268 7
Third Preference 149 1
From another Local Authority 38 9

Previous Years

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Destinations after GCSE's

Staying in Education
 >  Further Education
 >  School Sixth Form
 >  Sixth Form College
 >  Other Education
Apprenticeships
Employment
Not in education or employment
Unknown

Name Distance
Manland Primary School
Sauncey Avenue, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4QW
0.1 miles
Batford Nursery School
Holcroft Road, Harpenden, AL5 5BQ
0.46 miles
Sauncey Wood Primary School
Pickford Hill, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 5HL
0.51 miles
Crabtree Junior School
Crabtree Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 5PU
0.51 miles
Crabtree Infants' School
Crabtree Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 5PU
0.53 miles
The Lea Primary School and Nursery
Moorland Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4LE
0.56 miles
Harpenden Academy
25 Vaughan Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4EL
0.57 miles
St Nicholas CofE VA Primary School
Church Green, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2TP
0.66 miles
High Beeches Primary School
Aldwickbury Crescent, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 5SD
0.75 miles
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0.78 miles
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0.83 miles
Aldwickbury School
1.02 miles
The Grove Junior School
Dark Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 1QB
1.05 miles
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Dark Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 1QD
1.09 miles
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1.11 miles
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1.54 miles
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2.34 miles
Beech Hyde Primary School and Nursery
Nurseries Road, Wheathampstead, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 8TP
2.63 miles
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High Street, Kimpton, Hitchin, Hertfordshire, SG4 8RB
2.89 miles
Redbourn Primary School
Long Cutt, Redbourn, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 7EX
2.9 miles
Name Distance
St George's School
Sun Lane, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4TD
0.33 miles
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Lower Luton Road, Harpenden, AL5 5FH
0.58 miles
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0.9 miles
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1.16 miles
St Luke's School
Crouch Hall Lane, Redbourn, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 7ET
2.8 miles
Townsend Church of England School
High Oaks, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6DR
3.37 miles
St Albans Girls' School
Sandridgebury Lane, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 6DB
3.67 miles
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The Ridgeway, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL4 9NX
3.94 miles
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Townsend Drive, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 5RP
3.96 miles
Heathlands School
Heathlands Drive, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 5AY
4.1 miles
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Gipsy Lane, Luton, LU1 3GF
4.19 miles
St Albans High School for Girls
4.57 miles
Verulam School
Brampton Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 4PR
4.81 miles
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Hatfield Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3RQ
4.87 miles
St Albans School
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4.95 miles
Queen Elizabeth School
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4.98 miles
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